Internet connectivity is the highway of digital connectivity. The Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar commented that digital technology is impractical without this highway. The minister praised the strong role of BTRC in this regard.
Pointing out that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has built a unique digital road in ‘backward’ Bangladesh, he said, just as vehicles cannot run without a highway, digital technology cannot run without a highway of digital connectivity. So we need to continuously build the highway of digital connectivity.
Citing the Haor region, the minister said that once it was said ‘Barshay naye, Hemante paye’ (By boat in rainy season while on foot in autumn) due to lack of communication – a mother in that Haor area can now show her son the picture of the cowshed in the Haor area drowning in floods through a mobile phone. Thanks to digital connectivity.
Recently, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications expressed his words of appraisal while speaking as the chief guest at the felicitation ceremony on receiving the Dr. Dinesh Chandra Sen Memorial Gold Medal and ‘Bijoy Bandhu’ award. He commented that BTRC is playing a strong role in the construction of this highway and suggested to strengthen this section in the future.
In his speech, BTRC introduced the world’s lowest internet rate ‘one country one rate’, half price of Bangla SMS, auction of 4G-5G spectrum, collection of huge national revenue from telecom sector, providing all information in Bengali to all mobile subscribers, digital in Haor-islands and remote areas. The Telecom Minister highlighted the formulation and implementation of policies suitable for the digital age in the telecommunication sector including building connectivity.
The minister said, we are now moving towards building Smart Bangladesh after Digital Bangladesh. That’s why we need to convert the traditional education system to digital. Instead of conventional education system of Bangladesh that is ‘chalk, duster, paper, pen, chair, table’, digital system should be introduced gradually. It is a matter of pride that BTRC has set the example of digital transformation of education in 650 primary schools and 28 neighborhood centers through digital content under one of its SOF fund projects.
While speaking as the chief guest at the felicitation ceremony, he also said that ‘What honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has done to make Bangladesh digital will be unforgettable in the history of the nation’. The minister said that Bangladesh was historically backward. Lead font typos were once brought from West Bengal for printing work. However, now because of the initiative of the honorable Prime Minister, West Bengal is using our digital font of Bangladesh. It is a matter of great pride for us. The minister said that the father of the nation Bangabandhu had the opportunity to write Bengali on a machine in 1972.
The BTRC Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder Presided over the ceremony while the Additional Secretary (Telecom) of Posts and Telecommunications Department among others Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Vice Chairman Eng. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Commissioner Abu Syed Dilzar Hossain, Commissioner Engineer Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, Director General Md. Delwar Hossain also spoke. The program was conducted by Commission Secretary Md. Nurul Hafiz.
While speaking as the Chairman of the program, the Chairman of BTRC Shyam Sundar Sikder said, our parents are not aware. People should be motivated. Our honorable minister is an inspiring and beautiful person. He said that he was involved in many ICT projects including the creation of policies to build a high-tech park to build a digital Bangladesh, even before he became the minister. Hon’ble Minister has created many entrepreneurs. It is because of his enthusiasm and inspiration that the people of Bangladesh are able to get into technology.
Referring to the minister as a legendary man of Bangladesh, Director General of BTRC Delwar Hossain said that the honorable minister is not limited to information and communication technology, he is an expert in delivering digital services to the countrymen.
The BTRC Vice Chairman Engineer Md. Mohiuddin congratulated the minister and said that this talented man has given his love to the country and people with his labor and talent. He also said that he showed the people of Bangladesh the face of the modern world in the 90s. He understood in the 90s, how Bangladesh should be in the future. In the 90s, he invented the Bijoy key board and started using Bengali language on computers. Now he is creating digital content.
At the end of the speech, a special memento was given to Minister Mr. Mustafa Jabbar on behalf of BTRC.
By the way, Dr. Minister of Posts and Telecommunications in recognition of his special contribution to the innovation of Bengali language in digital technology including the initiative of publishing three editions of Mymensingh Gitika compiled by Dinesh Chandra Sen and the initiative of publishing East Bengal Gitika to the new generation, continuous contribution to building Digital Bangladesh, Bijoy Bangla Software and Bijoy Digital Education Software. Mustafa Jabbar was awarded the Acharya Dinesh Chandra Sen Memorial Gold Medal. Acharya Dineshchandra Sen Research Society India awarded this gold medal. Dev Kanya Sen, general secretary of the society and great-granddaughter of Dinesh Chandra Sen, handed over the medal to the minister. On the other hand, a Bangladeshi organization called Dorp awarded the minister with the title of ‘Bijoy Bandhu’.
