Bangladesh-made smart devices in 3 years: Palak

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak attends a press meet at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka yesterday to announce the schedule of Bangladesh ICT Expo 2016. Photo credit: ICT Division

Bangladesh will turn out to be a digital device manufacturer in the next two to three years, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said yesterday.
The development work for the hi-tech park where the smartphones and laptops will be assembled have already started, he said in a press conference for Bangladesh ICT Expo 2016.
The three-day exposition to be inaugurated by Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will kick off at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka on Thursday.
“We are trying to reduce our imports. Plus, we want to be a digital device exporting country. That's why the government is placing importance on the manufacturing and assembling of tech products.”
If the private and public sectors join hands, Bangladesh will reach its planned destination within a short time, Palak said, while citing local brand Walton as a shining example.
Walton now assembles a host of technological products, including television sets and mobile phones, and the government wants other companies to follow its lead.
The state minister said the ICT exposition, which will showcase technology-based innovations, new products, will unlock the economic potential of the IT sector.
“The government is expecting that people will feel proud of using locally assembled products over Korean or Chinese ones,” Palak added.
ICT Secretary Shyam Sunder Sikder said the government has emphasised building a manufacturing ecosystem and setting up research and development centres to boost the country's ICT sector.
The ICT Division is organising the event, which is the second of its kind, in collaboration with Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS).
On the sidelines of the exposition, local and international experts will share and exchange knowledge on ICT advancement and challenges in seminars, BCS President AHM Mahfuzul Arif said.
The organisers are expecting 400,000 visitors during the three-day exhibition, which will remain open from 10am to 8pm every day.
A talking robot named 'Ribo' that was developed by the students of Shahjalal University of Science & Technology will welcome everyone to the venue.
A drone developed by the students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology will also be demonstrated.
Sonia Bashir Kabir, managing director of Microsoft Bangladesh, and senior officials of BCS and ICT Division were also present at the press conference.