An ‘IT Park’ is being set up in the area adjacent to Jhilmil in Keraniganj on the banks of Buriganga. The IT Park has been designed to resemble a water lily- the national flower of Bangladesh. The park is being built with the funding of India. The construction work will done by LNT, a contractor firm in India.
The foundation stone of the park was laid on Tuesday. State Minister for Energy and Power Nasrul Hamid Bipu was the chief guest at the ground breaking ceremony presided over by State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak. Indian Ambassador to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami was the special guest at the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, Managing Director, Hi-Tech Park Authority, said that the construction work of the IT Park in Keraniganj will be completed by 2023 under the project of setting up 12 hi-tech parks at district level with Indian loan assistance.
Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Shahidul Islam, Superintendent of Police Maruf Hossain and Upazila Chairman Shahin Ahmed among others were present on the occasion.
Before laying the foundation stone, two state ministers and ambassadors planted trees in front of the planned IT Park building. The national anthems of Bangladesh and India were performed before the speeches.
Speaking in a mixture of Bengali and English, Vikram Kumar Doraiswami hoped that the project would be an important step in India-Bangladesh cooperation in the IT sector and would further enhance the economic partnership between the two countries. He said the project is a unique initiative looking forward to the future. I would like to thank all those involved in taking this project forward even during the month of Ramadan. I believe that it will become a hub for young Bangladesh in digital business. I hope to visit this park a few times even after I retire.
After the speech of Doraiswami was over, laptops were handed over to the winners of the Learning and Earning project. Hafizur Rahman, Sharif Mahmud, Chinmoy Gain, Hanif Mia, Jannatul Mawa Lakshmi, Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Jannatul Islam Tania, Farhana Akhter Lopa, Panna Fatema, Rabia Akhter, Priyanka Akhter Rupali, Mohona Aktar Lisa and Sania Mizan received laptops from the guests one by one.
Then, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the state minister for ICT spoke as the chairman of the occasion. In his speech Palak said, “We will build a seven storey multi-talented building here on four acres of land at a cost of Tk 200 crore. There will be BPO floor, plug-in play, cyber cafe, startup floor, training and incubation and special arrangements for research and development and a 250-seat cineplex. All in all, a work environment and recreation center will be created here which will become a role model in Keraniganj, Bangladesh.
The state minister for ICT also mentioned the plans to build a 41-storey building there if more 5 acres of land is acquired in the area to create more jobs. “Hospitality centers, technical training centers will all also be established here,” he added. “In addition, our smart generation will build an excellent knowledge-based economy by combining technology and youth talent in implementing the innovative Smart Bangladesh vision; These IT parks will be the future address of them.”
Palak further said that by harnessing the talents and technology of the youth, the youth of the country will not look for jobs rather will create job opportunities. Various programs are being implemented in the country including IT Training and Incubation Center, School of Future, Digital Education Center. The state minister said that in the future, our talented youth will manufacture the technology of the fourth industrial revolution, robotics, IoT, cyber security tools and export them abroad.
Speaking as the chief guest, Nasrul Hamid Bipu said, Hi-Tech Park is the backbone of Digital Bangladesh. This high-tech park is being set up in different upazilas of the country like the dyeing and yarn factories of the garment industry with the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. These parks will improve the quality of life of the locals. Because, the place where we used to go by boat, is now going to be turned into a digital park! Through this, the field of contribution of Keraniganj people in IT industry has been prepared. Many have ridiculed the announcement of Digital Bangladesh in the Awami League’s election manifesto. But now this digital Bangladesh is not a dream, it is a reality. In the year of Mujib, under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, we have provided electricity facilities to 100% areas of the country. With the completion of the high-tech park in Keraniganj, the boys of the area will be able to earn dollars by working online instead of doing the traditional businesses, which will bring about a huge change in the socio-economic environment of this country.
The ground breaking ceremony was concluded through a special prayer with the hope of completing the construction work of the the park in a timely manner.