🇧🇩 ICT Industry in Bangladesh

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Information technology in Bangladesh

The information technology sector in Bangladesh had its beginnings in nuclear research during the 1960s. Over the next few decades, computer use increased at large Bangladeshi organizations, mostly with IBM mainframe computers. However, the sector only started to get substantial attention during the 1990s. Today the sector is still in a nascent stage, though it is showing potential for advancement. Nonetheless, Bangladesh IT/ITES industry has fared comparatively well by achieving US$1.3 billion export earnings in FY 2020-21 and holding US$1.4 billion equivalent market share in the local market contributing 0.76 per cent to the GDP creating more than 1 million employment opportunities so far amid Covid-19 havoc that suddenly shattered businesses last year. Consequently, riding on the successes of IT/ITES sector-supported export-led industries as well as pro-private sector and conducive policies pursued by Bangladesh Government, the country is now poised to become a Developing Country by 2026, as recommended by the United Nations Committee for Development Policy (UNCDP), besides, Bangladesh now seeks to transform itself into a knowledge-based and 4IR-driven cashless economy, aiming to become a developed country by 2041. The Bangladesh government has formulated a draft 'Made in Bangladesh– ICT Industry Strategy' aimed at turning Bangladesh into an ICT manufacturing hub, enhancing export of local products, attracting foreign investment and creating employment proposing to implement in three Notif-info terms— short term from 2021 to 2023, mid-term from 2021 to 2028 and long term from 2021 to 2031 for implementation of the 65 action plans.

History

The first computer in East Pakistan was an IBM mainframe 1620 series, installed in 1964 at the Dhaka center of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (later the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission). Computer use increased in the following years, especially after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971; more-advanced IT equipment began to be set up in different educational, research and financial institutions. In 1979, a computer centre, later renamed Department of Computer Science & Engineering, was established at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET); the centre has been playing a pivotal role in Bangladeshi IT education since its inception. Through the introduction of personal computers, the use of computers witnessed a rapid increase in the late 1980s. In 1985, succeeding several individual initiatives, the first Bengali script in computers was invented, paving the way for more intense computer activities. In 1995, use of the Internet began and locally made software started to be exported.

In 1983, the Ministry of Science and Technology established a National Computer Committee to create the required policies. The committee was also responsible to carry out programs to expand and promote the efficacious use of the sector. In 1988, the committee was replaced by the National Computer Board. In 1990, the ministry reformed the board and reconstituted it as the Bangladesh Computer Council to monitor computer- and IT-related works in the country.

ICT industry

The ICT industry is a relatively new sector in the country's economy. Though it is yet to make tangible contributions in the national economy, it is an important growth industry. The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) was established in 1997 as the national trade body for software and IT service industry. Starting with only 17 member companies, by 2009 membership had grown to 326. In a study among Asian countries by Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2007–08, Bangladesh was ranked first in software and IT services competitiveness and third in competencies, after India and China. The World Bank, in a study conducted in 2008, projected triple digit growth for Bangladesh in IT services and software exports. Bangladesh was also listed as one of the top 30 Countries for Offshore Services in 2010–2011 by Gartner. The Internet penetration has also grown to 21.27 percent in 2012, up from 3.2 percent three years prior.

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector of the country has maintained 57.21 percent export growth on an average over the last nine years since 2009. In the fiscal year (FY) 2016–17, Bangladesh ICT sector registered export earnings worth US$0.8 billion from the global market and US$1.54 billion from the domestic market span – thereby making around one percent contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP). The ICT sector has created around three hundred thousand job opportunities so far. ICT exports of the country are also projected to reach US$5 billion by 2025.

As the Internet usage increases, the government expects the IT sector to add 7.28 percent to GDP growth by 2021.

 

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Seven potential ICT Firms of Bangladesh.

 

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One of the finest ICT firms of Bangladesh.

 

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Best 5 ICT companies in Bangladesh.

 

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The fastest-growing countries for software development, according to GitHub​

New data shows a rising tide of coders in Bangladesh and Nigeria.​

Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg/Getty Images
By RUSSELL BRANDOM
5 FEBRUARY 2024

• GitHub has released new data tracking developer accounts by country.
• Year over year, the data shows Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Pakistan had the fastest-growing developer population.

For developers around the world, a busy GitHub profile is one of the best ways to land a programming job. The platform is one of the largest hubs for software development globally, split between public repositories (or repos) used for open-source collaboration and closed repos open only to project participants.

But while GitHub has long been used to assess individual programmers, the platform’s data also shows the developer contributions of every country on Earth, painting an interesting picture of which nations are rising the fastest. GitHub releases the data quarterly as part of a project it calls the Innovation Graph, with the most recent batch of data released on January 18.

For some countries, the data shows a surprising jump in the number of active developers over just the past year. In the three months leading up to September 2023, 945,696 Bangladeshi developers made code contributions to public GitHub repos. Over the same period in 2022, only 568,145 developers in the country made contributions, making for a year-over-year jump of nearly two-thirds. It’s the largest proportional increase for any country in the world.

Like any data set, it comes with limitations: This data only measures public repos, which make up less than half the overall activity on the platform. But GitHub’s own analysts told Rest of World the split is fairly consistent across countries, and private activity tends to rise and fall with public activity.
Even GitHub itself is only a fraction of the software development happening in a given country. But the data shows a rising tide of programming in countries long ignored by much of the Western tech industry.


To find the fastest-growing countries, Rest of World compared developer figures from the most recent three-month period (covering September through December 2023) to the same period the previous year. We also disqualified countries with fewer than 500,000 active developer accounts in the most recent quarter, removing outliers like Vatican City or the Mariana Islands that put up big percentages with only negligible gains in absolute terms.

It’s a different view from the absolute figures published by GitHub, which show the U.S. in the lead with 20.2 million developers, followed by India (13.3 million), China (6.9 million), and Brazil (5.4 million). These are the high-GDP nations that typically dominate the tech industry, and the figures dwarf smaller countries like Bangladesh and Nigeria, both of which represent fewer than 1 million accounts.

The harder question is what it means for countries to suddenly see a surge of GitHub contributors. A surging population of public contributors might suggest a rising tech sector, with more developers resulting in more contributions. But it might also represent a decline in actual work, as developers turn to unpaid work on public repos after paid work disappears.

Mike Linksvayer, GitHub’s vice president of developer policy, told Rest of World it was hard to say what the numbers meant for tech workers in a given country. “Is more public developer activity a leading or trailing indicator for other kinds of development?” he said, reframing the question. “It might be leading for some and trailing for others.”

Still, the countries highlighted by GitHub’s data show many other signs of growing pools of tech talent. In Bangladesh, a steady rise in GDP has also seen millions of young people gaining access to digital tools for the first time, fueling the country’s IT sector and boosting companies like bKash that can build infrastructure for the transition. As one ed-tech founder told Rest of World, “We’ve got 180 million people and 90 million people below the age of 25.”

In Nigeria, high-flying startups like Opay, Jumia, and Flutterwave have produced their own wave of software development projects, funded by both venture capital interest and government investment. In that context, it’s no surprise that platforms like GitHub would see a surge of Nigerian developers.
“The potential is amazing,” a local investor told Rest of World in December. “We have young people that can be trained. We have real problems that can be addressed using digital technology innovation.”

 

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Grameenphone launches 'Super Core' data center in Bangladesh​

12 months after construction commenced

February 07, 2024 By Georgia Butler

Bangladeshi telco Grameenphone has launched its first 'Super Core' data center in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

– Getty Images

The Grameenphone (GP) data center is described as a Tier III standard facility (though not listed as Uptime certified), and has an IT capacity of 4MW.

Construction started in January 2023 on the Super Core Data Center which is a joint effort between GP and ZTE. It was officially launched on January 30, 2024.

The facility is supposedly the largest owned by a mobile network operator in the country.

Yasir Azman, CEO of GP, said: "This facility not only confirms our pledge to lead the way in technological innovations but also demonstrates our devotion to putting our customers first in every aspect of our work, guaranteeing a future of technological progress and reliability in delivering a superior customer experience."

"The SCDC is like the body's heart. It needs to be safe and healthy to support the business," said ZTE managing director of engineering service Ma Liang.

"The data center uses the best and most innovative technology in the industry. It has multiple levels of protection to ensure its reliability. It will also be the first private sector Telco Data Center in Bangladesh to meet the Uptime Tier-III standard which follows the principles of saving energy and reducing emissions with a smart energy management system that makes it efficient and eco-friendly."

The data center uses NOVEC gas for auto fire suppression, and a monitoring system with intrusion detection capabilities to ensure security at the site.

GP is a joint venture between Norwegian telco Telenor and Grameen Telecom Corporation. Telenor owns a 55.8 percent share of the company, which has been operating in Bangladesh for 25 years. The company currently holds around a 46.3 percent revenue market share in the country, with 79 million subscribers as of 2022.

According to Data Center Journal, Bangladesh has 16 data centers in its capital city Dhaka.

Despite a fairly minimal colocation market in the country, there are local players such as Felicity IDC and Red.Digital, while the government operates an Uptime Tier IV-certified data center in the capital.

In February 2023, Indian data center firm Yotta Infrastructure announced plans to invest 20 billion Bangladeshi Taka ($190.5m) in developing a hyperscale data center park in Dhaka in the next four to six years. In September, Saudi firm DataVolt announced it was planning a campus in the country just outside the capital city for which it would invest around $100m.

 

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Video on Felicity Data Center

 

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Software and ITES provider urge for extension of tax exemption until 2031

Software and IT Enabled Service (ITES) providers yesterday urged the government to extend the income tax exemption applicable to them by six years until 2031 in order to help the nation achieve its vision for a Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

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Software and ITES provider urge for extension of tax exemption until 2031​

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for telecom and ICT, and Russell T Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services, pose for photographs with ICT industry people at an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the trade body in the capital yesterday. Photo: collected

Software and IT Enabled Service (ITES) providers yesterday urged the government to extend the income tax exemption applicable to them by six years until 2031 in order to help the nation achieve its vision for a Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

At present, the government offers tax breaks to software and ITES sector entrepreneurs.​

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But the privilege is going to expire on June 30 this year, Russell T Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), said during the national trade body's 25th-anniversary ceremony held at GreenVill Outdoors in Dhaka.

BASIS began its journey in 1998 with just 18 members. Today, it has nearly 2,500 members who play a role in the development of local software and IT services, expansion of access to international markets, and promotion of digital development.

Ahmed added that BASIS had made great strides towards social and economic development through technology-based innovation, making greater use of the benefits of the digital economy.

"ICT is the nucleus of the Smart Bangladesh vision. From agriculture, manufacturing, trading to education, all these sectors will have to implement ICT solutions to become smart within 2041," he said.

Ahmed said the current income tax exemption has been instrumental in propelling Bangladesh towards its digital aspirations.

"Exemption until 2031 would significantly facilitate the journey towards a Smart Bangladesh. Furthermore, offering tax incentives and streamlining the enlistment process for prominent IT enterprises in order to lure recent graduates would further incentivise growth and innovation in the sector," he said.

"The competitive edge of the ICT sector, unlike other industries, relies solely on human resources possessing global and future-oriented ICT skills," he stressed.

The BASIS president also said the establishment of an R&D and innovation fund is vital to transitioning from a knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) and business process outsourcing (BPO) model to a product and service-oriented ICT model.

He also suggested a BASIS-led cross-country comparative study financed by government grants to assess the demand for ICT skills, and effective restructuring of the computer science education system.

"Re-evaluate and augment national ICT competencies administered by the National Skills Development Authority to align with dynamic industry requirements," Ahmed said.

BASIS said it was also targeting training initiatives, internship support, and dedicated grant funds to facilitate the transition of participants into industry-ready professionals.

Additionally, he sought the institution of a supplementary wage policy to incentivise greater female engagement in the ICT sector, alongside recommending the establishment of a dedicated grant fund to support micro and small ICT firms in recruiting fresh graduates.

"Through collaborative efforts and strategic initiatives, the nation is poised to embrace the boundless opportunities that lie ahead, ensuring a bright and prosperous future for generations to come," he said.

He said Bangladesh is embarking on a transformative journey and that the roadmap towards a Smart Bangladesh by 2041 encompasses multifaceted strategies to propel growth in the IT sector.

For example, the global export market for software and ITES is growing and is projected to register $600 billion by the end of the year. If only 3.4 percent can be captured by readying our human resources and private sector, then Bangladesh can earn more than $20 billion within a few years to come. This can be observed as a milestone achievement, especially when we are facing a crunch in our forex reserve.

Addressing this potential, to ensure our comprehensive growth in exports, the BASIS president suggested a framework termed "3 by 3".

"This approach involves conducting research to identify target markets and products, promoting products through marketing and sales efforts, and cultivating a skilled workforce to seize growth opportunities," he said.​

 

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OpenAI valued at $80 billion after deal, NYT reports

OpenAI has completed a deal that values the AI company at $80 billion or more

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OpenAI valued at $80 billion after deal, NYT reports​

Microsoft-backed OpenAI has completed a deal that values the artificial intelligence company at $80 billion or more, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing people with knowledge of the deal.

The company would sell existing shares in a so-called tender offer led by venture firm Thrive Capital, the report,said.

Under the deal, employees will be able to cash out their shares of the company rather than a traditional funding round which would raise money for the business, the report added.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

It agreed to a similar deal early last year. The venture-capital firms Thrive Capital, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and K2 Global agreed to buy OpenAI shares in a tender offer, valuing the company at around $29 billion, the report said.

The launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022 has kicked off buzz around AI, prompting companies to explore ways to harness the power of the technology.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also been reportedly in talks to raise funds for a chip venture as he looks to boost the world's chip building capacity to drive new AI-related tools.​

 

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New AI-video tool by maker of ChatGPT worries media creators

A new artificial intelligence tool that promises to create short videos from simple text commands has raised concerns along with questions from artists and media...

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New AI-video tool by maker of ChatGPT worries media creators​

Agence France-Presse . Paris | Published: 23:12, Feb 17,2024

In this photo illustration, Open AI’s newly released text-to-video ‘Sora’ tool is advertised on their website on a monitor in Washington, DC, on Friday. — AFP photo

A new artificial intelligence tool that promises to create short videos from simple text commands has raised concerns along with questions from artists and media professionals.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT and image generator DALL-E, said Thursday it was testing a text-to-video model called ‘Sora’ that can allow users to create realistic videos with simple prompts.

The San Francisco-based startup says Sora can ‘generate complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background,’ but admits it still has limitations, such as possibly ‘mixing up left and right.’
Here are early reactions from industries that could be affected by the new generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool:
Examples of Sora-created clips on OpenAI’s website range widely in style and subject, from seemingly real drone footage above a crowded market to an animated bunny-like creature bouncing through a forest.

