The overall activities of the ICT department are centered on technology and the young generation. As a part of this, the Startup Bangladesh under ICT department has invested BDT 17 crores to 8 innovative initiatives.
The investment agreement was signed in the second phase of the ‘Shato Borshe Shoto Asha’ (Hundred Hopes in 100th year) investment initiative at the ICT department’s conference center on Wednesday. Sami Ahmed, Managing Director of Startup Bangladesh, signed the agreement as an investor. On the other hand, among those who have received investment are Ayman Sadiq, founder of Ten Minute School, Tanvir Alim, chairman of Frontier Nutrition, Mahmudul Hasan Likhan, Managing Director of Hello Task, Fahad Ifaz, CEO of iPharma, Rajeeb Das, CEO of Loop, Riasat Chowdhury, CEO of Shuttle, Enayet Rashid, the Foundef CEO of Truck Lagbe, Managing Director Jantrik Mohtasim Mahmoud Al-Faruk Shuvo signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.
Earlier, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, speaking as the chief guest at the investment event, said that Startup Bangladesh would fulfill the latent hopes and dreams of the young generation. Through this, the smart Bangladesh dream of the Prime Minister will be realized.
Noting that 2,050 startups have created employment for 2 million people in the country so far and brought in 700 million foreign investments; He expressed hope that by 2025, these startups will create employment for 3 million people in the country. The ICT department will do its utmost to establish 5 more startups like bKash as billion dollar companies. Pathao and ShopUp will become a billion dollar company shortly.
In order to establish the country in a knowledge and innovation based economy, potential assignments of students will be implemented in every university through Unibator. Digital centers will provide employment to 5 lakh youth in 64 districts of the country.
Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan, Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council Dr. Abdul Mannan, Additional Secretary Dr. Khandaker Azizul Islam and BACCO President Wahid Sharif spoke on the event while the Startup Bangladesh Managing Director Sami Ahmed Presided over the ceremony.
In 2019, the government approved Startup Bangladesh Limited. Its capital was BDT 500 crores. On the occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh and the centenary of the birth of Bangabandhu, the ICT department started working under ‘Shato Borshe Shoto Asha’ (Hundred Hopes in 100th year) Project with a target of investing BDT 100 crores in 50 innovative initiatives by this year. In the first phase, BDT 15 crore was invested in 7 companies last year.