Tarique Rahman Promises Free Wi-Fi, PayPal Access and Active IT Parks
BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman has assured young people that his party will work to activate IT parks across the country, introduce advertisement-supported free Wi-Fi internet services, bring international payment gateway PayPal to Bangladesh, and create a conducive policy and regulatory environment for technology companies such as semiconductor firms to operate in the country.
He made these assurances on the morning of January 22 while speaking to local youth at a programme titled “The Plan – Youth Policy Talk”, held at Sylhet Alia Madrasa ahead of the launch of BNP’s election campaign through a public rally. His wife Zubaida Rahman, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, among others, were present at the event.
The hour-long interactive session was attended by students from various universities and colleges in Sylhet. During the discussion, Tarique Rahman spoke about his “I Have a Plan” vision, which he announced after returning to the country following 17 years abroad.
The final question posed to him at the event focused on his plans for the ICT sector. In response, Tarique Rahman said the party would work to resolve uninterrupted internet connectivity issues faced by young professionals working in the IT sector. Referring to developments during the previous authoritarian government, he said that large buildings had been constructed in the name of IT parks in various parts of the country, but many of them were either being used as community centres or had remained closed.
“We want to activate these spaces,” he said. “For those engaged in IT-related work, we will provide working spaces with free Wi-Fi facilities at these locations.”
Highlighting ongoing efforts to facilitate easier repatriation of freelancers’ earnings, Tarique Rahman said initiatives were underway to remove long-standing payment-related complications. “To ensure smooth payments, we have already invited PayPal to come to Bangladesh,” he said. In addition, he announced plans to introduce free Wi-Fi internet services at important public places within cities, such as cafeterias, libraries, schools, and colleges.
He explained that experimental projects had already begun in some locations. “It may not be entirely free, but users will not have to pay directly,” he said. “To connect to the free internet, users will need to watch an advertisement for one to one-and-a-half minutes after logging in. After a fixed period, the session will log out, and users will need to log in again. Ultimately, nothing is completely free.” He further added that policies and an enabling environment would be developed to attract IT companies, including those in the semiconductor sector, to operate in Bangladesh.
At the beginning of his speech, Tarique Rahman reflected on long-standing infrastructural challenges. He recalled that in 2005, it took him around five hours to travel from Dhaka to Sylhet to distribute flood relief. “Yesterday, my car took nearly nine hours to reach Sylhet,” he said, noting that it does not take that long to travel from Sylhet to London. “There are many such issues. I will respond to all of them.”
He also touched on healthcare and business practices, stating that while intermediaries would remain part of business operations, the government must be strict in curbing unethical practices. To improve service quality, he emphasized that all sectors would be advanced through public-private partnership initiatives.
DBTech/SM/BTA/OR