Thomas Bellenger, founder and art director of Cutback Productions, has been carefully watching the evolution of generative AI image generation.

‘There were those who felt that it was an unstoppable groundswell that was progressing at an astonishing rate, and those who just didn’t want to see it,’ said Bellenger, whose France-based company has created large scale visual effects for such touring musicians as Stromae and Justice.

He said the development of generative AI has ‘created a lot of debate internally’ at the company and ‘a lot of sometimes visceral reactions’.

Bellenger noted that Sora has yet to be released, so its capabilities have yet to be tested by the public.

‘What is certain is that no one expected such a technological leap forward in just a few weeks,’ Bellenger said. ‘It’s unheard of.’
He said whatever the future holds, they will ‘find ways to create differently’.

Video game creators are equally likely to be impacted by the new invention, with reaction among the sector divided between those open to embracing a new tool and those fearing it might replace them.

French video game giant Ubisoft hailed the OpenAI announcement as a ‘quantum leap forward’ with the potential to let players and development teams express their imaginations.

‘We’ve been exploring this potential for a long time,’ a Ubisoft spokesperson told AFP.

Alain Puget, chief of Nantes-based studio Alkemi, said he will not replace any artists with AI tools, which ‘only reproduce things done by humans’.

Nevertheless, Puget noted, this ‘visually impressive’ tool could be used by small studios to produce more professionally rendered images.

While video ‘cut scenes’ that play out occasionally to advance game storylines are different from player-controlled action, Puget expects tools like Sora to eventually be able to replace ‘the way we do things.’

Basile Simon, a former journalist and current Stanford University researcher, thinks there has been ‘a terrifying leap forward in the last year’ when it comes to generative AI allowing realistic-looking fabrications to be rapidly produced.

He dreads the idea of how such tools will be abused during elections and fears the public will ‘no longer know what to believe’.

Julien Pain of French TV channel FranceInfo’s fact-checking programme ‘Vrai ou Faux’ (True or False) says he’s also worried about abuse of AI tools.

‘Until now, it was easy enough to spot fake images, for example by noticing the repetitive faces in the background,’ Pain said.
‘What this new software does seems to be on another level.’

While OpenAI and US tech titans may promote safety tools, such as industry-wide watermarks that reveal AI-created imagery, ‘what about tomorrow’s competitors in China and Russia?’ he posited.

The Fred & Farid agency, which has collaborated with the Longchamp and Budweiser brands and where a studio dedicated to AI was opened in early January, anticipates that ‘80 per cent of brand content will be generated by artificial intelligence’.

‘Creative genius’ will no longer be limited by production skills thanks to generative AI tools, one enthusiast contended.

Stephanie Laporte, chief executive and founder of the OTTA advertising and influencer agency, believes the technology will ‘force the industry to evolve’.

She also anticipates ad companies with lean budgets will resort to AI tools to save money on workers.

A possible exception, she believes, is the luxury segment, where brands are ‘very sensitive to authenticity’ and ‘will probably use AI sparingly’.​

 

[Saif]

Interconnected safeguards: ESG-cyber security synergy

In 2024, the ever-evolving digital landscape is accompanied by a dynamic shift in the threat landscape. The cyber security domain is poised for a substantial transformation, anticipating a surge in the complexity of cyber threats. In the contemporary digital economy, businesses are confronted with

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Interconnected safeguards: ESG-cyber security synergy​

​

MOHAMMAD ASHRAFUL ISLAM KHAN
Published :​

Feb 17, 2024 10:14

Updated :​

Feb 17, 2024 10:14

In 2024, the ever-evolving digital landscape is accompanied by a dynamic shift in the threat landscape. The cyber security domain is poised for a substantial transformation, anticipating a surge in the complexity of cyber threats. In the contemporary digital economy, businesses are confronted with the challenge of harmonizing their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives while ensuring robust cyber security and privacy measures. These concerns have prominently featured on global risk maps for several years. Although the environmental aspects of the ESG agenda have garnered considerable attention, other facets such as cyber security and privacy have not received that much emphasis. This is alarming, given the escalating frequency of cyber threats, impacting business operations, continuity, and reputations.


ESG policies are often perceived primarily as addressing climate change and the social responsibilities of a company. These policies establish ethical practices to protect not only the business itself but also its network of partners and customers, as well as the broader global environment. In this regard, ESG shares common ground with other risk management practices within a company, aiming to mitigate risks for stakeholders and communicate the strategies employed to achieve this. It is imperative for companies to recognize cyber security as an integral component of ESG. Cyber risk stands out as the most immediate and financially impactful sustainability risk that organizations confront today. Those neglecting to implement effective governance in cyber security, incorporating appropriate tools and metrics, will find themselves less resilient and sustainable. Such lapses not only affect the organizations directly but also have repercussions on the interconnected network of entities they rely on, ultimately influencing the stability of companies, communities, and governments.

In 2024, the global business landscape is witnessing a significant shift as enterprises increasingly embrace ESG criteria not merely for regulatory compliance or risk management, but as a pivotal opportunity to reshape their business models. This transformation is underpinned by a profound recognition of the imperative to account for an array of complex external risks that may arise simultaneously. As businesses globally align themselves with ESG principles, the importance of robust cyber security measures cannot be overstated. With the digital realm becoming integral to ESG implementations, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data is paramount. Cyber security acts as the linchpin safeguarding the integrity of ESG data, protecting against potential breaches that could compromise not only financial information but also critical ESG-related data.

Bangladesh, while relatively new to the ESG arena, stands at a crucial juncture to accelerate its growth by intertwining its ESG efforts with a robust focus on cyber security. As businesses in Bangladesh embark on this transformative journey, it is imperative to recognise that cyber threats are evolving in sophistication and magnitude. A proactive cyber security strategy will not only fortify the integrity of ESG disclosures but also enhance the overall resilience of businesses in the face of cyber challenges. By prioritizing cyber security in tandem with ESG implementations, Bangladesh can not only meet international standards but also foster a secure and sustainable business environment that will undoubtedly contribute to its long-term economic growth. Embracing these dual pillars of ESG and cyber security will position Bangladesh as a forward-looking player in the global business landscape, fostering trust and resilience in an era marked by unprecedented challenges and opportunities.

Traditionally, the integration of cyber security into ESG practices has not been a focal point. However, the landscape is evolving swiftly, catalyzed by high-profile data breaches, the rapid evolution of the digital economy, and the widespread adoption of remote work. Cyber security has become a crucial element of ESG practices, demanding attention from stakeholders such as investors, employees, customers, regulators, and supply chain partners. The paradigm shift requires a comprehensive integration of cyber security into ESG governance frameworks to effectively manage and mitigate the risks inherent in cyber threats.

In the context of Bangladesh, a nation emerging in the ESG arena, businesses should prioritize the incorporation of robust cyber security measures into their ESG strategies. This entails not only addressing current vulnerabilities but also future-proofing against evolving cyber threats. By doing so, businesses in Bangladesh can instill confidence among stakeholders, align with international ESG standards, and fortify their resilience in an increasingly digitized and interconnected world.

ESG ratings have become indispensable in attracting global investors, particularly European institutional investors who mandate ESG compliance for investment decisions. In the past year, seven Bangladeshi companies earned coveted spots in Bloomberg's sustainability list, joining over 16,000 global corporations. Their inclusion in this prestigious list reflects their commendable performance in environmental, social, and governance domains. As these companies navigate the evolving landscape of ESG expectations, ensuring their overall progress involves not only sustaining their current achievements but also fortifying resilience against emerging challenges. Cyber threats, in particular, loom large in the digital era, necessitating a strategic focus on cyber security. To maintain and enhance their ESG standing, these Bangladeshi firms must proactively address cyber risks, safeguarding not only their data integrity but also reinforcing the holistic sustainability commitments that have garnered them international recognition.

The increasing prevalence of cyber risks poses a genuine threat to the essential systems underpinning global environmental initiatives. An attack on these systems could reverberate throughout the broader global infrastructure, prompting businesses to prioritize cyber security as a paramount concern when addressing environmental factors. Companies must carefully assess how a breach in these systems not only impacts their own operations but also holds the potential to disrupt worldwide infrastructure. Despite this imperative, the integration of cyber security into the ESG framework often remains an overlooked facet for many businesses. As cyber security transforms from an industry-specific challenge into a pervasive global social issue, it becomes integral to all pillars of ESG, mandating its inclusion as a fundamental component of comprehensive business strategy.

Taking a broader societal viewpoint, insufficiencies in cyberspace safeguards can result in significant macro-economic harm with far-reaching national strategic consequences. Beyond financial repercussions, these inadequacies encompass issues such as industrial espionage, the dampening of incentives for innovation and investment, and the infringement of data privacy. Moreover, the threats extend to critical functions that serve as the backbone of economic and national security, public health, and the safety and freedom of citizens. What is increasingly evident to investors is that the perils emanating from cyber security vulnerabilities transcend the immediate companies affected and permeate the entire societal framework supporting the economy and market valuations. Recognizing the interconnected nature of these risks is essential for investors to make informed decisions, as the ramifications extend beyond individual businesses to impact the broader fabric of our economic and social landscape.

ESG integration involves factoring in significant non-financial elements in investment analysis to enhance risk-adjusted returns while simultaneously addressing key socioeconomic and environmental issues. Illustratively, the dynamics surrounding carbon emissions and climate change exemplify how heightened awareness and market valuation of ESG risks can bring about tangible real-world effects. A prominent shift is evident in the mainstream adoption of incorporating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disclosures into investment processes by investors. Extending this principle to encompass cyber security, businesses now recognize the imperative to integrate robust cyber security measures into their ESG strategies. Just as with environmental factors, acknowledging and mitigating cyber risks not only safeguards the business but also aligns with broader societal interests, making it an integral facet of a comprehensive and forward-thinking investment approach.

ESG and cyber security are interconnected facets, representing two sides of the same coin. The seamless integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles is complemented by robust cyber security measures, forming a holistic approach to sustainable and secure business practices. By acknowledging the symbiotic relationship between ESG and cyber security, organisations can not only fortify their risk management strategies but also contribute to a more sustainable and secure global business landscape.

Mohammad Ashraful Islam Khan, previously Head of Supply Chain Advisory Services at KPMG Bangladesh, is a management consultant with expertise in operational optimization and supply chain management.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh’s first ever data centre ‘Meghna Cloud’ begins operation

Gennext Technologies Limited, a leading ICT company, has recently inaugurated the full-fledged operation of Bangladesh’s first cloud data centre - Meghna Cloud - at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City in Kaliakoir of Gazipur....

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Bangladesh’s first ever data centre ‘Meghna Cloud’ begins operation​

Staff Correspondent | Published: 00:38, Feb 13,2024

-- Press release photo.

Gennext Technologies Limited, a leading ICT company, has recently inaugurated the full-fledged operation of Bangladesh’s first cloud data centre - Meghna Cloud - at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City in Kaliakoir of Gazipur.

The platform will provide cloud service infrastructure, including servers, storage and networking equipment, and associated software technology, said a press release on Monday.

Through this, it will be possible to provide services to both government and private entities, by keeping the country’s data within the domestic territory.

This move is expected to save a large amount of foreign currency the country spends annually for purchasing and using the cloud technology, the release said.

Within just one year, the cloud platform has been operationalised. On 29th December 2022, Gennext made a joint venture agreement with Bangladesh Data Centre Company Limited for Meghna Cloud.

Under the agreement Gennext will build, operate and maintain the Meghna Cloud as well as ensure sales and marketing of the cloud services to government and private sector together with BDCCL.

After visiting the Meghna Cloud data centre on February 8, state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that this ‘Made in Bangladesh Cloud’ was an excellent example of strategic partnership between government and private sector.

Through this initiative, the country can save a huge amount of foreign currency and ensure more data security, he said.

During the visit, Gennext Technologies chairman Touhidul Islam Chaudhury and Gennext Technologies managing director Alavee Azfar Chaudhury briefed about the cloud centre’s operation to the state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and ICT secretary Md. Shamsul Arefin.

Gennext has used state-of-the art technologies to set up the cloud platform and developed a skilled workforce to operate it.
‘Meghna Cloud will support the Smart Bangladesh move forward. We are also setting up a research and development center for teachers and students of both government and private universities’, said Touhidul Islam Chaudhury, chairman of Gennext Technologies.

This initiative will provide training on cloud related technology to about 5,000 students every year, he added.

The company is planning to invest around USD 500 million within the next five years for this project, said Javed Opgenhaffen, vice chairman of Gennext Technologies.

‘We want to work with the government jointly to contribute to the overall development of the country. This cloud platform is expected to play a significant role to establish Smart Bangladesh,’ he said,

The data centre would help the government save foreign currency in purchasing and using cloud technology from other countries as Bangladesh would not require depending only on foreign data storage facilities, he added.

‘Meghna Cloud is hoping to create a security platform which would provide top-most data security to government and non-government organisations,’ said Alavee Azfar Chaudhury, managing director of Gennext Technologies.

In 2019, the government established the tier 4 National Data Centre, the largest in Bangladesh, at the Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City. It is run by BDCCL.​

 

[Saif]

Three AI-based Bangla software launched on International Mother Language Day

Commemorating the International Mother Language Day, artificial intelligence-based Bangla language software ‘Bangla Text to Speech – Uchcharon’, ‘Bangla Speech to Text – Kotha’ and Bengali OCR ‘Borna’ were launched on Wednesday. A new Bangla font &ls

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Three AI-based Bangla software launched on International Mother Language Day​

UNB

Published :​

Feb 21, 2024 19:16

Updated :​

Feb 21, 2024 19:30

Commemorating the International Mother Language Day, artificial intelligence-based Bangla language software ‘Bangla Text to Speech – Uchcharon’, ‘Bangla Speech to Text – Kotha’ and Bengali OCR ‘Borna’ were launched on Wednesday.

A new Bangla font ‘Purno’ began its journey during the occasion.

State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak launched them on Wednesday.

He also launched e-SIM for Teltalk in the event held at the BCC Auditorium in Dhaka.

The ICT state minister said that the launch of the software is a historic event for Bangla and for the 35 crore Bangla-speaking people across the world.

He said that a new dimension has been added to the development of the Bangla language under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina using smart technology.

The state minister said that February 21 is a proud segment of the national history and also for the development of art, literature and culture.

Bengali text-to-speech “Uchcharon” is a TTS software. The technology used to convert text into spoken words by a machine is called TTS or text-to-speech applications. TTS can read text in documents, websites, and screen windows.

