BNP Pledges Depoliticization and Deregulation of ICT Sector
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has pledged that, if elected to power, it will not politicize the country’s ICT sector. Instead, the party aims to unlock the immense potential of the sector by breaking away from excessive regulatory control and allowing business organizations greater autonomy in managing their operations.
BNP Standing Committee Member and former Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury made this statement as the chief guest at a discussion meeting and Iftar gathering organized by the United ICT Forum (UIF) on Thursday at Gulshan Club in the capital. The event was presided over by UIF Convener and Chief Organizer Faisal Alim and attended by Zahir Uddin Swapan, former BNP Media Cell Convener and Adviser to the BNP Chairperson; Rafiqul Islam Rowly, former President of BASIS; Shafkat Haider Chowdhury, Chairman of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Council for Communications and ICT; and Asif Rabbani, Chairman of the International Gateway (IGW) Operators Forum (IOF), among others.
During the event, business leaders urged the caretaker government to ensure investment security and implement business-friendly policies for local ICT investors.
Responding to these concerns, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury stated, "You must ensure that the ICT sector remains free from political influence. I can assure you that we have no intention of politicizing this sector. Our goal is to create an environment where the sector’s immense potential can be fully realized."
He further emphasized, "Technology, particularly AI, is the future of Bangladesh. Other sectors do not yield such immediate returns. The ICT sector evolves rapidly, and it should be facilitated rather than overly regulated. However, the problem with our government is that it acts more as a regulator than a facilitator. That is why I can confidently say, ‘We will go for serious deregulation and liberalization in the ICT sector.’"
Prominent attendees included former BASIS President Rashedul Islam, former Senior Vice President of ISPAB Saiful Islam Siddique, BACCO President Tanvir Ibrahim, BIJF President Hitler A Halim, and ICT Forum members Riyad Hansonain, Shohibur Rahman Khan Rana, Rafsanjani Samir, Zia Ashraf, Nazneen Nahar, and Shaima Shawkat.
In his welcome speech, UIF Convener Faisal Alim alleged that Tk 3,500 crore had been embezzled from the ICT sector during the previous government’s tenure, with no proper account of expenditures. He further claimed that a single company had been awarded 121 projects and that a2i had turned into a hub for corruption. He concluded by stating that the United ICT Forum was formed to rectify these wrongs and restore integrity to the sector.
