The foundation of science and technology has been laid by Bangabandhu: Palak

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak said the foundation of a science-minded and technology-based Bangladesh was laid by the hands of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. When no one even thought of Digital Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led the country in that direction. And under the direction of Sajib Wazed Joy, Bangladesh has been transformed into  the Digital Bangladesh ahead of schedule. The state minister was speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled ‘Historical Leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Development of the Country on Golden Jubilee’ organized by Information and Communication Technology Department at Bangladesh Computer Council auditorium here on Thursday. Senior Secretary of the Department of Information and Communication Technology NM Zeaul Alam presided over the event. Executive Director of the Bangladesh Computer Council. Md. Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, Director General of Digital Security Agency Md. Khairul Amin, Director General of Information and Communication Technology Department Md. Rezaul Makshud Jahedi, Controller of Certifying Authorities Abu Sayeed Chowdhury spoke among others on the event. President of Bangla Academy and eminent writer Selina Hossain was present as the chief guest of the program. At that time, she said, Bangabandhu inspired the Bengalis for independence by igniting the essence of his consciousness, the place of all his pursuits from the language movement to the war of liberation. He termed our country as East Bengal, not East Pakistan. He used to sing Amar Sonar Bangla song and with its melody and emotion he would inspire patriotism and talk about realizing rights in his speech. His originality was to inspire and brighten the country with passion and patriotism.   Mentioning that Bangabandhu has enlightened himself in the consciousness of the people, he further said that he was a believer in the economy of equality though not in communism. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed said Bangabandhu had gifted the newly independent Bangladesh the basic constitution of the state in just 10 months. There are still many independent countries in the world whose constitutions have not been drafted. He said the constitution had protected the five basic rights of food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care as the responsibility of the state. Besides, the educationist Kudrat-e-Khuda was given the responsibility to formulate an education policy to make every citizen of the country a golden man in order to build a golden Bengal in Bangladesh. He set up a satellite center at Betbunia. During his time Bangladesh became a member of the International Telecommunication Union. He further said that Bangabandhu had formulated a five-year plan to build Bangladesh as a developed, prosperous and golden Bengal. But the defeated assassins of '71, as part of a domestic and foreign conspiracy, thwarted Bangabandhu's dream of building a golden Bengal. For 21 years from 1975 to 1996, Bangladesh without Bangabandhu could not reach its destination like a ship without sailors, rather moved backwards. Palak said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the visionary Prime Minister of Digital Bangladesh, announced in 2008 that Bangladesh would be an IT-based digital Bangladesh in 2021. Many could not believe it then. With honesty, courage and foresight, in just 13 years, she has turned a  country availing 40 percent electricity into a country with 100 percent electricity. With 5.6 million Internet users, the Broadband Connectivity has reached up to Union level by dint of the ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy's timely planning and advice. At present the number of internet users stands at 13 crore. Due to technological advances, it has been possible to keep the judicial work including health, education, agriculture, trade and commerce going on during the Corona period. At present Bangladesh is a role model of development in the world. The state minister said Bangabandhu gave us the gift of independence by leading the bloody liberation war in 24 years step by step starting from language, culture and education movement. After independence, Bangabandhu revived war-torn Bangladesh in just three and a half years by reviving roads, bridges, culverts, railways and ports. Inspired by the ideals of Bangabandhu, he called upon all to devote themselves to building an innovative Bangladesh by utilizing the power of technology.