At the same time, it can read aloud to the visually impaired people. The software has both male and female voices. Currently, the software can be used from the address read.bangla.gov.bd.

“Katha” is Bengali voice typing software. Voice typing or “speech to text” is the technique of writing words into a computer. It can convert spoken Bengali words to text in standard clear and quiet environments.

The final version of the software can record Bengali major punctuation marks. The software can be used as a web application from the browser by entering the address voice.bangla.gov.bd.

Also, there is an opportunity to use this voice typing service through the Keyboard Android app developed by the project.

The name of Bengali OCR is “Barno”. OCR is used to convert un-editable text in computer documents into editable text. OCR is converting text in PDF or JPEG files to editable text. This character OCRT converts Bangla text into text similar to composed text.​

 

[Bilal9]

"Cypher", a new Tier 4 colocation data center (with 99.9995 uptime guarantee) has started services in Jessore. The organization (AXENTEC) is a spin-off of "Robi", which is a major cellphone services provider. This would be one of two dozen larger datacenters in operation in Bangladesh, and one of four or five Tier 4 datacenters in the country.

 

[Saif]

Are we ready to tackle digital inequality?

The article seeks to explore the readiness of Bangladesh to rein the persisting digital inequalities.

www.thedailystar.net

Are we ready to tackle digital inequality?​

Photo: Star

The article seeks to explore the readiness of Bangladesh to rein the persisting digital inequalities. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the meaning of digital inequalities, the spectrum of digital inequalities, and the extent or depth of such inequalities. All these would help us understand where to focus and how to address the challenges embedded within the digitization process to make Bangladesh Smart by 2041. More importantly, understanding digital inequality would help detect the underlying factors contributing to digital inequality and realize whether we are ready to rein digital inequality in Bangladesh. Today social and economic advancement of any country relies to a great extent on the country's access to modern information and communications technologies (ICTs) like computers, smartphones, and the internet, which play a pivotal role in improving the well-being of the citizens. However, this does not hold such promises for all segments of the population due to the persisting digital divide or digital inequality within a country and Bangladesh is not an exception to this case. While the digital divide focuses mainly on the differences in access to ICTs (i.e., the first-level digital divide), digital inequality refers to the differences in skills of the users (i.e., the second-level digital divide), implying that the high level of digital inequality is a challenging barrier to the digitization process, deployment of digitization process in organizations and businesses and adoption by citizens. Bangladesh dreams of realizing its Smart Bangladesh Vision by 2041 resolving the existing barriers in deployment and adoption through an inclusive manner. Realizing the dream by 2041 would require including the citizens who are lagging behind others in terms of the digitization process. More importantly, digital inclusion would help play a pivotal role in harnessing social and economic development. For the very first, the government of Bangladesh should consider the underlying reasons behind digital inequality for undertaking necessary plans and actions to address the root causes of digital inequality in Bangladesh.

Dr. Muhammad Shahadat Hossain Siddiquee is a Professor of the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka. He could be reached at shahadat.siddiquee@du.ac.bd

Let's start with a discussion on the digital divide between rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. The government data from Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics shows that the prevalence of internet usage among the rural population is around 37 percent and it is around 54 percent among urban population, implying a gap of 17 percent. Similarly, it finds that such a gap also persists between males and females by around 13 percent. Moreover, a more acute gender gap in the digital divide also persists within rural and urban areas. These simple statistics imply that approximately half of the population is out of internet usage, which would be a great challenge for the government to bring them under the digital umbrella by 2031. Considering the facts, the government of Bangladesh should set up the visionary milestones of achieving access to the internet by all citizens of the country within 17 years (i.e., 3 percent annual growth of internet coverage with a greater focus on rural areas where digital connectivity such as WiFi or broadband connection is still in scarcity). This would help establish the balance in internet usage between rural and urban areas. However, internet access provisioning in remote villages in rural areas would not be as easy as it is expected. As digital inequality by gender is also a major concern, the expansion of digital facilities should inclusively prioritize women. In order to make the digitization process, the government has introduced "One Country, One Rate", but in reality, it differs charging higher prices in rural areas. The two underlying factors behind the low penetration of internet usage in rural areas include infrastructure and technological resources. However, socioeconomic ability and digital literacy among rural people are thought of as constraints in the digitization process. We can guess that internet access among rural people would move positively with the increase in their incomes. However, a huge investment from the government's end is necessary for provisioning digital literacy, especially among the rural youth so that they can employ themselves starting e-commerce, f-commerce, and outsourcing. In addition to these factors, the cost of internet access is around 6.5 times higher compared to the rest of the world, implying that reducing the cost of the internet might help expand the coverage by bringing internet access to more rural people within their affordability. However, the higher level of current inflation, which is around 10 percent in Bangladesh, would pose a serious challenge as the real income of the underserved rural population falls due to higher inflation.

Living in an era of technological change, led by digital revolution, gives rise to societal discontent if disruptions caused by technological change drive the income and wealth inequality in the country. However, the inclusive socio-economic outcomes resulting from such digital revolution point towards a society with more societal well-being, which requires matching of a country's policies and actions with technological changes favoring the people living in the left tail of the income and wealth distributions. It is evident from empirical evidence that the failure to match policies and actions with technological change may result in slower productivity growth, i.e., slower overall economic growth. Therefore, if Bangladesh wants to reap the benefits of digitization from the viewpoint of societal well-being and reduce digital inequality, it should prioritize rectifying the causes of digital inequality, match the timely policies with actions, and establish the shared dynamics between income distribution and productivity. Last but not least, the elements of digital inequalities include varied forms such as educational, infrastructural, social, economic, and usable design which would require a large volume of activities with huge investments. With a low revenue generation of the government of Bangladesh would pose a serious challenge to undertake necessary actions and this might delay in achieving the vision of a country with digital equality.​

 

[Saif]

Palak unveils BTCL’s high-speed internet 'GBon'

‘GBon’, a high-speed broadband service by the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) was recently launched by Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology.

www.thedailystar.net

Palak unveils BTCL’s high-speed internet 'GBon'​

File photo.

'GBon', a high-speed broadband service by the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL) was recently launched by Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology.

The initiative aims to make high-speed internet more accessible, with significant reductions in costs. For example, the price of 5 Mbps internet has been lowered from BDT 500 to BDT 399 under the new package, making it more affordable for the masses, as outlined in the release.

"With this inauguration, Bangladesh has entered the newest era of high-speed broadband internet service," said Palak.

Palak had previously announced a special pricing package for 'GBon' internet bandwidth on February 21, in homage to the language martyrs.
​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh lags behind peer nations in ICT development

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) releases ICT Development Index 2023

www.thedailystar.net

Bangladesh lags behind peer nations in ICT development​

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) releases ICT Development Index 2023

Bangladesh, which has spent tens of thousands of crore taka for ICT development in the last 15 years, lags behind its peer economies in a key ICT global index.

Bangladesh scored only 61.1 in the ICT Development Index (IDI) 2023 of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised United Nations agency for information and communication technologies (ICT).

The 2023 edition of the index includes 169 economies.

Bangladesh trails neighbouring economies, with Sri Lanka registering a score of 69.9, Bhutan 76.5, Vietnam 80.6, Maldives 79 and Cambodia 68.5.

And while the report lacks data on India, Pakistan and Afghanistan scored 48.7 and 28.9 respectively.

Only 38.9 percent of the individuals in Bangladesh were using the internet last year while 38.1 percent households had internet access, according to the report.

The index is based on two main pillars -- Universal Connectivity and Meaningful Connectivity.

The universal connectivity pillar measures the proportion of individuals using the internet (from any location), proportion of households with internet access and active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Bangladesh only scored only 39.2 in this segment.

The meaningful connectivity pillar measures mobile network coverage, percentage of the population covered by at least a 3G mobile network, percentage of the population covered by a 4G/LTE mobile network, and mobile broadband internet traffic per subscription.

This pillar also examines mobile data and the voice high consumption basket price (as a % of the GNI per capita), fixed-broadband internet basket price (as % of GNI per capita), percentage of individuals who own a mobile phone, and fixed broadband internet traffic per fixed broadband subscription.

In this segment, Bangladesh fared well with a score of 83.

The average IDI score is 72.8 out of 100. The 100-mark corresponds to a situation where a country or group has reached the goalpost value on every indicator of the IDI.

A score of zero corresponds to the hypothetical situation where there is no connectivity at all: nobody uses the internet; nobody is covered by a mobile-broadband network; there are no mobile-broadband subscriptions; no data traffic is generated, etc.

The lowest score obtained in the IDI 2023 is 20.0 while the highest is 98.2.

Some 33 countries have an IDI score of between 90 and 100. Another 47 countries have a score between 80 and 90. At the other end of the scale, 30 countries have scores below 50 and another nine have between 50 and 60.

These results suggest the world has made significant progress towards universal and meaningful connectivity, with half of the countries almost at or past the 80-point mark (median of 78.7), according to the report.

Still, half of the countries are spread across a 60-point range, with a few scoring in the low 20s. Additionally, as mentioned above, the IDI does not capture all aspects of the UMC framework, such as fixed broadband penetration, internet speed, ICT skills, or safety.

The report said two-thirds of the world's population use the internet, which is woven into the entire fabric of peoples' daily lives.

Yet, one-third of the world's population remain offline, and even among the nominally online population, many are not meaningfully connected.

Multiple digital divides persist, across and within countries, between men and women, between younger and older individuals, between cities and rural areas, and between those who enjoy an ultra-fast fixed-broadband connection and those who struggle on a shaky connection.

"Some 400 million people are entirely beyond the reach of a mobile broadband network," it added.

In the IDI index, 10 other factors are considered and Bangladesh significantly lags behind the global average in 8 of them.

Moreover, Bangladeshis allocate only 2 percent of their income for mobile data, voice and broadband internet services. Also, the rate of mobile phone ownership stands at 61.8 percent.​

 

[Saif]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/education/article/bd-students-win-award-in-intl-robotics-contest-in-nepal

BD students win award in int'l robotics contest in Nepal​

KHALID SAIFULLAH KHAN

Published :​

Feb 25, 2024 11:12

Updated :​

Feb 25, 2024 11:12

Bangladeshi AI-lover students win award in International Robotics Competition held in Nepal recently

Recently, Team Atlas has proudly represented Bangladesh at the "YANTRA 9.0 International Robotics Competition" in Nepal, achieving the Best Robot Design & Strategy Award at the prestigious President's Cup Yantra Teens. Building a total of five robots for the competition on the motion of "Garbage to Gold" and pulling off the task is as magical as it seems.

In a conversation with the writer, Team Atlas delves into their personal motivation toward robotics and ambition of saving the environment through technology. With a team of 12 members, winning the Best Design & Strategy Award at the Yantra 9.0 International Robotics Competition, has been an overwhelming experience.

Sunny Jubayer, the founder and leader of Team Atlas, shares that his fascination with robotics started with movies like "Transformers" from his childhood. His target was to build the community to work in technology to make daily lives easier. With that prospect, he started doing workshops from class five. A primary school student doing workshops on robotics is as rare as it gets in Bangladesh.

In class seven, Sunny Jubayer worked on different government projects, and in class eight, he started working with BUET professors regarding robotics. In March 2016, he started making a team, known as Team Atlas in these days. Today, there are more than 150 active members; in addition, there are alumni who are still connected with the team, providing support from time to time.

Because of their work in technology development with Bangladeshi students, Team Atlas won the 2023 Joy Bangla Youth Award among 12 institutes and the Digital Bangladesh Award from the prime minister. Sunny Jubayer says about training new members, "We are training them in every part of robotics, as we know the fourth industrial revolution will rely on robotics and AI (artificial intelligence."

The Yantra 9.0 International Robotics Competition participating team had dreamers of all ages, ranging from intermediate students to master's students. They had different stories and backgrounds as in how they joined Team Atlas. This is how Team Atlas celebrates a diverse community that has a shared interest in technology and robotics.

Sunny Jubaer, the project coordinator, explains that the team made a total of five robots for the contest, targeting different garbage to collect, as the competition's project was to collect garbage and break the other team's garbage pile by throwing balls with robots.

Ezhar Hossain Ifty, who completed HSC in 2023 from Dhaka Imperial College, has been learning robotics from class seven, emphasises their ball-throwing soccer-like game. He was the main pilot in this contest to operate the robots. He says, "All teams had three robots, but we played with one robot, as the other two had some technical issues. Still, we won the game, and it was a magnificent moment to show the world our potential."

Md Tanjir Arafat Turjo and Mohammad Mehran Islam Mahi, both from BAF Shaheen College, respectively from the HSC 2023 and HSC 2024 batch, worked on this project together, with the earlier one being involved in hardware and the latter being the bot designer. Mahi talks about how he grew interested in robotics from 10th grade, whereas Turjo talks about how those toy cars inspired him to explore more in mechanism/robotics from childhood.

For this generation, probably childhood interest in toy cars or electronic devices is the most significant influencer in students growing interested in technology and robotics, except for some students who were first enthralled by Rajnikanth's ‘Enthiran’ (‘Robot’ in Hindi version) movie. Just like Turjo and Ifty's interest in toy cars, Moskur Rahman Mahir, an A-level candidate, was also fascinated by electronic equipment and later joined Team Atlas after one of his teachers recommended it. Mahir mainly worked in mechanical sectors in this project, e.g., RC controlling and electrical connection.

The ‘Robot’ movie fascination had an influence on Atik Shahriar Hasan and Hasibur Rahman Tareq. Atik, who completed HSC in 2023 from Dawood Public School and College, worked for Bot programming, the Ball Shooting accuracy maintenance, and Tareq, an IUBAT final year student in electrical engineering, worked in the Soccer Board section, including circuit, body designing, speed controlling, etc. Tareq also works at his university's Robotics Club, where he had an outstanding experience collaborating with IIT Bombay.

Another HSC pass student from batch 2023 Al Mahmud Alif shares that he came to Dhaka at the intermediate level for the opportunities, as he did not have them back in the village. This creative individual also has experience in robot-sketchings. He said that joining Team Atlas was a "Turning Point of Life" to him, as he got the opportunity to learn sensors, modules, and other aspects of robotics. Before this Nepal Tour, Alif also participated in the WRC Robotics Championship Worldwide with Team Atlas, where they won the Silver Medal, being first runner-up.

At Team Atlas, people with a passion for technology get an opportunity, even if they are not from a STEM background. For example, a business student Fahim Shahriyar shares that he was fascinated by technology back in eighth grade or even earlier than that. Studying business studies, he did not have the scope to get into science and research, but he did start learning programming languages. Later, he joined Team Atlas and started learning many aspects of robotics. The full-time job holder says, "I really find the Friday Lab Classes very helpful, as I have been learning from the basics." At Yantra's competition, he worked in the circuit, controlling, and piloting sections.

