In Smart Bangladesh, there will be no discrimination in the opportunities of physically able and specially able people. With the power of technology, a job fair for disabled people was held like every year to establish a smart society of smart citizens. State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak inaugurated the fair at the NGO Affairs Bureau Auditorium in Agargaon on Saturday. In his opening speech, he called upon disabled people to take up the challenge of becoming entrepreneurs with the help of technology, training and innovation.
Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Executive Director Ranjit Kumar presided over the event, among others CSID Executive Director Khandkar Zahurul Alam, ICT Department Senior Secretary NM Zeaul Alam, NGO Bureau Director General Sheikh Moniruzzaman, Additional Secretary Najib Shafiullah and ‘Digital Bangladesh Award’ winner UIU Professor Al Mamun and Private entrepreneurs.
While speaking as the chief guest on the occasion, the state minister urged the inventors to manufacture low-cost high-tech wheelchairs like ‘Talking White Stick’ and ‘Brain Talking Interface’ in the country.
He said, now it is possible to make wheelchairs with advanced technologies like autopilotlike driverless car for the physically challenged. We are providing thousands of wheelchairs on private initiative. But we want to make more high-tech wheelchairs in the soil of Bangladesh.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Internet Service Provider Association Nazmul Karim Bhuiyan, My Outsourcing Chief Executive Tanjibul Bashar, representatives of the disabled, students of Rajshahi University Matiur Rahman and Moshammat Maryam Begum also spoke on the occasion.
Also calling for ‘self-criticism’ in the implementation of initiatives, Palak highlighted the importance of ‘integrated’ work such as creating ‘accessible paths for all in every work’. The ICT State Minister promised to present all the demands to Parliament, Prime Minister and Finance Minister, including the introduction of special quota for the disabled and the project to train 10,600 new disabled people.
Department of Information and Communication Technology is organizing this job fair in collaboration with Center for Services and Information on Disability (CSID) to empower people with disabilities to become self-reliant through technology. 54 organizations participated in the fair including FBCCI, BKMEA, ISPAB, BACCO. About 500 specially able job candidates appeared for on-spot interview to get the job.
