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The government has taken an initiative to set up IT training and incubation centre in 14 districts as part of its efforts to transform the ICT sector into a major driving force of economy.
The move comes as the government has put more emphasis on creating a knowledge-based human resource to turn the nation into a middle-income country through Information Communication Technology development.
The Hi-tech Park Authority under the ICT Division will set up the IT training and incubation centres named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s eldest son Sheikh Kamal.
The ICT Division has proposed a Tk 11.15 billion project titled “Establishing Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre” to the Planning Commission for Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approval, the commission sources said.
The IT training and incubation centres will create infrastructural facilities to help operate businesses of IT and hi-tech industries in 14 districts, ICT Division says.
At the same time, it will establish a link between the IT industry and the academia, while it will be possible to bring the BPO sector in all the regions of the country on one platform, they added.
The proposed districts for the centres are Habiganj, Sunamganj, Narail, Dhaka, Tangail, Gopalganj, Sherpur, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Feni and Patuakhali.
The government has so far undertaken programme to set up 39 hitech parks across the country. Of them, work of setting up software technology, IT business, training and incubation centres has ended in seven places.
The setting up of IT parks at potential places can play a vital role in wooing foreign investment and creating jobs for huge number of unemployed youths as the parks will provide necessary infrastructure IT institutions.
Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) of the Planning Commission has already recommended for placing the proposal before the Ecnec meeting after the ICT division complied with the previous recommendation of PEC.
Once approved by Ecnec, Hitech Park Authority will implement the project by December 2026.
“It is a large project of ICT sector. A huge number of unemployed youth will be able to receive IT training from the centres” remarked Nasima Begum, Member of Socio-Economic Division of the Planning Commission.
As a result, IT institutions will get a good supply of necessary IT professionals from these centres, she said, adding that the youth received training from the centres will be able to work as freelancers while they will also be able to become an entrepreneur by dint of initiating startups.
Moreover, the IT institutions will flourish in the country as the incubation centres will create necessary infrastructure for the ICT sector. With the abundant supply of skilled workforce, the foreign will find investment in Bangladesh very lucrative, she explained.
Under the proposed scheme, incubation buildings with seven-storey foundation will be built at every centre alongside two-storey security building will be erected and necessary land acquisition and development will be carried out, among others.
(DS)
