Tech
Book on the History Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry of Bangladesh Unveiled
ICT Pioneers’ Club organized a seminar titled, “ Digital Biplob O Bangladesh” today at Hotel Amari Dhaka, Gulshan. The book “ABORTO- Analog Theke Digital Bangladesh O Amra”was unveiled at the seminar. Chief guest of the event, Honorable Minister of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology, Mr. Mustafa Jabbar ; Mr. S. M. Kamal, Founder President, Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS); Mr. A. Towhid, Founder President, Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS); along with author Abdullah H.Kafi unveiled the book.
ICT industry leaders, media personalities, and BCS founding Executive Committee members- Aftab Ul Islam, FCA, Didar Hossain, Shafquat Haider, Chairman and Managing Director of CIPROCO Computers Ltd.; Ghulam Mohiuddin, Managing Director, Grameen CyberNet Ltd.; Habibullah N. Karim, Founder and CEO, Technohaven Company Ltd., Khondkar Atique E Rabbani, Chief at Blockchain Academy for Research, Education and Development (BARED), Mr. Mozammel Haq Babu, Chief Executive Ekattor TV, Shyam Sunder Sikder, Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC) – were present at the book unveiling ceremony.
The ICT industry of Bangladesh underwent major changes and observed tremendous growth. In the last two years, because of the pandemic, there has been a drastic shift. More people are now using internet. ABORTO Analog Theke Digital Bangladesh O Amra by Abdullah H Kafi, would give readers a glimpse of the industry from the 80s till present. Odommo Prokash published the book.
Mr. Mustafa Jabbar said, “Bangladesh Computer Samity was established in 1986 and I joined it in 1987. I have known Kafi since then. Initially, we faced enormous odds. Things started to change in the 1990s. After Shiekh Hasina’s Government came to power, ICT industry took off. All the major milestones of this industry were achieved during her tenure. Sheikh Hasina’s Digital Bangladesh, the initiative to transform Bangladesh into a Knowledge-based Society within 2021, took the ICT industry to new heights.
Kafi’s book beautifully describes Bangladesh’s journey from analog era of the 1980s to the Digital era in 2009. This book is a must read for young tech enthusiasts of our country.”
S. M. Kamal said, “Bangladesh got its first computer in 1964 but the use of computer was very limited till the 1980s. Moreover, there was this prevalent idea among government officials that our valuable data will be stolen through computer. In such a condition, we decided to establish a computer trade association and needless to say that it was an uphill battle but we did not give up. Kafi was among those few people, who under my leadership, worked tirelessly to establish BCS. Beside being involved in BCS, Kafi navigated his career, started his own company and became immensely successful. Now, he came out as a writer with this book. ABORTO Analog Theke Digital Bangladesh O Amra covers different aspects of our ICT industry- its challenges and possibilities.”
A Towhid said, “At present, there is no book or website that contains the complete history of Bangladesh’s ICT industry. One can get information from news articles but that is insufficient. Hence, I want to say that Kafi’s book is a very timely initiative. Reading this book, young people of our country can know how our ICT industry reached its current level. This book is also helpful for those who want to do research on Bangladeshi ICT industry.”
Abdullah H Kafi said, “Today is a big day in our history. Hence, I decided to present my book to the readers on this auspicious occasion. Our country just completed its Golden Jubilee last year.Under the visionary leadership of our current Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, the ICT industry of Bangladesh reached new heights. The ICT industry is making major contribution to our economic growth and it will only increase in the coming years.
Today, a young boy or girl can instantly connect with the world with their smartphones but in the 1980s when we were young, it was unthinkable. From there, we have come so far. In my book, I mainly talked about this journey. A handful of people worked tirelessly to develop the foundation of this industry. I wanted the young generation to know about these people, their struggle and sacrifice.”
Abdullah H Kafi started his career as a computer trainer in 1980. He then worked in Flora Limited. Later, he established his own company J.A.N Associates. One of the founding members of Bangladesh Computer Samity, Mr. Kafi served as its president from 2000 to 2001. At this time, he started representing BCS in The Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO), Asia’s largest ICT trade federation. In 2005, he became ASOCIO’s vice chairman and Deputy Chairman in 2010. In 2013-2014, he was elected as the Chairman of ASOCIO. For his contribution, in 2018 he received ASOCIO highest award named “The ASOCIO Honorary Award”. He also received the prestigious Digital Bangladesh Award and BASIS Lifetime Achievement Award.
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