ESCAP coming up as a sandbox partner of ICT department

United Nations Economic and Social Development Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will work closely to establish an observational sandbox in the ICT department of Bangladesh to enhance the capacity of women entrepreneurs and facilitate Fintech, and cross-border trade, especially simplifying the paperless trade with the small entrepreneur. The decision was taken at a bilateral meeting between UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of State for ICT in Bangladesh. The decision was taken at a bilateral meeting following the release of the Startup Ecosystem Assessment Report for Bangladesh on Tuesday at the company's headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Mohammad Abdul Hai, UN Trade Investment and Innovation (TIID) Director Ms. Sushree Rupa Chanda, IDD Director Ms. Tijiana Bonapes, Deputy Heads of Sub-Regional Offices for South and South West Ms. Rajan Ratna, Senior Govt. Minister Syed Rashedul Hossain, Ms. Marta Perez Cuso, Associate Economic Officer Benjamin McCarthy, Councilor (Political) Md. Masumur Rahman, Ms. Dayamayi Chakraborty and Deputy Councilor Nirjhar Adhikari attended the meeting. During the meeting, UN Under-Secretary-General Mrs. Armida Salsiah Alisahbana described Bangladeshi entrepreneurs as one of the most important sources of innovation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He said that as the entrepreneurs of Bangladesh are achieving unprecedented growth in various sectors, now is the right time to strengthen the overall ecosystem of innovation culture to sustain this growth. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said the government has already taken the issue seriously, adding that it has already launched the Global Standard Acceleration Program through Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development Protect to take 1000 startups to world class standard by 2025. And more than $100 million in venture capital equity and grants to develop these potential entrepreneurs. Earlier, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), visited Thailand on a two-day bilateral visit from Singapore. During the visit, he pointed out the steps and achievements in the field of ICT by this government in 13 years, while met the Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chayuth Thanakamaniusaran; President of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Ut Eden Woods and Executive Secretary of the Government of the United Nations Headquarters of the United Nations, Armida Salatiya. In celebration of the golden jubilee of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Thailand, Palak called upon all concerned to further enhance cooperation in the ICT sector of the two countries. The meeting further enhanced the cooperation of the Ministry of Information Technology with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT); Scholarships for graduate and post-graduate degrees in various fields of ICT was also discussed with due importance. During the visit, the Minister of State for ICT Bangladesh participated in a session titled "Future of Innovation in Bangladesh and Opportunities for Global Collaboration" organized by AIT's Entrepreneur Center E (AIT). He is scheduled to return home today at the end of the tour.