Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar has said that the days of the third industrial revolution are over and the world is now moving towards the fifth industrial revolution by combining human society with artificial intelligence, robotics, big data or blockchain technology in the ongoing fourth industrial revolution. We have to prepare ourselves now for the fifth industrial revolution. We will not offer ourselves into the hands of robots or machines. Machines will not be human substitutes. We will not replace people with machines, but we must use machines as our helpers. To this end, every student has to acquire digital skills along with conventional education. You do not have to be an expert in digital technology for this. However, everyone must have the minimum skills to operate a digital device. Although these skills are not mentioned in the textbook, you have to acquire these skills at your own initiative. He called upon all concerned including teachers and students to come forward for this purpose.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a virtual discussion on ‘Bangabandhu’s Inspiration for the Advancement of Information Technology’ organized by Barisal University on Thursday (February 3).
The Minister for Posts and Telecommunications said that besides rebuilding the war-torn country, Kudrat-e Khuda Education Commission was formed, technical education was expanded, 26,000 primary schools were nationalized, textbooks were distributed free of cost, T&T board was formed, ITU and UPU membership was obtained He mentioned that Bangabandhu has sown the seeds of digital Bangladesh. He said that the establishment of Sonar Bangla was killed by killing Bangabandhu. He said that the place where today’s Bangladesh has reached in 2022 would have been possible in the eighties if Bangabandhu had survived. He said, “I have studied the biographies of the best legends of politics, economics and technology but a multidimensional life like Bangabandhu is incomparable.”
Calling on the new generation of students to build themselves by following Bangabandhu’s thoughts, lifestyle and ideals, the Minister said, “Not everyone will be a politician. If we can study Bangabandhu, it is possible to establish ourselves as victorious people by overcoming many chapters of life.” He reminded the computer science students, “The work you are doing is intellectual property. We have to be vigilant to protect these resources.
This pioneer in the development of digital technology, citing the Digital Bangladesh program announced in 2008 as a reality in 2021, said that people are already reaping the benefits in every field, starting from vegetable sellers to education and health.
He said that eight years before the concept of the fourth industrial revolution was unveiled in the world, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the Digital Bangladesh program and established Bangladesh as the first digital country in the world.
In the continuation of this, in the last 13 years, overcoming the backwardness of the past hundreds of years, Bangladesh has gained the ability to keep pace with the developed world in digital technology. “We have not only kept our way of life alive in the pandemic, but we have also been able to establish Bangladesh as an example to the world in terms of growth,” he said. He added that the seed of Digital Bangladesh was sown by by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina between 1996 and 2001. As a result of this step, computers, mobile phones have reached the reach of people. Opportunities to create computer programmers in the country have revolutionized technology education, The introduction of the Internet through V-SAT opens the door to the development and use of technology. Describing the new generation of students as gems, the minister said, “You are the golden people that Bangabandhu wanted.” You will build Bangabandhu’s golden Bengal and this is digital Bangladesh.
Barisal University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Md. Sadekul Arefin presided over the ceremony while UGC member Prof. Dr. Sajjad Hossain and Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Barisal University Dr. Md. Manzur Ahmed spoke. The speakers highlighted Bangabandhu’s work plan for the establishment of Sonar Bangla.