Every project has its risks and obstacles. About Team Atlas's obstacles in this outstanding recent achievement, Atik delves into the matter of obstacles. He shares, "Our robot was declined two days before the competition because of a height issue. We had to work heart and soul, staying awake all night, with one sleeping at a time." Still, they completed their project and won 2024's first international award for Bangladesh.

In a practical world, this type of technology is indispensable, considering the amount of waste in rivers and pollution in Bangladesh. According to Sunny Jubayer, they made those robots with the ambition of putting their main target forward, which is ‘Save the Environment’. In addition, he says that this sort of robot is very much feasible on the shores of Cox's Bazar or Saint Martin. With this prospect, Team Atlas built a water cleaning robot, which will be able to absorb waste from water bodies.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh to draft AI law by September: Law Minister

Law Minister Anisul Huq has announced plans to draft new legislation governing artificial intelligence (AI) by September this year. Speaking with journalists at the Secretariat yesterday, Minister Haque underscored the significance of AI's global impact and the need for Bangladesh to formulate...

www.thedailystar.net

Bangladesh to draft AI law by September: Law Minister​

Law Minister Anisul Haque said that a new law on artificial intelligence will be drafted by September this year.

Law Minister Anisul Huq has announced plans to draft new legislation governing artificial intelligence (AI) by September this year. Speaking with journalists at the Secretariat yesterday, Minister Haque underscored the significance of AI's global impact and the need for Bangladesh to formulate its legal framework accordingly.

"We are witnessing the transformative power of artificial intelligence on the global stage. It's imperative for Bangladesh to contemplate its legislative stance on AI," Huq stated. Early discussions on drafting AI legislation began today, focusing on creating a preliminary framework, he said.

Acknowledging the complexity of AI, Huq remarked, "This domain's expansive nature precludes the possibility of resolving discussions in a single day. Our approach to legislation must be informed by a comprehensive understanding and experience in the field."

Haque detailed his discussion on the draft's framework, emphasising the necessity of addressing aspects critical to human welfare and the ethical use of AI. "The discourse on AI's legal framework has commenced, focusing on protecting human rights and ensuring AI's beneficial application across sectors," he added.

Responding to inquiries about the potential consequences of the new law, Huq emphasised the importance of regulatory oversight while ensuring AI's positive impact on society. "The extent of our regulatory control is a pertinent question. However, I am committed to leveraging AI to uphold human rights and safeguard public welfare in all areas," said the Minister.​

 

[Saif]

Non-compliance: Govt may temporarily block Facebook, YouTube

The government may temporarily suspend services of social media giants including Facebook and YouTube if they don’t comply with government instructions to prevent the spread of “disinformation

www.thedailystar.net

Non-compliance: Govt may temporarily block Facebook, YouTube

The government may temporarily block social media giants including Facebook and YouTube in Bangladesh if they don't comply with government instructions to prevent the spread of "disinformation".

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order held at the Secretariat today.

Committee chairman and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque disclosed the decision to reporters after the meeting.

The minister voiced concerns about the lack of response from social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube to official complaints about rumours and cybercrime.

"Facebook and YouTube do not have offices in Bangladesh, and our recommendations and instructions are being ignored. The social media companies will first be informed about their negligence, and if they fail to comply, the government may shut them down temporarily.

"Before that, the government will publish advertisements in the newspaper and inform international organisations concerned regarding the non-compliance."

The minister added that public notices will be served to the companies so that the government is not responsible for any rights violations.

Regarding the upcoming upazila elections, Mozammel said that the upazila elections should be free and fair, adding that the decision not to use the party symbol in the local elections will ensure a level playing field.
"Law enforcement agencies have been strictly instructed to take legal action if any candidate violates the electoral code of conduct."

The public administration ministry has been asked to appoint a sufficient number of magistrates ahead of the upazila elections, he added.

On the recurrence of fire incidents, Mozammel said building codes need to be followed properly during their construction. "Also, flammable objects and hazardous chemicals have not been removed from buildings despite repeated calls. The industries ministry will take steps so that the chemicals are removed quickly [from buildings]."

Mozammel said the committee recommended that investigations be conducted against those whose negligence in duties resulted in these fire incidents and those who approved the risky buildings.

The cabinet committee chairman said a decision has been taken to hold a meeting in Ramadan to take steps to avert fire incidents. The meeting will be attended by the home minister, city mayors, police, and the regulatory authorities of hotels and restaurants.

Concerned about the rise in criminal activity at the Rohingya camps, the minister said, "Diplomatic efforts will be stepped up to repatriate the Rohingya refugees."

On the rising price of essentials, Mozammel said, "The ministry concerned has been asked to bring down the prices of essential commodities."

 

[Saif]

ICT entrepreneurs demand extension of tax exemptions

With tax exemptions for the information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services sector ending after this fiscal year, ICT entrepreneurs are demanding the continuation of such incentives for seven more years to help build a ‘Smart Bangladesh’.

www.thedailystar.net

ICT entrepreneurs demand extension of tax exemptions

With tax exemptions for the information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services sector ending after this fiscal year, ICT entrepreneurs are demanding the continuation of such incentives for seven more years to help build a 'Smart Bangladesh'.

Entrepreneurs fear that suspension of the privilege would be a crushing blow to the industry, which has experienced some headwinds in recent months due to a slump in global demand.

The global economic slowdown has resulted in a 4.4 percent drop in Bangladesh's IT exports, which reached $221.5 million in the first five months of the current fiscal year.

"The tax exemptions are crucial for local IT entrepreneurs as the sector has all the potential for export diversification," said Russell T Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).

"Most importantly, the tax exemption has played a role in building a digital Bangladesh and the local IT industry was the architect of that."

As the core vision of the government is to transform the country into a Smart Bangladesh, the continuation of the IT exemption is more important than ever before, he added.
He said BASIS had conveyed this message to senior government officials and hoped it would be considered.

To transform into a Smart Bangladesh, all sectors will be required to strategically embrace ICT. Its implementation is pivotal and the transformative potential of technology is undeniable, Ahmed added.

BASIS and other ICT trade bodies have already sent proposals to Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, urging the government to extend tax exemptions till June 2031.

The government has set an aim to achieve its vision for a Smart Bangladesh by 2041. But if the tax exemption is not extended, it will seriously impact the overall goal since ICT will be the backbone of Smart Bangladesh, said Rashad Kabir, director of BASIS.

"It will ultimately increase the cost of ICT-related products and people will be reluctant to buy digital products eventually," he said.

"Over the last couple of years, we have heard a number of commitments regarding the extension of tax exemptions from a number of ministers of the present government," Kabir added.

"If it is not extended, it will be seriously frustrating news for the industry as there will be very little chance for further growth and the move would not match the manifesto of the government either."​

 

[Saif]

BTCL taking steps to restore.bd domain

All.bd domain services, which are operated by Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL), have been down since 8:40 am on Wednesday due to a technical glitch. “The technical team is now trying to solve the issue. Hopefully, the services will be restored as soon as possible,” read

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

BTCL taking steps to restore.bd domain
Published :​

Apr 03, 2024 19:35

Updated :​

Apr 03, 2024 20:05

All.bd domain services, which are operated by Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTCL), have been down since 8:40 am on Wednesday due to a technical glitch.

"The technical team is now trying to solve the issue. Hopefully, the services will be restored as soon as possible," reads a press release signed by Mir Mohammad Morshed, general manager of Public Relations and Publications at BTCL, reports UNB.

The BTCL also apologised for the disruption of many government and private websites under the.bd domain.

Another domain, .bangla is functioning properly, added the press release.​

 

[Saif]

Tax breaks crucial for big ICT investments

The revenue authority is facing calls to extend tax benefits for the information technology and information and communications technology-enabled services (IT-ITES) sector until 2030 in the upcoming national budget. This recommendation, included in a recent letter to the National Board of Revenue

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Tax breaks crucial for big ICT investments
Suggestion comes as perks for the booming industry set to expire
DOULOT AKTER MALA
Published :​

Apr 08, 2024 00:44

Updated :​

Apr 08, 2024 00:44

The revenue authority is facing calls to extend tax benefits for the information technology and information and communications technology-enabled services (IT-ITES) sector until 2030 in the upcoming national budget.

This recommendation, included in a recent letter to the National Board of Revenue (NBR), is meant to encourage long-term investment in the country's fastest-growing economic sector.

Current tax concessions, both value-added tax (VAT) and income tax breaks, are set to expire on June 30, 2024.

In a demi-official letter to the NBR, State Minister for the Ministry of Post, Telecommunications and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said continuing these tax benefits for a few more years is essential. This, he believes, will be crucial for achieving the government's goal of earning $5 billion annually in foreign currency.

The IT sector has witnessed a remarkable growth trajectory. Annual export earnings have surged from $26 million in 2007 to $1.9 billion in 2023, creating employment opportunities for two million people.

The letter mentioned that prudent fiscal policies have attracted $950 million in investments from startups alone over the past decade.
While the IT-ITES sector has benefited from tax breaks in phases over the years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently recommended that the NBR phase out these exemptions and impose taxes on the sector.

According to senior tax officials, a decision on imposing new taxes on IT-ITES companies, including local digital device producers, is yet to be made. This delay provides the companies with the scope for building capacity and meeting export targets, while also protecting existing investments.

State Minister Palak said local manufacturers, except Walton, currently lack the capacity to produce cellular phones thanks to a wide gap in tax rates between assemblers and manufacturers.

He proposed a tiered VAT structure in the upcoming budget for FY2024-25. This would see the VAT rate for local mobile phone assemblers increase from the current 5 per cent and 7.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, while maintaining the 2 per cent VAT rate for manufacturers.

Mr Palak also proposed waiving the existing 5 per cent VAT on locally produced mobile phones at the business stage.

He argued the uneven application of VAT at this stage creates discrimination and an uneven playing field, jeopardising the survival of tax-compliant businesses.

He also recommended tax benefits for imports of lithium-ion battery packs, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units, electronic power supply systems (EPSS), power supply units (PSUs), solar hybrid inverters, monitors (over 22 inches), point-of-sale (POS) devices, access control devices, digital door locks, drones and similar items.

"To make local manufacturers competitive with foreign products, waiving VAT on raw materials procured from the local market is now essential," he wrote in the letter.

Currently, local manufacturers pay a 15 per cent VAT at the manufacturing stage and advance tax on imported raw materials.

In 2019, the revenue board began phasing out tax benefits for local mobile phone manufacturers, imposing a minimal tax after deeming the sector self-reliant.

Enamul Hafiz Latifee, a trade and policy development economist with the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) and a research fellow at the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), argued that the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) recommendation seems misaligned with Bangladesh's long-term strategic goals.

"Implementing the IMF's suggestion could lead to the NBR imposing a tax rate between 15 per cent and 25 per cent, which would significantly reduce the competitive edge of Bangladesh's ICT sector in both domestic and international markets," he said.

While this policy might initially generate a temporary boost in fiscal revenue by around 0.8 per cent, it contradicts the national ambition of transforming into a knowledge-driven, advanced economy by 2041, he added.

Extending the tax exemption on Software and IT Enabled Services (ITES) until June 30, 2031, would align with the government's vision of transitioning Bangladesh into an upper-middle-income nation by 2031, he said, adding this goal is unlikely to be achieved without fostering a competitive domestic ICT industry.

The current domestic demand for software and ITES in Bangladesh is estimated at $1.5 billion. An abrupt and untimely shift in fiscal policy could jeopardise the sustainability of the local ICT sector, potentially leading to a heavy reliance on imports in this area.

This scenario would exacerbate existing pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves, possibly leading to annual outflows of $1.5 billion or more.

"The IMF's recommendation appears to lack a comprehensive impact analysis specific to the ICT sector," Mr Latifee added. "Moreover, it seems they have not engaged in consultative discussions with stakeholders from the private ICT sector. This oversight raises concerns about the methodology and inclusivity of the IMF's policy formulation process."

Meanwhile, Dr Shams Uddin Ahmed, a former income tax member, cautioned the government against offering tax benefits to the IT and ITES sectors on a wholesale basis.

He said that while phasing out these benefits entirely may be premature given the country's upcoming challenges related to graduating to a middle-income country, a more cautious approach is necessary.

"There have been concerns that some companies have been claiming undue tax benefits by misrepresenting themselves as IT or ITES businesses," Dr Ahmed said. "To prevent misuse and money laundering, tax benefits must be offered only after thorough scrutiny."​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh's digital footprint in the age of social media saturation

In this era of technological advancement, Bangladesh is facing challenges in adapting to the digital landscape.

www.thedailystar.net

Bangladesh's digital footprint in the age of social media saturation

VISUAL: Canva

In the streets of Dhaka, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a silent transformation is taking place. It's not about turmoil or economic changes, but rather a shift in how people connect, communicate, and view the world. This change is driven by the use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter which have become deeply ingrained in Bangladeshi society, shaping norms and behaviours in new ways.

The rapid growth of media in Bangladesh has been remarkable. With more than 40 million Facebook users and rising, the country has embraced these platforms enthusiastically, making it one of the most digitally connected countries in South Asia. From cities to distant areas smartphones have become ubiquitous tools that open doors to virtual realms where friendships are formed, the news is shared and identities are crafted.

However, despite its promise of connection and community, excessive social media usage has started to leave its mark on Bangladeshi society by moulding behaviours and perspectives in significant ways. One noticeable consequence of being overwhelmed by social media is the weakening of social ties and personal interactions. In a society where family and community bonds have always been highly valued, the rise of virtual connections is starting to overshadow face-to-face relationships.

Additionally, the constant flow of curated images and stories has nurtured a culture centred around comparison and competition, wherein one's worth is often judged by the number of likes and followers they have amassed. This has contributed to an increase in stress, feelings of sadness, and low self-confidence among individuals who are more susceptible to the pressures of social media. With a stream of content demanding their attention, many Bangladeshis struggle to disconnect from their devices, leading to a state of distraction and unease. Research has found a connection between social media usage and negative mental health consequences like heightened levels of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. Moreover, the widespread circulation of misinformation and fake news on platforms like Facebook has eroded trust in sources of news and authority figures, resulting in a divided and fractured public conversation.

However, there are some positives of the spread of social media as well. Many people in Bangladesh are acknowledging the impacts of spending much time online and are taking measures to regain control over their online habits. Initiatives such as digital detox retreats and grassroots campaigns promoting digital literacy and responsible online conduct are emerging to encourage a mindful and balanced approach to technology.

Furthermore, social media platforms themselves are starting to address some of the negative aspects associated with their services by enforcing stricter content moderation and introducing features that promote well-being, such as encouraging users to take breaks and limit screen time.

