Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mostafa Jabbar has suggested paving the way for fixed broadband in tenders for internet services. At the same time, he directed the BTRC to prevent wastage of cable by creating active sharing opportunities. He also called upon the Department of Primary Education to take responsibility for activating the NCTB to ensure the professionalism of computer labs and content. Mostafa Jabbar also expressed frustration over the slow speed of mobile operators in the 5G expansion as well as the fact that there is a 2G quality network instead of 4G in some parts of the village.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of the day-long workshop titled ‘Connectivity for Educational Institutions for Blended Education Bangladesh Broadband Policy 2020’ jointly organized by BTRC, a2i and Alliance for Affordable Internet at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Mostafa Jabbar said that education is a fundamental right and it is the responsibility of the state to establish it. The state must take responsibility for the digital transformation of education to meet the challenges of the digital age. Digital connectivity and quality content are essential for the digital transformation of education. Digital content does not mean presenting the power point of the curriculum, the content must be quality. He mentioned that it is necessary to complete the work of digital transformation from conventional education classrooms.
Calling on the government as well as private entrepreneurs to come forward to build a highway for digital connectivity, the Minister directed BTRC to take immediate steps to expedite mobile operators in expanding Five-G technology.
Stressing on the need to bring high speed internet in all educational institutions of the country starting from the grassroots, the telecom minister said that digital education teachers also need to be imparted digitally useful skills. It is not possible to implement digital transformation of education if it is not possible to provide digital education through training of teachers. Noting that efforts to build a digital Bangladesh without digital education would not be fruitful, Mostafa Jabbar, a pioneer in the development of digital technology, said the Department of Posts and Telecommunications would build a highway to digital connectivity for educational institutions. But the education ministry will have to take responsibility for its management but we will look at the technical side, the minister said.
Citing the example of teaching through digital technology, the minister said that the teaching through television is one-way. In this way the students do not have the opportunity to ask questions to the teachers. The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications appreciated the role of the Ministry of Education, especially the Minister of Education, in introducing mixed education in the country. He referred to the program taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the establishment of Digital Bangladesh as a struggle for the establishment of Sonar Bangla. He said, “We have already completed the installation of optical fiber connection in almost every union of the country.” As it is not possible to set up optical fiber network in remote areas of the country, we are setting up high speed internet connection in remote areas through Bangabandhu Satellite-1.
BTRC Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikder presided over the function while Secondary and Higher Education Secretary Md Abu Bakar Siddique, a2i Senior Policy Advisor Anir Chowdhury and Alliance for Affordable Internet Asia and Pacific Head Anju Mangal spoke. BTRC Director General Brigadier General Nasim Parvez presented the keynote address. Shahid Uddin Akbar, National Coordinator, Alliance for Affordable Internet, conducted the program.
The BTRC chairman emphasized the need for an inclusive broadband policy to ensure high-speed internet for the disadvantaged, especially women and the disabled. He assured that the directives of the Hon’ble Minister in this regard would be implemented expeditiously so that the mobile operators would take effective steps to expand the 5G technology and said that the Five-G expansion would start by mid-December this year.
The Secretary, Department of Secondary and Higher Education highlighted the various programs undertaken for the digital transformation of education, including the creation of digital content and the establishment of digital connections. He emphasized the need to implement the digital transformation of education through joint ventures.
