The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M A Malek in charge of Post and Telecommunication Ministry yesterday urged all to promote ICTs' user-friendly environment to ensure its benefits and opportunities to all including people with disabilities.

He informed that a countrywide ICT infrastructure was being developed to ensure access to information for all and facilitate empowerment of the people.

"Telecommunication projects are now considered with extreme care despite limitations," he added.

He was addressing a function held in observance of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day-2008 at the Dhaka Sheraton hotel. Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar, in charge of Science, Information and Communication Technology Ministry, addressed as special guest at the function.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Maj Gen (Retd) Manzurul Alam delivered the welcome speech. Chairman of Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) Asraful Alam also spoke on the occasion.

Prof Dr Saiful Islam of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), presented the keynote paper.

This year the theme of the day is "Connecting Persons with Disabilities: ICT Opportunities for all"

M A Malek said if we could provide Internet facilities to all sections of people including those living in rural areas job opportunities for them would be enhanced.

He said the government has constituted a high-powered ICT Task Force. The government ICT policy aims at building an ICT-driven nation and knowledge-based society.

A new project namely Project Infobahon is going to be implemented soon. Under the project, a high-speed strong data backbone would be created which will cover areas under the divisional headquarters excluding Barisal. It will make broadband data/internet services easily available to mass people, he added. He further said the government is trying to use total capacity of the submarine cable soon at a minimum cost. We can use only 20 to 50 per cent of the total capacity of the link, he noted.

Manik Lal Samaddar said it was essential to ensure ICTs facilities to all. ICTs could a powerful role for the development of the society by promoting trade locally and internationally, he observed.

Manzur Alam said the disabled people might develop their latent talents and overcome their disabilities with the help of the newly innovated ICTs.