Kingdom to set up high-tech ICT park in Bangladesh

The Kingdom will set up a high-tech information and communications technology park in Bangladesh, according to one of four agreements signed in the presence of Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Telecommunications and IT Khalid bin Fares Al-Otaibi in Dhaka, Bangladesh last week.

A high-powered Saudi delegation headed by Al-Otaibi was in Dhaka to attend the Digital World 2016, which was initiated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Wednesday. The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the three-day conference.
Speaking from Dhaka, Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi told Arab News that the Kingdom’s participation in the digital conference is not only an honor for his country, but it also enhances the cooperation of the two countries in the ICT field. 
Moshi said that under the agreements, there will be new areas of bilateral cooperation in ICT fields, expatriate welfare, telemedicine, immigration and labor recruitment.
As a result of the new agreements, the envoy said there will be increased interaction between IT professionals of both countries to enhance better understanding of the needs of the ICT sector and IT services. 
He pointed out that Bangladesh will have over 2 million people working in the ICT sector by 2025 and the foreign exchange earnings from this sector is expected to exceed $5 billion.
By 2025, the envoy said, 34 million enterprises will be established in the e-commerce sector by small and medium entrepreneurs. E-commerce will not be only city-centric, rather it will grow up in the villages of Bangladesh.
The other areas of cooperation that will be realized under the agreements include setting up of a cement factory, paper mills and the introduction of a new service to carry cargo to and from Dhaka by air freight at lower costs, according to Al-Rajhi Company General Director Yusuf Al-Rajhi. 
Inaugurating the show, Sheikh Hasina said that steps will be taken so that none can commit crimes by using digital facilities
“Some problems linked to security have been created with digitization, and for this, our capability of cybersecurity will have to be enhanced … we will have to stay alert so that security of the financial sector and secret issues is not hampered in any way,” the premier said while inaugurating the “Digital World 2016? at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka.
A ministerial conference was held in the presence of ICT ministers from eight countries and Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the adviser to the government of Bangladesh on information and communication technology. 
At the beginning of the seminar, Joy presented the keynotes on the success of the ICT sector in Bangladesh and the potential for investment in this sector. He also asked all to invest in the ICT sector in Bangladesh.
The prime minister also mentioned the role of her ICT affairs adviser and son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in building Digital Bangladesh. “He is the main architect of the implementation of Digital Bangladesh,” she added.
In recognition of his contribution, Joy received the ICT for Development Award 2016.
Referring to her government’s steps for enacting the Digital Security Act 2016, the premier said under the law, the government would set up a world standard forensic lab, constitute a cyber security agency, and establish cyber incidents response teams and a high-level digital security council.
Over 200 speakers including 43 from organizations such as Microsoft, Facebook, the World Bank, ZTE and Huawei took part in 18 sessions.

Source: Arab News