BCS Urges Digital Drive as BNP Prepares to Form Government
In the 13th National Parliamentary Election held on February 12, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a landslide victory with a two-thirds majority. Preparations are underway for the formation of a new government on February 17, with party Chairman Tarique Rahman set to be sworn in as Prime Minister.
Amid this political transition, expectations are rising over the future direction of the country’s science, technology, and telecommunications sectors. The previous government’s 15-year tenure under the “Digital Bangladesh” vision faced various controversies, including allegations of money laundering and corruption, as well as questions over project selection, implementation gaps, and cost efficiency—issues highlighted in two anticipated white papers on the sector.
In this context, President of the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), Mohammad Zahurul Islam, has called on the incoming government to prioritize the improvement of digital infrastructure and the strengthening of cybersecurity measures.
In a reaction shared with Digibanglatech on Monday, February 16, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, he said that enhancing digital infrastructure and reinforcing cybersecurity in the science, technology, and telecom sectors is now critically important. As digital services continue to expand, cyber risks are also increasing rapidly, he noted.
The business leader, who is also the Managing Director of Smart Technologies (BD) Ltd.—one of the country’s largest ICT firms—emphasized the need for policy support, tax incentives, and export benefits to make the domestic software and IT industry more competitive in global markets.
According to him, high tax rates, expensive spectrum pricing, and policy uncertainty in the telecom sector are discouraging investment. He stressed the importance of formulating long-term and stable policies. At the same time, he underscored the need to increase investment in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud computing, and innovative research to leverage the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“From the perspective of the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), we expect the government to consider the private sector as a partner and ensure active stakeholder engagement in policymaking,” he said, expressing optimism about the new administration.
Mohammad Zahurul Islam also called for strengthening ICT skills within the education system, facilitating easier financing in the startup ecosystem, and accelerating the full digital transformation of government services.
“We believe that with visionary leadership and coordinated policies, the science, technology, and telecom sectors can transform Bangladesh into a knowledge-based, innovative, and export-oriented economy,” he added.
Business leaders further indicated that they expect the new government to adopt inclusive policies and create a balanced commercial environment to develop Bangladesh’s ICT and telecom sectors into export-driven industries.
DBTech/MAR/MUM/OR
