Gopalganj-II Member of Parliament Sheikh Fazlul Karim Salim and ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak laid the foundation stone of the country’s first ‘Knowledge Park’ at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology in Gopalganj on Saturday.
While speaking as the chief guest at the event, instead of making indebted, the local Member of Parliament expected the cooperation of the Indian government to keep pace with the world as they did during the liberation war.
Sheikh Fazlul Karim Saleem said to Inder Jeet Sagar, Assistant High Commissioner of the Indian High Commission present at the event, ‘We do not want credit. You will build this science and technology university of ours like we did in 1971. Help us establish a university like Nehru University. We want your help to build an organization like Viswa Bharati. May our friendship never be broken.
He also said that today Bangladesh is 35th out of 55 potential countries. Commodity prices have not increased for the government but, increased due to the Russia-Ukraine war. As a result, the price of goods in America has increased by 70 percent and the price of electricity in Britain by 80 percent.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak announced the smart campus innovation challenge worth crores of taka to find young innovators of the university while speaking as the president of the program.
He said, for the welfare of Digital Bangladesh, those who used to do tutoring at home before, are now sitting in halls or villages using high-speed internet, and 650,000 IT freelancers in the country are earning over one billion dollars. We want talented students to develop themselves as creative talented smart warriors with innovative energy. Smart will lead Bangladesh. That is why we have established 92 Hi-Tech Parks, Sheikh Kamal IT Training Centers in 64 districts and 555 Joy D- Set Employment Training Centers at Upazila level.
As a gift from the Prime Minister, installation of Joy D-Sets will be started soon in 5 upazilas of the district, the state minister also added. He also promised to make this campus a smart campus by buying another 100 acres of land. He said that an education center will be set up in the district town at a cost of 20 crore taka.
Palak said, we now need to implement the three by three formula. What are needed now is co-creation, co-investment and collaboration. Students need capital, technology and training to become successful entrepreneurs.
In his welcome speech, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, Mohammad Rezaul Karim said, through Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, 92 Hi-Tech Parks/Software Technology Parks/IT Training and Incubation Centers are currently being established across the country as government initiatives. Construction of 11 parks has been completed where business activities have already started. Besides, 17 more parks have been formed by private initiative. To face the competition of the 4th industrial revolution, 33 specialized high-tech labs of IoT, robotics, cyber security have been set up in various universities and IT business incubators are being set up in the universities.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology Vice-Chancellor Dr. AQM Mahbub said that the project was undertaken with the objective of providing support to the students of the university to become entrepreneurs, establishing effective linkages between the university and the IT industry, creating opportunities for research and innovation activities for the faculty and students of the university and creating physical infrastructure and ancillary facilities. I believe my students will benefit a lot.
Project Director A, K, A, M, Fazlul Haque said that the country’s first ‘Knowledge Park’ will be created on a four-acre site inside Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology in Gopalganj at a cost of Tk. 170 crore. Besides, 1000 people will be trained under the project. The Indian High Commission Assistant High Commissioner Inder Jit Sagar, ICT Division and Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority officials and local administration representatives were present in the ceremony.