ICT export may cross $1b by 2018: Palak

The country’s export of software and IT products may cross $1 billion by 2018 if the present trend of exports by IT companies together with freelance software developers and call center companies continues, said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak yesterday, reports UNB.
Addressing a roundtable titled ‘Mission $1b by 2018’ at Janata Tower, he laid emphasis on enhancing the export of software and IT products to reach the target of $5b by 2021.
Bangladesh Computer Council, Bangladesh Hi-tech Park Authority and Leveraging ICT for Growth, Employment and Gover-nance (LICT) Project jointly organised the roundtable.
Palak said the export of ICT was 26 million US dollars at a time when the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in January 2009.
“Currently, as calculated by BASIS, the volume of ICT export is about $600 million and together with IT companies, freelance software developers and call center companies it is about $700 million,” he said.
Palak said the government has taken massive ICT infrastructure development programmes across the country to boost the ICT sector.
Twelve hi-tech parks, including Bangabandhu Hi-tech Park at Kaliakoir, on 332 acres of land and Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park at Jessore, are being built in different districts, he said.
If implemented, the ICT state minister said, the Bangabandhu Hi-tech Park alone will create an opportunity for jobs for some one lakh people at the park. 
“Our target is to increase the number of IT professionals up to 2 million by 2021, and we’re working on that,” Palak said.
The roundtable was addressed, among others, by LICT Project Director Md Rezaul Karim, Project Management Specialist Sarker Abul Kalam Azad, President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Services (BASIS) Mostafa Jabbar and Vice-President of BASIS Farhana Rahman, President of Bangladesh Association of Call Center and Outsourcing (BACCO) Ahmedul Huq and representatives of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Bangladesh Bank.
LICT Component Team Leader Sami Ahmed presented the keynote paper at the function.

ICT export may cross $1b by 2018: Palak

The countrys export of software and IT products may cross $1 billion by 2018 if the present trend of exports by IT companies together with freelance software developers and call center companies continues, said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak yesterday, reports UNB. Addressing a roundtable titled Mission $1b by 2018 at Janata Tower, he laid emphasis on enhancing the export of software and IT products to reach the target of $5b by 2021. Bangladesh Computer Council, Bangladesh Hi-tech Park Authority and Leveraging ICT for Growth, Employment and Gover-nance (LICT) Project jointly organised the roundtable. Palak said the export of ICT was 26 million US dollars at a time when the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in January 2009. Currently, as calculated by BASIS, the volume of ICT export is about $600 million and together with IT companies, freelance software developers and call center companies it is about $700 million, he said. Palak said the government has taken massive ICT infrastructure development programmes across the country to boost the ICT sector. Twelve hi-tech parks, including Bangabandhu Hi-tech Park at Kaliakoir, on 332 acres of land and Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park at Jessore, arebeing built in different districts, he said. If implemented, the ICT state minister said, the Bangabandhu Hi-tech Park alone will create an opportunity for jobs for some one lakh people at the park. Our target is to increase the number of IT professionals up to 2 million by 2021, and were working on that, Palak said. The roundtable was addressed, among others, by LICT Project Director Md Rezaul Karim, Project Management Specialist Sarker Abul Kalam Azad, President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Services (BASIS) Mostafa Jabbar and Vice-President of BASIS Farhana Rahman, President of Bangladesh Association of CallCenter and Outsourcing (BACCO) Ahmedul Huqand representatives of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Bangladesh Bank. LICT Component Team Leader Sami Ahmed presented the keynote paper at the function.