The consequences of changes in behaviour driven by social media usage are intricate and varied. While these platforms have undeniably transformed how people connect and have amplified their voices, the uncontrolled usage of these online spaces has also led to unintended, negative outcomes.

In this era of technological advancement, Bangladesh is facing challenges in adapting to the digital landscape. Moving ahead will demand an equilibrium between the advantages and drawbacks of media. Encouraging a society to value literacy, be responsible in its online conduct, and be mindful can empower Bangladeshis to utilise social media for building relationships, fostering community spirit, and driving beneficial social transformations all while minimising its adverse impacts, on both society and individuals.​

---

Dr Iqbal Ahmed is professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the University of Chittagong. ​

 

[Saif]

The need for cybersecurity education in Bangladeshi universities

Institutions must equip students with skills to steer through the cyber world's complexities.

www.thedailystar.net

The need for cybersecurity education in Bangladeshi universities

Inside MIST's Cyber Range.Photos: Javed / MIST Cyber Security Club

It's 2024 and in this digital age, cyber awareness should start from one's educational institution. Here, universities play a major role. These institutions must equip students with skills to steer through the cyber world's complexities.

However, a significant challenge is the lack of real-time exposure to cyber threats. The Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) addresses this with the "Cyber Range", a cutting-edge cybersecurity training facility, one of the first of its kind in Bangladesh. This facility, under the Center for Advanced Computing and Research (CACR), simulates attack scenarios, fostering hands-on experience critical for effective cybersecurity training.

One compelling reason for integrating cybersecurity education into the academic curriculum is the growing concern of cybercriminals targeting educational institutions. Universities store a vast amount of sensitive data, including student records, research findings, and intellectual property. Without adequate cybersecurity measures, these institutions become prime targets for malicious actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain or to compromise valuable information.

Moreover, as the job market becomes increasingly digitised, employers are placing a premium on candidates with cybersecurity skills. Hence, universities have the responsibility to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application by offering courses and workshops that dig into advanced cybersecurity practices. This not only enhances the employability of graduates but also contributes to the nation's overall cybersecurity resilience.

Easin Arafat, the president of the MIST Cyber Security Club says, "Cyber threats are a global concern, and Bangladesh is not an exception to this. If we don't educate students about the various kinds of cyberattacks, like ransomware attack, phishing, malware attack, etc., our digital presence can't always be a secure one."

Moreover, "Capture the Flag" exercises – popularly known as CTFs – can be a fine way to polish your skills in cybersecurity. The Director and the Patron of MIST's CACR, Brig Gen Md Towhidul Islam takes pride in MIST having already hosted few of the biggest national and international events in the field of cybersecurity in Bangladesh namely through events like the "Leetcon" – one of the first int'l cybersecurity conferences in Bangladesh, Flag Hunt 2023 – a national CTF competition, FI and Critical Information Infrastructure cyber drill – a drill for cyber analysts and experts from around 30 esteemed banks of Bangladesh, and so on.

Brig Gen Md Towhidul says, "A vital component of combating the escalating risks in the digital sphere is cybersecurity education in institutions. Universities can provide students with the information and abilities necessary to confront the intricate problems of cybersecurity and make a positive impact on a more secure digital future by taking a full and proactive approach to education."

In conclusion, the urgency of incorporating cybersecurity education into Bangladeshi universities' academic fabric cannot be overstated. The digital age demands an educated and aware generation for a cyber-resilient future.

Fatima Ashraf is a Campus Ambassador for The Daily Star from Military Institute of Science & Technology (MIST).​

 

[Saif]

Submarine cable breakdown disrupts Bangladesh internet

It will take at least 2 to 3 days to resume the connection

www.thedailystar.net

Submarine cable breakdown disrupts Bangladesh internet
It will take at least 2 to 3 days to resume the connection

Representaional photo: Collected

Internet users in Bangladesh are facing disruption as the country's second submarine cable SEA-ME-WE 5, the largest supplier of international bandwidth to Bangladesh, broke last night.

The disconnection was identified at last midnight. It will take at least 2 to 3 days to resume the connection, Mirza Kamal Ahmed, managing director of the Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC), told The Daily Star.

International bandwidth usage in Bangladesh now stands at around 5,200GBPS. More than half of it -- about 2,700 Gbps -- comes through international terrestrial cable (ITC) licence holders that import bandwidth from India across land borders.

The South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 5 (SEA-ME-WE 5) submarine cable installed in Kuakata supplies 1,700GBPS.

The undersea cable of the SEA-ME-WE 5 got broken in a spot between Singapore and Malaysia, he said.

For that, all circuits of all members of the consortium got down, he added.

"So, a ship will be mobilised to repair and restore the service. Total operation will take minimum 2 to three days," he added.

The SEA-ME-WE 5 is a 20,000km submarine cable system connecting 17 countries through Points-of-Presence from Singapore to the Middle East to France and Italy in Western Europe.

The cable that laid in the eastern side that connected Singapore got broken, while the connectivity in the western side that connected France remained operational, he added.

For that, of 1700Gbps bandwidth comes through the system, only 100 GBPS bandwidth will be supplied to Bangladesh.

The BSCPLC is now exploring ways to restore the circuits of SEA-ME-WE 5 with SEA-ME-WE 4, the country's first submarine cable installed in Cox's Bazar.

Nearly 800 Gbps bandwidth is provided by the first undersea cable with which Bangladesh was connected in 2006. It currently supplies about 850 Gbps bandwidth and its capacity has recently been upgraded to 3,800 Gbps.

The first undersea cable with which Bangladesh was connected in 2006 currently supplies about 850 Gbps bandwidth and its capacity was recently upgraded to 3,800 Gbps.

The BSCPLC is set to receive 13,200 Gbps from a third undersea cable, SEA-ME-WE 6, by 2025.

Md Emdadul Hoque, president of the Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), said the cable cut of the second submarine cable will severely affect internet service for almost a week.

"Some of our customers have already started complaining about slow interest and high latency," said ISPAB president.

However, officials of mobile operators said their internet services have so far remained unaffected.

"We are monitoring the situation closely. We are working with our partners International internet gateway operators to continue smooth service," said Shahed Alam, chief corporate and regulatory officer at Robi Axiata.

"As it is a holiday today [Saturday], the demand for the internet is low. Our customers may face disruption from tomorrow [Sunday]".

Submarine cables are crucial for internet bandwidth because they enable high-capacity data transfer between continents, supporting global communication, online services, and international connectivity essential for modern digital operations.​

 

[Saif]

Internet slowdown across Bangladesh may persist for a month

Internet users across Bangladesh have been experiencing a slowdown for the past four days as repair work on the country’s second submarine cable South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 5 (SEA-ME-WE-5), which was recently damaged, has yet to be completed. The repair work of the cable will

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Internet slowdown across Bangladesh may persist for a month
Published :
Apr 23, 2024 20:00
Updated :
Apr 23, 2024 20:00

Internet users across Bangladesh have been experiencing a slowdown for the past four days as repair work on the country's second submarine cable South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 5 (SEA-ME-WE-5), which was recently damaged, has yet to be completed.

The repair work of the cable will persist until the last week of May, according to Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC.

BSCPLC's General Manager (Operation and Maintenance) Saidur Rahman said the cable, SEA-ME-WE-5, broke down in the Indonesian sea coast area on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.

"Administrative work there takes a little longer. The authorities said the repair work could be completed in the third or fourth week of next month."

When asked about the suffering of people due to the internet slowdown, Rahman said, "All alternatives are not fully effective yet. The country's first submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-4, is capable of carrying full bandwidth. The concerned company will have to pay extra for this, which is still not decided. Efforts are underway to act on some other options."

Internet bandwidth in Bangladesh comes mainly through two submarine cables running through the deep sea. The first submarine cable, SEA-ME-WE-4, is installed at Cox's Bazar while the second one, SEA-ME-WE-5, is at Kuakata.

The second cable broke down around 440 kilometres away from Singapore's western coast around midnight on Saturday, the BSCPLC had previously said in a statement.

"All Kuakata-Singapore bound traffic through the cable is closed now. Measures are being taken to repair and reconnect the cable through the SEA-ME-WE-5 consortium."

"Though the services through the SEA-ME-WE-5 cable are closed now, the internet services are being provided across the country through the SEA-ME-WE-4 and other ICT organisations," the BSCPLC statement read.

"A significant amount of bandwidth from the disconnected one is being shifted to the SEA-ME-WE-4 cable. However, the customers may experience slowdowns until the SEA-ME-WE-5 is repaired and operational again."​

 

[Saif]

Seamless internet not before end of May

The maintenance works of SEA-ME-WE 5, through which Bangladesh avails the largest chunk of international bandwidth, will take about a month, prolonging woes over the lack of a smooth broadband internet service in the country.

www.thedailystar.net

Seamless internet not before end of May

Photo: Freepik

The maintenance works of SEA-ME-WE 5, through which Bangladesh avails the largest chunk of international bandwidth, will take about a month, prolonging woes over the lack of a smooth broadband internet service in the country.

Bangladesh Submarine Cables in a press release said the maintenance work of the cable would conclude on the last week of May.

The cable, which was installed in Kuakata connecting Bangladesh with Singapore, snapped at midnight of April 27.

"…The country's second submarine cable (SMW-5) was accidentally severed in Indonesian waters west of Singapore. The SMW5 consortium has already undertaken the repair of undersea cables in Indonesia," said Bangladesh Submarine Cables.

"According to the latest information of the consortium, the maintenance work of the cable will be completed in the last week of May 2024, subject to obtaining permission from the relevant authorities in Indonesia," it said.

It may be noted that preparations have been completed from Bangladesh Submarine Cables to transfer about 1600 Gbps bandwidth of SMW-5 to SMW-4, the first submarine cable of the country,

Customers (International Internet Gateway companies) have started the process of connecting their circuits as per demand through Bangladesh Submarine Cables.

The Bangladesh Submarine Cables authorities sincerely apologised for the temporary inconvenience, it added.​

 

[Saif]

IMF for end to tax break for IT sector

Breaking News, International News & Multimedia

thedailynewnation.com

IMF for end to tax break for IT sector
29 Apr 2024, 2:24 am

Staff Reporter :

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed discontinuing the tax exemption facility for the information technology (IT) industry, which is scheduled to end in June 2024.

The visiting delegation of the multi-national lending firm came up with the proposal in a meeting with the high officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) at the latter's office in the city on Sunday.

The other proposals of the global lender are abolishing tax breaks on clothing, footwear, LPG, and mobile phones, which may increase revenue by 0.31 percent of GDP.

It also suggests repealing the depletion allowance provided for mining and petroleum extraction, eliminating or establishing caps on input VAT deductions for entertainment and VAT on meals, and requiring all businesses with turnover greater than Tk 3 crore to be in the standard 15 percent VAT with input tax credits; eliminating their option for truncated VAT.

The global lender also proposed to reform revenue administration for all three wings. With this move, revenue will be raised by 0.15 percent of GDP, the IMF expects.

The NBR officials accepted the IMF proposal; however, they showed dismay against the withdrawal of the exemption facility for all IT services as it may disrupt sector growth, according to revenue board officials.

Experts opined that some facilities should be withdrawn from the IT sector, but others should be continued for security services such as cloud computing and cyber security because now foreign companies have brought huge money from Bangladesh to provide such services.

If the exemption is withdrawn, the income of the respective IT services companies will be subject to a 27.5 percent corporation tax.

An analysis of the NBR showed that now the government gives an exemption worth around Tk 1,477 crore annually to IT services. However, insiders said that if net profit is supposed to be 10 percent, then the local market should be around Tk 50,000 crore to get such an amount of tax expenditure.

According to the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), the annual domestic market size in the ITES sector is around Tk 2,000–2,500 crore, but the contribution of the sector to the economy is uncountable and huge, as agriculture, education, health, media, and RMG sectors use technology and earn a notable portion of their income.

BASIS President Russell T. Ahmed told The New Nation, "The sector is facing numerous challenges every moment. If the sector is taxed, it will be a disaster."

"IMF's prescription is theoretical, and they do not understand the situation in our country. However, our governmentis pro-IT services to make the country smart, and there is opportunity to make every sector smarter," he said.

"The sector does not get banking finance, and its raw material is mostly talent. Besides, our talented ones do not get intellectual property. So, if such a move is executed, brain drain will increase as our costs will jump up, we will lose our competitiveness, and imports will rise," Russell added.

Citing NBR's analysis as wrong, he said, "NBR should be smarter in its analysis. A couple of groups of companies take advantage of an exemption facility in the name of their small IT companies. It is the responsibility of the NBR to catch loopholes and evasion, and there is no scope to tax small and medium startups and IT service companies. The sector will be the most USD-earning source after RMG."

In the meeting, NBR officials were informed that they are collecting revenue with just the provisions or laws, but enforcement is not sound yet.

So they want to strengthen enforcement, which will enable them to meet the IMF revenue collection target, the NBR officials who attended said.

They further said the random withdrawal of tax exemptions will have a negative impact on the country's economy.

In a bid to get the third tranche of a $4.7 billion loan from the IMF, the government of Bangladesh should take these policy measures by June this year in line with the global lender's recommendations. Besides, there are 38 conditions to get the full amount of the loan.

In the revenue part, the IMF has stipulated conditions to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio by 0.5 percentage points in FY24, followed by 0.5 and 0.7 percentage points in FY25 and FY26, respectively.​

 

[Saif]

aamra technologies’ entire bandwidth blocked

The IIG operator didn’t share Tk 22 crore revenue in time

www.thedailystar.net

aamra technologies' entire bandwidth blocked
The IIG operator didn't share Tk 22 crore revenue in time

The telecom regulator last week blocked full bandwidth of aamra technologies as the international internet gateway operator failed to pay dues of over Tk 22 crore.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has repeatedly sent letters to aamra, but the company did not clear the dues related to revenue sharing, according to the officials of the commission.

Earlier, 80 percent bandwidth of aamra technologies got blocked in January for the payment.

Earlier, the BTRC even proposed aamra to hand over a down payment of Tk 10 crore and clear the Tk 12 crore in instalments.

Still, aamra failed to pay it, according to the officials.

Aamra Technologies used to supply bandwidth to different clients, including mobile operators.

The operators discontinued taking bandwidth from aamra following a blocking in last year.

In July last year, the commission blocked half of the bandwidth of aamra for an outstanding revenue of over Tk 33 crore. Later, the directive was withdrawn.

