The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

A seminar titled 'Current States and Capability of Software/ITES Industry in Bangladesh' was held on May 12 in Tokyo, Japan.

The seminar was co-organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the BIK Japan (newly established business bridging organisation) and the UNICO International Cooperation. In addition, the seminar was officially supported by the Embassy of Bangladesh.

The seminar was attended by Asraf-ud-Doula, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan as the chief guest, while the JICA dispatched its Vice President Seiichi Nagatsuka as special guest.

Mohammad Islam Halim, Assistant Director of Export Promotion Bureau of Bangladesh (EPB) and Rafiqul Islam Rowly, President, Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) were also present at the seminar as guest speakers.

Eighty-nine audiences participated in the seminar on behalf of 71 Japanese companies, which is a remarkable fact in Japan where Bangladeshi software/ITES industry is virtually unknown. Thirteen Bangladeshi software-based companies joined the seminar and they made brief presentations introducing their own companies.

The participants and the whole seminar marked that the high technology levels and technical skills of Bangladeshi software/ITES companies with a very strong cost competitiveness though the software/ITES industry in Bangladesh is almost unknown in Japan. It is strongly hoped that the seminar will be a starting point for establishment of business communications among software/ITES industries between Bangladesh and Japan.

Mamoru Yasui, an expert of JICA study team, explained in detail about the status of software /ITES industry based on his study among 42 Bangladeshi software companies. He mentioned that the level of technologies and process management of Bangladeshi software companies were at the level that can meet the international standards.

He also emphasised on the cost competitiveness of Bangladeshi software/ITES industry compared to those in China, India and Vietnam. He found least electricity supply is the major constraints for software/ITES companies of Bangladesh.

Later, Rowly and Halim introduced roles of the BASIS playing in making Bangladesh an alternative outsourcing destination, especially how the BASIS tries to enhance capacity of software /ITES human resource, which is the most potential asset that the country possesses. They presented the support that the Bangladesh government offers to software /ITES industry in Bangladesh.

Lastly, all the Bangladeshi companies made presentations to introduce their companies. These companies participated in the pilot project to establish software/ITES export marketing system in Japan .

The pilot project is being implemented under the JICA's Master Plan Study titled 'Study on Sub-Sector Growth for Export Diversification in the People's Republic of Bangladesh' which has been undertaken by the UNICO International Cooperation since February 2007. It is worth to mention that JICA is implementing another pilot project to improve jute sector in Bangladesh.

The seminar incorporated lectures and discussions on method of planning for the Bangladeshi software/ITES companies to strengthen their sales and marketing capacity in the Japanese market.