State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Sunday said that Chattogram, the port city and the country’s commercial capital, will be developed as an IT business hub.
“If the remaining two projects of the ongoing four projects in Chattogram are completed, the port city and the country’s commercial capital will become an IT business hub,” he said while addressing a function at Shilpakala Academy in Chattogram.
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The state minister laid the foundation stone of ‘Knowledge Park’ at Chandgaon in the port city. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Kumar Verma was present as the guest of honour, said a press release of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority.
Addressing the function, Palak said IT business incubators are being set up in the country’s universities to acquire skills on high technology such as IoT, robotics and cyber security in the wake of the competition of the fourth industrial revolution.
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As part of this, the country's first university-based full-fledged IT business incubator has been set up at CUET. Within just one year after its inauguration, spaces were allotted for several IT organizations and startups there, he said.
On the other hand, the commercial activities are going on in full swing at Bir Muktijoddha Lt. Sheikh Jamal Software Technology Park, which was built through the upward expansion of Singapore-Bangkok market, he said.
Besides, the construction of Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center, which is located next to this Knowledge Park in Chandgaon is going to be completed, he added.
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Pranay Kumar Verma expressed firm conviction to work on increasing the partnership between India and Bangladesh in the ICT and other sectors.
He said Bangladesh and India are working jointly in the ICT sector, particularly for investments in hi-tech parks in Bangladesh.
The High Commissioner commented that India will expand its cooperation in Bangladesh further in near future.
Local MP Noman Al Mahmud (elected from Chattogram-8), Managing Director of Hi-Tech Park Authority GSM Jafarullah and Project Director of ‘Knowledge Park’ Project AKAM Fazlul Haque also spoke on the occasion.
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GSM Jafarullah in his welcome speech said the works now continue to set up 92 hi-tech parks/software technology parks/IT training and incubation centres across the country through Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority. Of them, works of 11 parks have already completed and the commercial activities started there. Besides, 17 more parks have been set up under private initiative, he said.
Fazlul Haque said the Knowledge Park is being set up on 9.551 acres of land at the cost of Tk 175 core. Some 1000 jobs will be created in the park. Also, 3,000 people would be trained every year under the project, he said.