The IIG companies operate as international gateways for internet traffic, managing the data flow between the country and the rest of the world, enabling internet service providers and telecom operators get access to the global internet.​

 

[Saif]

ICT is going to be main saviour of economy: Salman

Noting that the ICT sector is going to be the main saviour of the country’s economy in the future, prime minister’s private industry and investment adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman on Sunday advocated for continuing the various tax facilities policy apart from support that the sector is currently...

www.newagebd.net

ICT is going to be main saviour of economy: Salman
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . Dhaka 05 May, 2024, 22:16

Salman Fazlur Rahman. | — New Age file photo

Noting that the ICT sector is going to be the main saviour of the country's economy in the future, prime minister's private industry and investment adviser Salman Fazlur Rahman on Sunday advocated for continuing the various tax facilities policy apart from support that the sector is currently enjoying for further flourish of this sector.

'I'm cent per cent agreed with the ICT entrepreneurs that the existing tax facilities should remain. I still think that the sector is still at the premature stage and it won't be wise to withdraw the existing tax facilities that the sector is currently enjoying. Rather, we've to think of giving more incentives, otherwise challenges will come,' he said.

Salman was speaking as chief guest at a roundtable titled 'Investment Climate for Smart Bangladesh' held at a city hotel.

State minister for posts, telecommunications and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and parliamentary standing committee chairman on the same ministry Kazi Nabil Ahmed spoke as special guests chaired by Venture Capital and Private Equity Association of Bangladesh president Shameem Ahsan. The VCPEAB organised the roundtable.

Ferdous Ahmed, MP and Zara Jabeen Mahbub, MP also spoke as guests of honour.

Agreeing with the various demands of the entrepreneurs of the ICT sector, Salman said that he would discuss with the finance minister and the prime minister regarding the various issues surrounding the industry.

Criticising slightly the National Board of Revenue for imposing more burden on the existing regular taxpayers, the adviser suggested that the revenue board should focus more on bringing in the untaxed people to the tax net.

'Unless the tax collection system is digitalised fully or major reforms are not brought, then the tax to GDP ratio will not increase,' he added.

Mentioning that data is going to be the main asset in the coming days, the adviser urged the relevant stakeholders and entrepreneurs to give more emphasis on AI, data sign, big data management, chip designing, cyber security and establishing a huge data centre.

State minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that the country's IT and ICT sector witnessed massive successes over the last 15 years under the farsighted vision of prime minister's ICT adviser Sajeeb Wazed Ahmed and courageous leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He urged the PM's private industry and investment adviser to talk with the finance minister and the prime minister about the rational demands of continuing tax facilities in the ICT sector.

The state minister suggested that the higher educational institutions and universities should change their curriculum in line with the changing global context in the ICT sector.

He opined that the existing tax exemption facilities in the ICT sector should continue in the next year while there could be discussions on how to facilitate the sector considering the changing context of FY26, FY31 and FY41.

Palak opined that if the ICT sector receives government's policy support for the next 10 years, then the ICT and the IT enabled services would be the major export-oriented sector in the country.

Kazi Nabil Ahmed, MP said that there was a need to make more energetic and skilled Human Resources to make each and every sector of the country technology-based.

'We've to make a knowledge-based economy to build Smart Bangladesh,' he said, adding that the government and the private sector should leapfrog the initiatives in this sector to make the Smart Bangladesh vision visible.

The ICT policies mainly focuses on data protection and cyber security along with ease of doing ICT business by streamlining tax incentives, including 100 per cent CIT exemption for the ICT/software industry, 10 per cent export subsidies, VAT exemption on local bills during production. Additionally, initiatives to attract foreign investment include 100 per cent tax exemption for income from software development, 2 per cent duty on ICT related hardware imports etc.

The ICT industry emphasizes achieving a $50 billion ICT GDP by 2041, which entails increasing the sector's contribution to the national GDP from less than 1 per cent to 2-3 per cent by 2041.

In his presentation, Shaheem Ahsan said that withdrawal of incentives and policy support would directly impact local and foreign investment, worsen unemployment and brain drain situation, put pressure on currency reserve, increase risk of data sovereignty and national cyber security and increase the cost of automation towards SMART transition.

DCCI president Ashraf Ahmed, CCCI president Omar Hazzaz, CSE chairman Asif Ibrahim, UGC member Md Sazzad Hossain, FBCCI senior vice-president Md Amin Helaly, Policy Exchange Bangladesh chairman M Masrur Reaz, Founder and CEO of Bdjobs Ltd Fahim Mashroor, policy adviser of CRI Imran Ahmed, vice-president of VCPEAB Mohammad Zahirul Islam spoke, among others, on the occasion.

The leaders in the IT industry also have asked for the tax exemption to be extended for three years. They believe keeping this exemption is crucial as removing same will diminish profitability and reduce reinvestment capabilities for IT /ITES companies, resulting in slower industry growth and diminished export potential.​

 

[Saif]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/columns/can-the-it-sector-make-it-through-tough-times

Can the IT sector make it through tough times?
AFSAN CHOWDHURY
Published :
May 06, 2024 22:46
Updated :
May 07, 2024 21:31

Global markets are undergoing turbulence and none can say how long they will last or if they will become the way future markets play. The same syndrome applies to Bangladesh as well including the IT sector.

Information technology exports from Bangladesh dropped 4.4 per cent in the first five months -around 225 million dollars- current fiscal year- due to global demand slowdown. But the global reality of the IT sector as the dominant sector remains. In Bangladesh, most experts tend to think in three months or shorter economic cycles but the fact remains that in the global economy the IT sector is the biggest reality and matters more in the long term.

The current state of IT in Bangladesh is beset with problems. Startup funding availability is not great in the short term and European countries are facing a downturn reducing the market size. The fact remains that the global economic future is here even though global outsourcing and hiring is lower this year. Meanwhile, non-European markets are slowly growing and it's inevitable new economies and sources emerge.

Several factors have contributed to Bangladesh's difficulties. It has relied almost entirely on the West that is under pressure due to the Ukraine war and growth of competitive sub-sources affecting Bangladesh as a low end supplier.

The other one is the accepted lack of entrepreneurial spirit inevitable in a crony economy. They look for connections rather than competition-based markets so their innovation index is not high. Thirdly, the sector is yet to have enough skilled hands and the general low focus on skill development has made it worse. While the future is focused on new technology, Bangladeshi companies are looking for a tech duplication of the RMG sector where price is all, not quality.

"Smart Bangladesh", tax exemption and related issues that affect the sector are several. Although the government is pushing for a "Smart Bangladesh", it's still more of a slogan than practical action driven. About Tk 24 billion were allocated last year but no result sheet on impact has been stated.

Smart Bangladesh is supposed to be "Smart Citizen, Smart Society, Smart Government, and Smart Economy. A 'Smart Bangladesh: ICT 2041 Master Plan' has been prepared. It's estimated that there are over 2,500 startups in Bangladesh with approximately at about $1 billion investment. Around 2 million people may be involved directly or indirectly. The government has promised to invest Tk 5.0 billion.

However, a key factor has been tax exemptions for the IT sector which may end this June. Entrepreneurs are demanding its continuation for another seven years. This exemption coming as it does with a weak performing phase is going to be blow to the sector they are saying. That tax exemption played a major role is obvious as the number of players rushing into the sector was high. Low or no tax exemption will ultimately increase the cost of ICT-related products.

"What ails thee BD IT?" is a question many ask. Bangladesh doesn't have a robust foreign investment framework or even an adequate IT infrastructure with a skilled workforce

The IT sector can be a turnaround agent for developing countries like Bangladesh, but it needs such as IT-enabled services (ITES), e-commerce, Artificial Intelligence, outsourcing, and the production of software and hardware. However, the backbone is the business framework.

Bangladesh is aiming to reach the $5 billion export-mark by 2025 and $20 billion by 2031. By 2025, 3.0 million youths will be employed in the country's IT industry. They need a host of missing links in place first.

No one seems keen to face the fact that shortage of highly skilled professionals is a critical hindrance. Insufficient infrastructure, including reliable internet connectivity and power supply are ailments affecting all sectors.

The regulatory frameworks and bureaucratic procedures deter foreign investment and market for all sectors including IT. Cyber threats and data security vulnerabilities are present and on top of that outfits are not keen to use the formal money channels as dollar rates fluctuate and affect all remittance payments. The sector as a whole is also unused to business competition dynamics.

The GOB has focused more on fiscal issues giving a 10 per cent cash incentive to software exports, aiming to stimulate the foreign exchange-earning segment as in the RMG sector. The exemption of all taxes and duties on imported computer hardware and simplified tax-free export earning remittance procedures with 40 per cent retention in foreign currency have made it more attractive.

But a critical missing factor is the connectivity with other countries in the same sector to see how far they can take advantage of subcontracting. The technologically advanced Asian countries are a big source of market but not yet linked to the BD IT sector.

India and China are big players and as their capacity and scale have grown and they are more keen to enter the bigger market segments. Bangladesh can attract small-scale companies overlooked by India and China. Both may also explore the mutually beneficial business opportunities in joint ventures. Meanwhile, providing the three essentials : training, infrastructure and funding are key to becoming a minor but sustainable player in this global sector.

In the final analysis, the state of the IT sector is both an internal production and external market issue. Bangladesh doesn't have the requisite infrastructural ability whether in skills or technical support issues. It's also not in conversation with its major potential players regionally or even globally. It is not yet ready to join as a serious player. It's this lack of readiness and a trifle lack of knowledge on how to be ready that is hurting the capacity of the Bangladesh IT sector, however limited that is.​

 

[Saif]

Asus launches 6 new laptops in Bangladesh

Asus has recently launched six new laptops in Bangladesh, including the new dual-screen Zenbook DUO (UX8406) model. The other laptops recently released are ZenBook 14 OLED (UX3405), ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA403), ROG Zephyrus G16 (GU605), ROG Strix G16 (G614), and ROG Strix SCAR 18 (G834).

www.thedailystar.net

Asus launches 6 new laptops in Bangladesh

Asus has recently launched six new laptops in Bangladesh, including the new dual-screen Zenbook DUO (UX8406) model. Image: Asus

Asus has recently launched six new laptops in Bangladesh, including the new dual-screen Zenbook DUO (UX8406) model. The other laptops recently released are ZenBook 14 OLED (UX3405), ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA403), ROG Zephyrus G16 (GU605), ROG Strix G16 (G614), and ROG Strix SCAR 18 (G834).

ASUS Zenbook DUO (UX8406), Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405)

ASUS Zenbook DUO (UX8406) comes with dual-screen 3K 120 Hz OLED displays, an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 1.35 kg of weight, and a detachable full-size keyboard, touchpad, and built-in kickstand.

Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) features an ASUS Lumina OLED touchscreen, an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, a 75 Wh battery, and 1.2 kg of weight.

Zenbook DUO (UX8406) is priced at BDT 2,52,000 and Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is priced at BDT 1,60,000.

ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA403), Zephyrus G16 (GU605)

ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA403) and Zephyrus G16 (GU605) are gaming laptops with AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Intel Core Ultra 7 processor respectively, as well as NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 to RTX4070 graphics, ROG Nebula OLED display, and in-built neural processing units (NPU).

ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA403) starts at BDT 2,80,000, and ROG Zephyrus G16 (GU605) is priced at BDT 3,62,000.

ROG Strix G16 (G614), ROG Strix SCAR 18 (G834)

ROG Strix G16 (G614) is another gaming laptop with 14th Gen Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics. It also has a 16-inch display.

ROG Strix SCAR 18 (G834) is a high-end gaming laptop with 14th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, 240 Hz 18-inch display, and advanced cooling technology for sustained performance.

ROG Strix G16 (G614) is priced at BDT 2,56,000 and ROG Strix SCAR 18 (G834) is priced at BDT 5,60,000.

According to Asus, these laptops are now available for purchase across authorised ASUS retailers in Bangladesh.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh saw three internet shutdowns last year: report

Bangladesh saw three internet shutdowns last year, and all of those were executed to crack down on dissent, according to Access Now, an organisation advocating for digital civil rights

www.thedailystar.net

Bangladesh saw three internet shutdowns last year: report

Bangladesh saw three internet shutdowns last year, and all of those were executed to crack down on dissent, according to Access Now, an organisation advocating for digital civil rights.

The organisation said this in their latest report, titled "Shrinking Democracy, Growing Violence", which was published on its website today. It said globally internet shutdowns have been used by authorities as a tool to enable and exacerbate violence.

India topped the list with 116 internet shutdowns last year.

"Governments continued to shut down the internet and critical digital communication platforms to muzzle expression, block access to life-saving information, and cover up heinous crimes against humanity," said the report.

It said governments intentionally disrupted internet access to coincide with important national events such as protests and political instability, elections etc with one aim -- to restrict the flow of information and control the narrative.

"Despite the fact that these shutdowns flagrantly violate human rights enshrined in national, regional, and international frameworks, governments deliberately imposed shutdown to advance their own political interests -- harming people and communities and endangering lives," it added.

Bangladesh has experienced shutdowns in five or more consecutive years since 2016, found the report.​

 

[Saif]

Homegrown apps fail to take off

While it is not an uncommon sight to see people typing messages in Bangla on their smartphones, the familiar colours and user interface make it obvious that they are not using communication apps belonging to local companies.

www.thedailystar.net

Homegrown apps fail to take off

While it is not an uncommon sight to see people typing messages in Bangla on their smartphones, the familiar colours and user interface make it obvious that they are not using communication apps belonging to local companies.

While mobile financial service providers and nearly all banks have gained traction in digital services in Bangladesh, the same cannot be said of communications apps built by the government or private entities.

In early 2020, a homegrown mobile application with capability to send messages and make voice calls was launched in Bangladesh. At the inauguration ceremony of the app, named 'Kotha', Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for ICT, said it would be Bangladesh's Facebook, PayPal, Netflix, Twitter, and WhatsApp.

But now, almost none remembers the app. Although Kotha has good ratings on Google's Play Store, it has less than 2 lakh downloads.

However, Mahboob Zaman, chairman of Kotha Technologies, said the growth of the app is somewhat steady given their strategy. "We were trying to do organic marketing. Besides, research and development requires huge investment. We are trying to find an investor."

So far, the app has 4 lakh registered users, according to the company.

Sumon Ahmed Sabir, a technology expert, said copying something that has numerous versions, which local apps tend to do, is unlikely to lead to popularity. "Popular apps come with diversity, flexibility, efficiency and global expectancy that cannot be replicated."

"Besides, local apps cannot compete with these platforms due to the scale of their research and investment. Once a sector is monopolistic, it's not easy to break."

The government has also taken the initiative making communication apps at the cost of hundreds of crores, but all of them failed to attract audiences.

The government-funded app 'Baithak', a video-conferencing platform enabling virtual meetings and webinars similar to Zoom, was designed for government officials, but got very little response.

