ICTD will set up 50 Bangladesh-India edutrainment centers

The ICT department will set up 50 Bangladesh-India Edutrainment Services Centers across the country to build skilled manpower suitable for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There will be digital teaching activities and movie theaters. The school will run during the day time and the movie will be shown at night. The Government of India will provide Tk. 50 crore to Bangladesh for this purpose. And Bangladesh will invest Tk.150 to Tk. 200 crore. The matter was finalized at a meeting held at the ICT department's conference center at Agargaon in the capital on Monday. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Indian Ambassador to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswamy said that this is an innovative initiative based on mutual friendship. The State Minister for ICT also spoke about the need for both the countries to work together in cyber security. It was informed that a project in this regard is to train 32,000 Bangladeshi professionals at IIT Kharagpur, India. In their presence, the Notification of Award Certificate of the Central Procurement Technical Team for the implementation of the three projects was handed over. These projects include Commencement of Work for Establishment of Hi-Tech Parks in 12 Districts, Bangladesh-India Digital Service and Employment Training Center (BDSET), another project called 8 Software Technology Parks of Bangladesh, Hi-Tech Park and Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center. Establishment of specialized labs and exchange of notifications of awards for starting experience and business exchange activities between 50 start-ups in India and Bangladesh. The documents were exchanged on behalf of Bangladesh by ANM Shafiqul Islam and Syed Zahurul Alam, Director, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and AKM Fazlul Haque, Project Director. On the other hand, the two secretaries of the Indian ambassador to India accepted the agreement to set up a high-tech park and BDSET under loan agreements and grants for the projects. Speaking on the occasion, Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that under another project called Bangladesh-India Digital Service and Employment Training Center (BDSET), specialized training will be provided in 6 software technology parks, high-tech parks and Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center in Bangladesh. From here, 2400 people will receive training in the next two years. It was informed at the program that IT training will be provided to 30,000 youths under the project of setting up IT / Hi-Tech Parks (in 12 districts) at district level under implementation by Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority. The projects to be constructed under the project include construction of 7-storey (105,000 sft) steel structure multitenant buildings in 12 districts; 3-storey (21,000 sft) canteen and steel structure amphetheater building in 12 districts; 3-storey (18,000 sft) and CC structure dormitory buildings will be constructed in 3 districts and modern cineplexes will be constructed in 6 districts. Bangladesh High-Tech Park Authority Managing Director Dr. Bikarna Kumar Ghosh said, so far, 175 companies have been allotted space and plots in high-tech parks and 148 local startup companies have been allotted free space / co-working space. The Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority has created a skilled manpower of 36,000 in the ICT sector through various trainings considering the demand for manpower in the IT industry. The ICT sector has created direct employment for about 22,000 people.