By the year 2041, Bangladesh and Japan will work together on the basis of mutual cooperation in various fields of information and communication technology including innovation, research, human resource development, cyber security to build a knowledge-based smart Bangladesh.
A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between the governments of Bangladesh and Japan in this regard on Wednesday (26 April 2023) in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio in the large meeting room of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office.
The State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh IWAMA Kiminori signed the MoU on behalf of their respective countries.
Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, based on long-term trustful and reliable relations, Japan will work with Bangladesh unitedly in building Smart Bangladesh through partnership and mutual cooperation in the areas of innovation, research, human resource development, digital economy, digital literacy, cyber security, information sharing, fourth industrial revolution technology etc.
The MoU also states that the two countries will cooperate in preventing the growing incidence of cybercrime and exchanging existing cyber security protocols and best practice models in this regard and organizing dialogue on current issues of cyber security in addition to human resource capacity building and expert exchange.
When contacted on telephone, in an immediate response, the Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak termed the MoU with Japan as a breakthrough in information technology. He said this agreement will further expand Japan’s cooperation in information technology and accelerate our journey to build an affordable, sustainable, intelligent and knowledge-based Smart Bangladesh by 2041.
He said, “We have already formulated ‘Smart Bangladesh: ICT 2041 Master Plan’ through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding will increase Japan’s cooperation in undertaking and implementing projects in accordance with the Master Plan”. Palak said, “In the future, there will be widespread use of the technology of the fourth industrial revolution in various fields including agriculture, education, health, transportation, electricity. Japan’s consultation and cooperation in the use of these technologies will pave the way for meeting the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution on the one hand and exploiting the potential on the other hand.”
According to the MoU, other areas where the two countries will cooperate are cooperation with Japanese tech universities and institutes to provide upskilling programs for Bangladeshi students and IT sector workers. In addition, it will work together in cooperation in the international arena, including the United Nations, to promote the implementation of the 2013, 2015 and 2021 UNGGE reports on state conduct, reaffirming the applicability of international law in cyberspace. Cyberspace, and will strive through voluntary activities to promote responsible behavior and non-binding norms of participating countries in cyberspace, as well as by conducting appropriate Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and expanding capacity building.
Ministers accompanying the Prime Minister, Ministers of State and related officials of both countries were present at this time.
