The prime minister inaugurated the three-day Digital Bangladesh Fair showcasing the country's IT capabilities
Published : 26 Jan 2023, 02:14 PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes digital connectivity will pave the way for the country's transformation into a 'Smart Bangladesh'.
It will serve as the foundation for a "smart economy, smart government and smart society", she said while virtually inaugurating the Digital Bangladesh Fair at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Thursday, reports state news agency BSS.
The three-day event has been organised by the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology to showcase the country's IT and ITES products and services.
The prime minister is hopeful that digital products will play an important role in facilitating investments and exports. “Digital Bangladesh is now a reality. Building a Smart Bangladesh and a smart nation is our next goal. There is no alternative to using advanced technology to achieve that goal," she said.
"The government wants to make Bangladesh economically prosperous by ensuring the maximum use of digital technology integrated with the internet, virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics and big data."
Bangladesh has undergone a 'digital revolution', the platform for which was laid by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through the establishment of the country's first satellite earth station at Rangamati's Betbunia in 1975, according to Hasina.
The prime minister noted that her Awami League government had unveiled a novel initiative, 'Vision 2021', before the 2008 general elections aimed at ensuring socio-economic growth through the 'digitalisation' of the country.
The launch of the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 in 2018 has also brought revolutionary changes in the broadcasting and telecommunication sector, she said. Bangladesh has also been able to earn a lot of foreign currency by utilising unused satellite frequencies.
The government has also taken steps to set up Bangabandhu Satellite-2 with multi-functional capabilities in a bid to implement the goal of building a 'Smart Bangladesh', said Hasina.
Bangladesh currently boasts a bandwidth capacity of 3,400 GBps, which will rise to 7,200 GBps by mid-2023. The government is also planning to lay a third submarine cable by 2024, which will increase the bandwidth capacity to 13,200 GBps.
The country also earns $4.81 million every year by leasing its bandwidth out to Saudi Arabia, France, Malaysia and India, according to Hasina. As a result, Bangladesh no longer has to be reliant on foreign satellites.