Khaleda Zia Hosts Bill Gates in 2005, Paving Bangladesh’s IT Path

Exactly two decades ago, on 5 December 2005, Microsoft Corporation’s then Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates visited Dhaka and met the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at her office. During the meeting, he assured Bangladesh of supplying low-cost software to curb piracy and supporting human resource development in the information technology sector.

Following the meeting, Gates attended the signing ceremony of the ‘Partners-in-Learning’ agreement between Microsoft and the Ministry of Education. After his courtesy call on the ailing premier at Evercare Hospital, he expressed strong interest in expanding Microsoft’s investments in Bangladesh. Gates told Khaleda Zia that the country’s business-friendly environment—particularly its IT sector—had impressed him deeply.

He also praised the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to establishing the Asian University for Women in Chattogram and announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would provide US$15 million for the project. The meeting was attended by Science and ICT Minister Dr. Moin Khan, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, and several other ministers.

Later, Gates held further discussions with Finance Minister M. Saifur Rahman, Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Education Minister Osman Farruk, Science and ICT Minister Moin Khan, and Board of Investment Executive Chairman Mahmudur Rahman regarding future Microsoft investments in Bangladesh’s IT sector.

At a press briefing and public gathering the same day, Gates announced that Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows Vista and Office 12 would include Bangla language support. He assured the introduction of a Bangla Unicode operating system for local Windows users, clarifying that it would not conflict with the Indian Bangla version.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Gates was received by then Science and Technology Minister Dr. Abdul Moin Khan. His nearly 12-hour visit brought fresh enthusiasm to Bangladesh’s technology sector. By the following year, Windows officially enabled Bangla typing.

During his first visit to Bangladesh, Gates not only pledged US$15 million for women’s education and support for ICT training for teachers and students but also toured various projects of icddr,b and BRAC.

In his presentation titled “Innovation and Partnership,” Gates announced the decision to supply low-cost software to deter the use of pirated programs in Bangladesh. He reiterated this commitment while responding to questions from IT industry leaders.

In a statement, Gates said, “I am pleased to see this progress in emerging markets like Bangladesh, which will help reduce the digital divide and drive the growth of the software industry.”

At the time, Education Minister Osman Farruk told the BBC that according to the agreement with Microsoft, 10,000 teachers and 200,000 students would be trained between 2005 and 2008.

Microsoft opened its Bangladesh office in 2004.

DBTech/IH/OR