'Alapon', a Viber-like app developed by the government's ICT Division with the aim to streamline messaging and file exchange processes for government officials, was launched in 2016. Eight years later, the app no longer exists.

"Privacy is definitely a concern, if not a major one," Sabir added.

Meanwhile, the use of social media platforms and communication apps in Bangladesh developed by the global tech giants boomed in the past decade and made it one of the largest markets for them in terms of audiences. The top communication apps in terms of users are WhatsApp, Messenger, and Imo.

Facebook has a huge chunk of the audience, with nearly 53 million users in the country, which places Bangladesh among the top 10 Facebook-crazed nations as of January 2024, according to Statista, a German online platform that specialises in data gathering and visualisation.

Facebook also offers Messenger, integrating it as a standalone app for messaging, voice calls, and video chats.

There were more than 6.3 crore Facebook users in Bangladesh in February 2024 that has a population of about 17 crore, according to management and analytics platform NapoleonCat. It put the number of Messenger users at 5.7 crore.

When asked how many people in Bangladesh use WhatsApp, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger, said it is unable to share the country-specific data.

Imo is also popular in rural Bangladesh due to low data usage, simplicity, and free voice and video calls. In 2023, a staggering 4 million new users from the country were integrated into Imo's network, the company said.

That took its monthly users in Bangladesh to 50 million, accounting for a quarter of its 200 million total users. Imo users in the country made 91.6 billion audio and video calls in 2023, among which 35.8 billion calls were international.

Bangladeshi users also made 676 million group calls last year through the app. The top five destinations for international calls were Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Malaysia, and Qatar.​

 

[Saif]

Women still lag in mobile ownership, internet adoption

Women in Bangladesh are lagging behind men in both mobile ownership and mobile internet adoption, with gender gaps of 20 percent and 40 percent respectively, representing a significant disparity in digital access, according to a global report.

www.thedailystar.net

Women still lag in mobile ownership, internet adoption

In Bangladesh, mobile internet adoption rates are 40 percent for men and only 24 percent for women, according to Mobile Gender Gap Report 2024 by the GSMA. The photo was taken at Khulna city recently. Photo: Habibur Rahman

Women in Bangladesh are lagging behind men in both mobile ownership and mobile internet adoption, with gender gaps of 20 percent and 40 percent respectively, representing a significant disparity in digital access, according to a global report.

In Bangladesh, 85 percent of adult males own a mobile phone, compared to 68 percent of adult females.

Meanwhile, mobile internet adoption rates are 40 percent for men and only 24 percent for women, according to Mobile Gender Gap Report 2024 by the GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide.

For those who are already aware of mobile internet, the top-reported barriers to adopting it are affordability (primarily of handsets) and literacy and digital skills, it said.

Millions more women than men face these barriers because they are offline. Women also tend to experience these barriers more acutely due to social norms and structural inequalities, such as lower education and income, according to the report.

The findings of the report are based on the results of an annual GSMA Consumer Survey carried out last year, which had more than 13,600 respondents from 12 low and middle-income countries.

In 10 of the 12 countries surveyed for this report, women who use the internet are more likely than men to access it exclusively on a mobile phone.

For example, in Bangladesh, 74 percent of female internet users access it exclusively via mobile, compared to 66 percent of male users.

In most survey countries, women who use mobile internet are more likely than men to report that they would like to use it more than they currently do.

This was true for more than half of female mobile internet users in Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

According to the survey, Bangladesh has the highest gender gap in mobile internet adoption among Asian countries at 40 percent.

In comparison, the gap is 30 percent in India, 38 percent in Pakistan, and 8 percent in Indonesia.

Although the gender gap in mobile phone ownership and internet usage in Bangladesh has slightly decreased, it remains substantial.

Gender gaps in smartphone ownership also vary across survey countries and are widest in Pakistan (49 percent), Bangladesh (43 percent) and Nigeria (38 percent).

Women in Bangladesh are also falling behind in smartphone ownership. While 40 percent of men own a smartphone, only 22 percent of women have one.

Fahim Mashroor, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), said most women in the country still rely on men for financial support.

"Typically, if there is a smartphone or laptop in the house, it is mainly controlled by male members. Additionally, parents sometimes restrict girls from using devices or the internet due to social reasons in the still very male-dominated society," he added.

Against this backdrop, he said widespread adoption of the internet by women will remain difficult unless their financial independence is ensured.

Still, women in Bangladesh have seen the strongest growth in mobile internet awareness since 2022, from 64 percent to 74 percent.

For the first time since the GSMA started tracking it, women's awareness in Bangladesh is close to that of men (76 percent), highlighting the progress that has been made.

The report said once women start to use mobile internet, they tend to use it less frequently than men and for a narrower range of services.

At the same time, in most of the survey countries, female mobile internet users are more likely than men to report that they would like to use mobile internet more than they currently do.

This was especially the case for more than half of female mobile internet users in Kenya, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ethiopia.

Affordability is another top barrier to further mobile internet use for both male and female mobile internet users in survey countries.

In most countries, affordability of data is more of a barrier than the affordability of handsets.

Data costs are a particular issue for mobile internet users in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Bangladesh, where it is the top individual barrier to further use for both men and women.

For example, in Bangladesh, 24 percent of women and 15 percent of men who use mobile internet reported data costs as their top barrier to further use.

Overall, women's rate of mobile internet adoption increased over the past year.

There are now more women using mobile internet in low and middle-income countries than ever before: 66 percent.

By comparison, 78 percent of men now use mobile internet, but their rate of adoption slowed in 2023.

The gender gap in mobile internet adoption across low and middle-income countries has narrowed for the first time since 2020 due to women adopting it at a faster rate than men.

This reduction was driven primarily by South Asia and brings the overall mobile internet gender gap back to where it was in 2020.

This gender gap also narrowed slightly in Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time in five years, the report said.​

 

[Saif]

Tax holiday for ICT sector likely to continue: Salman F Rahman

The tax holiday facility in the ICT sector of the country will remain in force this year as well, said Salman F Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister. “I had an opportunity to talk to the Prime Minister about the issue of tax exemption. The Prime Minister assu

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Tax holiday for ICT sector likely to continue: Salman F Rahman
FE ONLINE DESK
Published :
May 21, 2024 20:59
Updated :
May 21, 2024 20:59

The tax holiday facility in the ICT sector of the country will remain in force this year as well, said Salman F Rahman, Private Industry and Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister.

"I had an opportunity to talk to the Prime Minister about the issue of tax exemption. The Prime Minister assured to consider the proposal in view of the request to impose taxes consistently and rationally in different periods. This time the budget will inform how long the tax exemption can be", he said while speaking as the chief guest at an event held at the Hotel Radisson Blu in the capital where the newly elected Executive Council (2024-2026) of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) took oath.

"You have to be vocal about what kind of policy support is needed for the domestic ICT sector to keep pace with the pace at which the world's technology is advancing. While tax exemptions are important, what kind of policy do you need for the next level?

AI, block chain, big data need to be looked at because programmers will lose the most jobs in the future. So now they have to train to the next level. The government should be guided in this matter from the BASIS", he added.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

AI starts to replace entry-level IT jobs in Bangladesh

It was a pretty good project for SkyTech Solutions for the last few years: generating earnings of $8.5 per hour for each of over 50 people.

www.thedailystar.net

AI starts to replace entry-level IT jobs in Bangladesh

It was a pretty good project for SkyTech Solutions for the last few years: generating earnings of $8.5 per hour for each of over 50 people.

The task was to process the invoice of Uber Freight services and upload the information into customer relationship management, a system that manages customer interactions, enhances satisfaction, and streamlines business processes.

But late last year, artificial intelligence (AI) knocked out more than 80 percent of the jobs in the project in a single blow.

"They informed us that the primary task will be handled by AI automation, leaving only quality control to be performed by humans," said self-made entrepreneur Musnad E Ahmed, founder of SkyTech, a leading business process outsourcing (BPO) company in Bangladesh.

Consequently, the number of employees has decreased from 55 to 10, he said.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh’s reputation as a freelancing powerhouse is on the line

The most important issue with our online labour force is skill gap.

www.thedailystar.net

Bangladesh's reputation as a freelancing powerhouse is on the line

VISUAL: ZARIF FAIAZ

Bangladesh has almost always been hailed as a top player in the global freelancing market, and rightfully so as evident from the numerous recognitions the country has earned over the years.

In 2017, according to a study by the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), Bangladesh ranked the second most popular country for supplying online labour. Forbes, in 2019, listed Bangladesh as one of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of income from freelancing.

Our ICT Division estimates the local freelancing sector to be worth nearly $1 billion. According to the "Digital Economy Report-2019" by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Bangladesh is emerging as a significant player in the global freelancing market, with around 650,000 freelancers contributing over $100 million in annual foreign remittances. And just last year, Payoneer ranked Bangladesh eighth amongst the top 10 freelancing countries in the world.

All these data and statistics paint a very optimistic and inspiring picture of the country's freelancing scene. However, given the nature of this profession and the lucrative opportunities it provides, the freelance market is becoming saturated, which would have been somewhat manageable had we the right skills and mindset. Unfortunately, that is not the case. This situation, if it worsens, might slowly impact the country's reputation as a global freelancing powerhouse.

Let us start with the way freelancing is marketed to our common populace. Across Bangladesh, you will find numerous organisations offering skill development and freelancing training. For a certain fee, these organisations promise to turn you into freelancing experts. And to lure you into joining these institutions as students or trainees, they will tell you about the two most lucrative aspects of freelancing—earning from the comfort of your home and earning in foreign currencies.

Every now and then, you will see news articles or social media posts about young men and women from far-flung regions of Bangladesh making four or five times more money than the country's average monthly income through freelancing. These stories are packaged and fed to aspiring freelancers to "motivate" them. This, coupled with the fact that Bangladesh still has an unemployment problem, makes for a very convincing case in support of freelancing to those looking for job opportunities.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Meta removes pages linked to Awami League for "inauthentic behaviour"

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the removal of numerous accounts and pages linked to Bangladesh's ruling Awami League, citing violations of its policy against "coordinated inauthentic behaviour".

www.thedailystar.net

Meta removes pages linked to Awami League for "inauthentic behaviour"

Meta shuts down Bangladeshi political networks for 'coordinated inauthentic behaviour'. Image: Tech & Startup

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the removal of numerous accounts and pages linked to Bangladesh's ruling Awami League, citing violations of its policy against "coordinated inauthentic behaviour". This action was detailed in Meta's Quarterly Adversarial Threat Report for Q1 2024.

The company removed 50 Facebook accounts and 98 pages originating from Bangladesh. These accounts and pages were found to be targeting domestic audiences using fake identities to post content and manage pages. Some of these pages posed as fictitious news entities, while others used the names of existing news organisations in Bangladesh. A few pages used the name of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and posted content critical of the BNP.

Meta's investigation uncovered that this network had a presence on multiple platforms, including YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Telegram, and their own websites. The network primarily posted content in Bengali, with some posts in English. The content included news and current events in Bangladesh, criticism of the BNP, allegations of BNP corruption and involvement in pre-election violence, as well as supportive commentary about the incumbent government and the ruling party.

The accounts and pages collectively had about 3.4 million followers. Meta reported an ad spend of approximately $60, paid mostly in Bangladeshi takas.​

 

[Saif]

বাংলাদেশের ডিজিটাল দুনিয়ায় নিরবে বিপ্লব। আসছে বড় বিনিয়োগ।

 

[Saif]

Meta to deal directly with advertisers in Bangladesh

The development has created panic among businesses as they apprehend difficulties in ensuring compliance with VAT and tax regulations when advertising directly with Meta.

www.thedailystar.net

Meta to deal directly with advertisers in Bangladesh

Meta logo is seen near computer motherboard in this illustration taken January 8, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, plans to stop availing services of Httpool, its authorised sales partner in Bangladesh, from July and shift to a model where it will interact directly with advertisers.

"Meta has recently made the decision to standardise their advertiser service model worldwide," Aloke Panikar, regional director for Asia-Pacific at Aleph, the parent company of Httpool, said in a letter to advertisers in Bangladesh recently.

"…and in markets previously covered by an authorised sales partner, Meta will begin working with advertisers directly starting from July 1, 2024," the letter read.

"This means that Aleph will no longer be Meta's authorised sales partner."

The development has created panic among businesses as they apprehend difficulties in ensuring compliance with VAT and tax regulations when advertising directly with Meta.

"As a compliant company, we are worried," Fahim Mashroor, CEO of online job portal bdjobs.com, said.

"Advertising on Facebook with Httpool was easy as they took care of VAT and tax issues and we could pay in taka. Now, how Facebook will handle this remains unknown," he said.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

R&D a prerequisite to developing the software sector

The goal of transforming the country into a software powerhouse remains as elusive as ever, even though successive governments have emphasised the issue. The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) raised the issue again on the opening day of Basis SoftExpo 2023 late las

www.thefinancialexpress.com.bd

R&D a prerequisite to developing the software sector
Published: February 25, 2023 22:55:30

The goal of transforming the country into a software powerhouse remains as elusive as ever, even though successive governments have emphasised the issue. The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) raised the issue again on the opening day of Basis SoftExpo 2023 late last week and suggested that the ICT industry, academia and government devise a mechanism where the much-needed research and development (R&D) could be done. Such a move also needs to be supplemented by efforts to develop a qualified workforce for the software industry. Putting an efficient R&D network is imperative because the global software industry is fiercely competitive, where countries like India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Poland, Estonia and Ukraine are all vying for a share of the same pie.

The domestic software industry has been growing with government policy support, but much more needs to be done. One of the industry's Achilles Heels remains its lukewarm acceptance in the domestic market. Local companies are still facing an uphill task while selling their software to consumers at the corporate level. While smaller companies are slowly transitioning to a customised application made for their operations - whether it is payroll or inventory management, the prized contracts from the big conglomerates remain largely outside the purview of Bangladeshi software developers. The target is to raise the country's IT exports to US$5 billion by 2025 and $20 billion by 2030. But with the current state of affairs in the sector, it is doubtful the country would be able to go near the targets. Getting stakeholders like academia and software developers to collaborate with the relevant ministry is one part of that equation. But what will be the subjects of research? Data? That will not be easy. As far as big data is concerned, only the government can access that data: the NID database, credit information, and national household and health surveys, to name but a few.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link below.​

 

[Saif]

ICT sector hails extension of tax exemption

Extending the tax exemption until 2031 would better support Bangladesh's goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country and enhance the IT sector's capacity in domestic and global markets

www.thedailystar.net

ICT sector hails extension of tax exemption

Extending the tax exemption until 2031 would better support Bangladesh's goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country and enhance the IT sector's capacity in domestic and global markets

On behalf of the ICT sector, I thank honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for extending the tax exemption on the ICT sector by three years, aligning with BASIS's proposal for a Smart Bangladesh. I also thank the NBR for recognising the ICT sector's crucial role.

