CTO Forum Bangladesh has expressed interest in working at various levels of the government to implement the Smart Bangladesh vision. The organization called for strategic digital infrastructure to be developed so that citizens can get smart citizen benefits apart from internet. Highlighted Smart Bangladesh: Vision and Reality.
The new committee of CTO Forum Bangladesh appeared at the press conference held at the National Press Club on Wednesday to highlight the role of the organization in building a smart society. At the beginning, the new committee members were introduced in the banner. Then in the speech phase, the voice of the new committee members echoed that the CTOs of the professionals were neglected in the smart journey of the country. However, CTO Forum Secretary General Arfe Elahi Manik highlighted the call from the organization for collective efforts to solve the problems in inclusive development. That is why they are working to develop smart human resources, he said.
CTO Forum Vice President Brigadier General (Retired) Dr. Salim; Joint General Secretary, Md Asif, Finance Secretary Mohammad Musa, Executive Members Suparna Roy, Nahida Akhtar and Md Fazle Munim spoke in the press conference.
CTO Forum President Tapan Kanti Sarkar presided over the press conference. In his speech, he said that the professional staff of CTO Forum will work for business growth and work efficiency development. He said, our efforts will continue to build a fraternal smart society in addition to creating smart citizens in various events including hackathons, roundtable meetings. This time we will connect the media closely with us.
In a written statement, Tapan Kanti Sarkar said that the government wants to make Bangladesh a smart Bangladesh, where people will be smart. Everyone will learn to do everything online. The economy will be e-economy, where the entire financial management will be done by digital devices. Our education, health, employment’ will all be through e-governance. Digital devices will be used in everything including e-education and e-health. We will be able to do this by 2041 and work is underway with that in mind. The more young people learn to use digital devices, the faster they can move the country forward. Initiatives have been taken to train the youth in various aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Specialized labs will be set up in every university of the country. In the fourth industrial revolution, We are seeing a lot of things being printed from 3D printers and being brought forward. However, this aspect of the system will remain a challenge for fundamental change.
Earlier, in his welcome speech, Md. Arfe Elahi Manik said, “We have worked as Digital Soldier of Digital Bangladesh.” We are now working to build Smart Bangladesh as per the instructions of our honorable Prime Minister. We are working with ICT Department, BASIS, a2i, Hi-Tech Park Authority, Bangladesh Computer Council, MOPT, BTRC and many other public and private sectors with our volunteer services in digital transformation.
Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. Salim said that any plan, master plan or vision becomes a powerful tool for economic and social transformation only when it includes targeted specific implementable programs. The brightest example in front of us is Digital Bangladesh. Vision Plan 2010-21 was formulated to achieve the goal of building Digital Bangladesh, the main thrust of Vision 2021. Due to the implementation of various programs in the light of this vision plan and the Seventh Five Year Plan, the construction of Digital Bangladesh has been incredibly successful. Even the traditional government service system since the British period is gradually changing and many services including government procurement are now available online.
Joint General Secretary, Professor Dr. Dip Nandy said CTO Forum has conducted many hackathons for innovative solutions to address national needs. This forum can do a lot about this. This is because this forum also has its professional network with universities. CTO Forum is connected with many ICT communities worldwide, so we can help our country in international technology localization. Initiatives have been taken to train the youth in various aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Specialized labs will be set up in every university of the country.
Joint General Secretary Md. Asif said, CTO Forum Bangladesh is a non-profit and non-political professional forum of ICT leaders of Bangladesh. The forum is acting as a collaborative force to help government and public leaders in the ICT sector at the national level. It aims to support the public and private sector through a knowledge bank created by the forum’s 400 members.
Mohammad Musa, Finance Secretary of the Forum, said Bangladesh is moving forward. Presently the per capita income is about 3000 dollars. Inauguration of Metrorail and Padma Bridge are both development milestones. Successfully combating corona epidemic, education, communication infrastructure, gas, electricity, women education, 100% increase in salary of employees, health care, achieving self-sufficiency in food production, backward communities under social programs, helpless, elderly, widows, disabled persons, support of divorced women, autism The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government has played a major role in the overall development of various sectors, including providing assistance to poor freedom fighters, shelter projects, one house and one farm project, women’s empowerment and so on.
Mr. Suparna Roy, executive member of the forum said that the government wants to make Bangladesh a smart Bangladesh, where people will be smart. Everyone will learn to do everything online. The economy will be e-economy, where the entire money management will be done on digital devices. Our education, health, employment’ will all be through e-governance. Digital devices will be used in everything including e-education and e-health.
Md. Fazle Munim, executive member of the forum, said that Sheikh Hasina, the successful statesman of Bangladesh, is the author of numerous black and white achievements, including building digital Bangladesh and revolutionizing the ICT sector, making Bangladesh the top in South Asia and the fifth place in the world due to outstanding success in fighting the corona epidemic, and including the country in the ranks of the developing world. Although post-corona situation is a global problem, the world is currently affected by the stress caused by the Ukraine-Russia war. Bangladesh is not out of it.
