Local software not in use in domestic market

FE Team | Published: February 14, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

FE Report

Country's software industry is deprived of around Tk 5.0 billion in local market despite the product has entered most of the sophisticated global markets, sources said.
Local banks and financial institutes and projects supported by the World Bank and the IMF do not use local software, they said.
"Local banks and financial institutes spent over Tk 2.0 billion a year for installing new software and servicing old one but they do not appoint a single local firm," Md Sabur Khan, former president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) said.
However, projects under the World Bank and some other development partners who also spent over Tk 2 billion in a year for software also do not use local software due to a legal provision mentioned in the public procurement rules (PPR).
The Bangladesh Association of Software Information and Services (BASIS) leaders recently met with the Finance Minister and demanded of the government to withdraw the PPR provision.
"We have talked to the World Bank representatives about our concern and the World Bank representatives have agreed to accept Bangladesh software," Habibullah N Karim, former BASIS president and a director of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.
Former BASIS president Mahbub Zaman said if the local people do not use local software how the industry will grow in global market.
Bangladesh earned a record $100m in software exports in the last fiscal year 2012-13, according to the Export Promotion Bureau data.
Lack of infrastructure remains a big challenge for the industry. The internet bandwidth price remains very high, Fahim Mashroor, former president of BASIS said.
The alternative of sub-marine cable is yet to be found and there is no software technology park in the country.
The other challenges include dearth of skilled human resources and absence of project management skill, Habibullah N Karim, added.
The country also has inadequate infrastructure like high cost of bandwidth and small numbers of IT parks, he said.
Currently, a number of 15,000-20,000 people are working in the sector. But the growing industry requires more manpower, Fahim Mashroor said.
According to BASIS information, the main destinations of Bangladeshi software products are the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and Denmark.