Dhaka plans to train 10,000 IT programmers every year
Friday, 27 March 2009, 23:13 IST
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Dhaka: Bangladesh plans to train 10,000 programmers a year by introducing compulsory IT education at the high school level by 2013 and for primary students by 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced. The present capacity is 2,500 IT programmers annually. "If we can educate a portion of the population in information and communication technology (ICT), they can get employment at home and abroad," she said while opening BCS Digital Expo-2009 here Thursday. "Digital Bangladesh by 2021" was one of the major poll promises made by her Awami League party in the run up to the ninth general election last December. Hasina said Bangladesh's major problem "is illiteracy, not population". She said they were keen to introduce e-governance and now plan to make all procurement through 'e-tender' to check corruption. The country's dependence on a single submarine cable connection has led to frequent disruptions. Hasina said her government was working to connect the country with another submarine cable soon. Hasina said her government prioritises the ICT sector. But the sector's progress was hindered as the previous Awami League government's programmes were discontinued by the Khaleda Zia government that followed it. "There should be a continuation of a work, no matter which government comes to power. It is unfortunate for the nation that some of our IT-related initiatives had been discontinued," the prime minister said. Hasina said she was aware that power crisis remains one of the major hurdles for the development of ICT sector. The government is trying to ease the power crisis as early as possible but it will take time, she said. ICT stakeholders also placed a list of demands before Hasina, The Daily Star reported Friday. Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said the present government would ensure that all the sectors reap the benefit of information technology.
Source: IANS
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