However, we believe extending it until 2031 would better support Bangladesh's goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country and enhance the IT sector's capacity in domestic and global markets.

Impact of Tax Exemption on Other Sectors

This tax exemption will significantly boost the IT sector and play a pivotal role as this sector can be the nucleus for building a Smart Bangladesh across education, healthcare, agriculture, banking, and manufacturing sectors.

These sectors are integral to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Without it, development would be disrupted, hindering the prime minister's vision of a Smart Bangladesh by 2041. This initiative revives BASIS's efforts toward self-sufficiency in software and IT services.

BASIS Advocacy for Extension in Pre-Budget Discussions

During the pre-budget discussion with the honorable Prime Minister at the Gonobhaban on May 25, I emphasised the importance of extending the tax exemption for the IT sector.

BASIS also met with key figures, including State Minister for Finance Waseqa Ayesha Khan and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Kazi Nabil Ahmed to address this matter.

Future Goal: Bangladesh's Self-Sufficiency in ICT

Our future goal should be self-sufficiency in information technology. This budget sets the path to achieving it. Prioritising the domestic IT sector in government procurement is essential, and foreign institutions should partner with domestic ones if capacity is lacking for participating in the government tender.

As Bangladesh is set to become a developing country in 2026, we will face challenges. Establishing a recognised system of intellectual property valuation will help convert these challenges into opportunities, attracting foreign investment and enabling entrepreneurs to secure loans and investments from domestic banks.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

How can the women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh be well-equipped in the IT sector?

Committed to being 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041, rampant in every sphere of the country's operation is being redacted, ultimately leading the country to enjoy economic freedom and phylogenetic transcendence. In the era of globalization, the touch of information technology (IT) has highly practicable

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

How can the women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh be well-equipped in the IT sector?
TANJIM HASAN PATWARY
Published :
Jun 05, 2024 16:01
Updated :
Jun 05, 2024 16:01

Committed to being 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041, rampant in every sphere of the country's operation is being redacted, ultimately leading the country to enjoy economic freedom and phylogenetic transcendence.

In the era of globalization, the touch of information technology (IT) has highly practicable implications, ranging from personal life to national or cross-cultural applications, for necessity or to compete in the competitive world.

Women of Bangladesh engage themselves in all sorts of work, and acclimatization to AI is becoming critical, especially while doing business regarding women's entrepreneurship.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), in 2019-20 FY, the number of registered wholesale and retail businesses was more than 2.5 million, with more than 10 million male and almost 200 thousand female entrepreneurs.

Though the number is comparatively lower than that of male entrepreneurs, the percentage is in the upward position, and it increased to 829 per cent, compared with 2002-03 FY.

According to the Time Use Survey (TUS)—2021 report conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UN Women Bangladesh, 21.25 per cent of internet users were women, compared to 35.15 percent for men.

Though the survey reports regarding women are somewhat disappointing, the upward trend of women's engagement with trade is gradually increasing.

A friendly business environment for both men and women requires comprehending the portfolio of ventures and stretching to enhance profitability.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

ICT businesses concerned over tax waiver removal

Information technology sector leaders on Sunday expressed their concerns over some provisions in the proposed budget for the 2024-25 financial year, saying that the removal of tax exemptions for cloud services and IT process outsourcing could hamper the sector’s journey toward achieving...

www.newagebd.net

ICT businesses concerned over tax waiver removal
Staff Correspondent 09 June, 2024, 22:44

Information technology sector leaders on Sunday expressed their concerns over some provisions in the proposed budget for the 2024-25 financial year, saying that the removal of tax exemptions for cloud services and IT process outsourcing could hamper the sector's journey toward achieving self-reliance.

At a post-budget joint press conference held at the BASIS auditorium in the capital Dhaka, leaders of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services, Bangladesh Association of Contact Centre and Outsourcing, Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh and E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh sought policy support from the government to achieve self-reliance in this sector.

Finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali placed the proposed budget for the 2024-25 financial year before Jatiya Sangsad in the capital Dhaka on June 6.

BASIS president Russell T Ahmed urged the government to keep cloud services and web hosting tax-free to support the growth of local ICT service companies.

He also called for the reconsideration of the imposition of a 1-per cent import duty on capital equipment for high-tech park investors, urging the government to maintain the current duty-free status.

Russell thanked prime minister Sheikh Hasina for extending the tax exemption for the ICT sector for three years.

BACCO president Wahid Sharif criticised the proposal to increase supplementary duty on mobile SIM card usage by 5 per cent.

He also expressed concern over the removal of tax exemptions from sectors like cloud services, IT process outsourcing, medical transcription, search engine optimisation, system integration and NTTN services, saying that the initiative could negatively impact the ICT industry.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

Procure more domestic software to boost ICT sector: expert

At least 10 percent of the internal development budgets of all ministries and their affiliated bodies should be dedicated to the procurement of software and IT-enabled services (ITES) from domestic IT companies, according to Ahsan H Mansur, executive director at the Policy Research Institute of...

www.thedailystar.net

Procure more domestic software to boost ICT sector: expert

At least 10 percent of the internal development budgets of all ministries and their affiliated bodies should be dedicated to the procurement of software and IT-enabled services (ITES) from domestic IT companies, according to Ahsan H Mansur, executive director at the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh.

Limited procurement of domestic software by the government restricts the growth and international recognition of local companies, the economist said.

He said joint ventures could be formed to implement big IT projects undertaken by the government, bolstering the survival and recognition of local software companies.

Mansur made the remarks while presenting the keynote at a roundtable, titled "Importance of ICT for Economic Growth in Bangladesh", organised by the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) at its auditorium in Dhaka.

The ICT sector has emerged as the nucleus of industrial manufacturing and exporting, agricultural progression, and service sectors' uninterrupted quality delivery processes, he said.

"ICT, as a cross-cutting sector, is the cornerstone upon which the efficiency and productivity of all other sectors depend. As the nucleus of every industry, ICT enables streamlined operations, enhanced data management, and innovative solutions that drive economic growth and competitiveness."

Speaking about the challenges facing the ICT sector in Bangladesh, Mansur highlighted the lack of digital literacy and infrastructure.

He said there is a significant gap in digital literacy within the population, which hampers the effective utilisation of ICT tools and services.

The social and economic return from public investment in this area would be huge and would help address the problem of unemployment among the educated youth.

Such a measure would also increase incomes through freelance and inflow remittances and increase household income across the country in defiance of the rural-urban bias.

On the other hand, inadequate ICT infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, limits the reach and impact of digital services as it leads to unstable internet connections and unreliable power supply.

Reducing this would help bridge the rural-urban digital divide.

To bolster women's entrepreneurship in the ICT sector, he proposed to form a Tk 300 crore fund through which loans can be offered at modest interest rates of 2-5 percent.

Mansur also urged the government, finance ministry and Bangladesh Bank to look at the ICT sector in a new light.

"ICT comes with no tangible assets. Valuation of its intangible assets requires a different approach. And I think Bangladesh Bank needs to guide our commercial banks and financial institutions to come forward and help the ICT sector."

In addition, he said the central bank and government can allocate resources in the form of a revolving fund.

He also opined that Bangladesh should develop the capacity to produce 1 lakh highly-skilled ICT graduates every year.

"Prepare a roadmap for that, select the universities, review their curriculum and make it of global standards. Try to bring out the best Bangladeshi students through that system."

Russell T Ahmed, president of the BASIS, said developing skilled human resources is the most important step towards growing the sector.

The only raw materials of the ICT industry are human resources. Unfortunately, we must pay 27.5 percent tax and VAT for any training we avail from an ICT organisation.

"If that is withdrawn, we will be able to contribute more and Bangladeshi IT companies will perform wonders," he added.

M Rashidul Hasan, BASIS senior vice-president, and Syed Mohammad Kamal, vice-president, were also present.​

 

[Saif]

Logitech releases MK220 wireless Bangla keyboard and mouse combo

Logitech has launched the MK220 wireless Bangla keyboard and mouse combo in Bangladesh. The combo offers a compact keyboard and a mouse, both of which come with 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity that works up to 10 meters away, as per the company.

www.thedailystar.net

Logitech releases MK220 wireless Bangla keyboard and mouse combo

Logitech MK220

Logitech has launched the MK220 wireless Bangla keyboard and mouse combo in Bangladesh. The combo offers a compact keyboard and a mouse, both of which come with 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity that works up to 10 meters away, as per the company.

According to an official press release, this is the first Logitech wireless keyboard embedded in Bangla font (Bijoy layout). Logitech also states that the keyboard's battery can last up to 24 months, while the mouse's battery life can extend up to 12 months.

The keyboard and mouse combo works by plugging a USB receiver into the computer's USB port. It is compatible with Windows-based PCs and ChromeOS, as per Logitech.

The Logitech MK220 wireless Bangla keyboard and mouse combo is priced at BDT 2,249.​

 

[Saif]

Mobile internet speed must reach a face-saving level

MOBILE network operators have expanded their reach and improved their technological infrastructure, but they have, sadly, failed to maintain mobile internet...

www.newagebd.net

Mobile internet speed must reach a face-saving level
16 June, 2024, 00:07

MOBILE network operators have expanded their reach and improved their technological infrastructure, but they have, sadly, failed to maintain mobile internet speed. In Ookla's Speedtest Global Index for April, Bangladesh ranked in the 110th position in mobile internet speed, slightly up from the previous ranking, but not promising. The latest report shows that the average internet download speed was 23.83 Mbps, a slight decline from the 24.59 Mbps reported in March. In the Digital Quality of Life Index 2023, Bangladesh ranked in the 82nd out of 121 nations, 73 per cent slower than India. In May, the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority held a public hearing where users complained of poor network coverage, slow internet speed and 'unjust' balance deduction. The regulators mentioned an uneven distribution and an increasing building density as reasons for the poor speed and assured that they are working with city development authorities to include digital connectivity issues in the building code. That Bangladesh is still struggling to maintain the global average download speed makes it obvious that monitoring without a scientifically informed policy and proper network infrastructure will not guarantee internet speed.


Bangladesh's performance in broadband internet speed is equally disappointing. The Oakla report says that the median fixed broadband download speed for April was 46.52 Mbps, an increase from the previous report but still far from the global median internet speed. In November 2023, the capital city was ranked in the 140th position out of 172 cities with a median download speed of 17.8 Mbps. Global organisations also consider internet affordability, electronic infrastructure, electronic security and electronic government as fundamental pillars that define digital quality of life and the status of digital democracy. A government relying so heavily on the rhetoric of building a digital Bangladesh has not only restricted online spaces but also proved very slow in improving digital literacy. A recent study by the United Nations Children's Fund and the Bangladesh authorities reported that three-fourths of the 30.9 million youth do not have the expected level of digital skills and about 57.8 per cent are without the secondary-level skills needed for employment. Setting aside the issues of internet freedom and digital literacy, information and technology experts also blame the government for its flawed policy. Some experts term the telecommunications policy dysfunctional because only 20 per cent of mobile towers are plugged with fibre-optic cable in the 184 million-plus subscribers' market.

The statistical scenario of the quality of digital life in Bangladesh suggests that the government's claim about building a digital Bangladesh is largely unfounded. In reality, the government's strategy of digital governance is more focused on curtailing online freedom and expanding the reach than ensuring the quality of internet services. The government must, therefore, review its telecommunications policy and address the concerns.​

 

[Saif]

Reflecting on BD's IT sector potential & success

India's success in IT export, reaching $199 billion in 2024, has been a decisive inspiration factor for Bangladesh and many other less developed countries. In 2023, India's IT industry experienced over 11 per cent growth-expanding exports by almost $20 billion in a single year. With the success of

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Reflecting on BD's IT sector potential & success
M ROKONUZZAMAN
Published :
Jun 21, 2024 21:47
Updated :
Jun 21, 2024 21:47

Bangladesh has emerged as a vibrant hub of the ICT industry Photo : a2i.gov.bd Photo

India's success in IT export, reaching $199 billion in 2024, has been a decisive inspiration factor for Bangladesh and many other less developed countries. In 2023, India's IT industry experienced over 11 per cent growth-expanding exports by almost $20 billion in a single year. With the success of India, Bangladesh's dream of reaching $5 billion in exports and creating jobs for 1 million youths within the next few years appears to be a highly achievable target. Despite such an apparent possibility, there seems to be a high risk of meeting this target. One of the reasons is the repeated failure to meet targets over the last 25 years. Hence, it's time to reflect on the high gap between reality and apparent possibility.

COMMONLY CITED LIMITATIONS: At the dawn of the 21st century, commonly cited limitations included (i) lack of submarine cable connectivity, (ii) high power failure rate, (iii) scanty supply of computer science graduates, (v) high cost of Bandwidth, (vi) low internet penetration, and (vii) minimal IT expenditure of the government. Fortunately, despite these there has been significant progress in all these areas. For example, in addition to two submarine cables landing at the shore of Bangladesh, the country is connected to more than a dozen of submarine cables in India through terrestrial cables. The fibre optics network has been expanded to connect most areas of the country. On the other hand, number of graduates in computer science and engineering has crossed from less than a thousand in 2005 to over twenty-five thousand per year. To augment it further, the government provided training by recruiting foreign firms for many youths. Besides, government expenditure on IT has jumped from tens of millions to over a billion over the last 25 years. Similar progress has taken place in all other commonly cited areas. Despite this, why has Bangladesh not met the target that was set to reach twenty years ago?

There appears to be no strong correlation between the progress in addressing commonly cited limitations and the ground reality. Does it mean there has been a deficiency in understanding what it takes to develop software business and IT service export revenue? Hence, let's look into relevant issues further.

BARRIERS TO REPLICATING INDIA'S LINEAR MODEL: In the late 1980s, a window of remote IT service opened up due to the rapid progression of telecommunication, primarily due to VSAT connectivity and the sudden need to fix Y2K bugs. India was a forerunner in tapping this opportunity compared to other less developed countries. India changed several policies to allow private companies to install VSAT terminals to establish seamless connectivity with their overseas clients overnight. Besides, Motorola's software development operation in Bangalore demonstrated the possibilities. Hence, a wave of IT service delivery to American and foreign clients started taking off. Among others, struggling Infosys found a scalable growth path. The business model was plain and simple. Instead of sending graduates to client sites, connecting them remotely with VSAT terminals became a new business model. Unlike developing software, Infosys, Tata Consulting, and many others focused on training graduates and leasing them to foreign clients over the network, giving birth to the linear model.

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