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Inauguration of First Security Surveillance Manufacturing Plant in Bangladesh at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City

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The first security surveillance equipment manufacturing plant in Bangladesh was inaugurated at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City in Kaliakair on Friday, 25 March 2022. N M Zeaul Alam PAA, Senior Secretary, ICT Division, inaugurated the plant as the Chief Guest. Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, Managing Director, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, Hugo Huang, President of Hikvision South Asia and current president of Bangladesh Computer Samity Md. Shahid-ul-Munir & its newly elected president Engr. Subrata Sarkar was present as the Special Guests. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Goutam Saha, Managing Director of Excel Technologies Ltd & Excel Intelligent Solutions Ltd.

The inaugurated factory will manufacture security surveillance equipment of world’s number one security surveillance solution brand ‘Hikvision’. Excel Intelligent Solutions Ltd., a sister concern of Excel Technologies Ltd., which is the first and national distributor of Hikvision in Bangladesh, established the manufacturing plant. This factory was set up at the service building of Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City.  China’s leading security surveillance solution provider Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. provided the technical assistance.

Speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural function, NM Ziaul Alam PAA, Senior Secretary, ICT Division, said he was happy to inaugurate Bangladesh’s first security surveillance equipment manufacturing plant at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City. He said “investment in our country’s IT sector is on the rise, setting up these manufacturing plants is a prime example, and the world’s top security surveillance product like Hikvision is being manufactured in Bangladesh, which is a huge achievement for us”. As a result of making many devices in our country now, the ‘Made in Bangladesh’ program is gaining momentum. For this reason, the government is going to announce ‘Made in Bangladesh Policy’ very soon. In fact, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was science-minded, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taught us to dream, so today we are able to achieve so much. He said the government is giving priority to locally produced products in tenders so that the market for home-made products can be created, production can be increased and exports can be made upon meeting up the domestic demand. On the other hand, information technology has become essential with its increasing use in the government departments. The government is providing about three thousand public services, most of which are using information technology. Investment is increasing in tandem with the advancement of information technology. As the ICT Division is playing a special role in these cases, it has been selected as the best ministry in the country for two consecutive years. He expressed satisfaction over the activities of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and wished success and prosperity to the joint venture of Excel and Hikvision.

Special guest of the event, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Bikarna Kumar Ghosh at the beginning of his speech paid homage to all the martyrs including Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the eve of Genocide Day on 25 March and Independence & National Day on 26 March. He mentioned that the country’s first and largest high-tech park has been named as ‘Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City’ in honor of the Father of the Nation. He said that through the announcement of ‘Digital Bangladesh’ program in 2008, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her IT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy had given advice and guidance to bring the entire IT sector in our country under one ecosystem. We are working accordingly. At the earliest stage of the ecosystem, digital labs have already been set up in 13,000 schools to build the future citizens of the country as skilled human resources. By 2030, another 25,000 labs will be set up and digital labs will be set up in every school in the country. Education and training on technology related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be imparted in these schools from the earliest stage. On the other hand, through the use of information technology as a cross-cutting sector in all other sectors, its benefits will be brought to the doorsteps of the people. He said the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority is an essential part of the ecosystem and cross-cutting activities. Further, we encourage foreign direct investment and provide them with special facilities. So with the help of the Authority, several high-tech parks have already started making laptops and other devices of different brands from home and abroad. That is why employment is being created for the youth here. He hoped that Bangladesh would become a hub for production of ICT products, 75% youth population would be employed and we would become the number one developed nation in terms of per capita income surpassing all other countries in the world during the centenary celebration of the country. He thanked Excel and Hikvision for their involvement in the activities of the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority by producing state-of-the-art security surveillance equipment at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City.

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Hugo Huang, President of Hikvision South Asia, another special guest at the event, said: “Today is a very happy day for Hiksvision. This is because the production of Hikshiven brand products has started in Bangladesh as the third country after Brazil and India outside China. We are happy and proud to be able to provide technical assistance. He said that while Hikvision is the world’s number one maker of security surveillance equipment, it also produces other high-tech products, technological innovations and services, such as robotics, IoT, artificial intelligence, etc. He said Bangladesh’s economy is growing. The ‘Digital Bangladesh’ and ‘Made in Bangladesh’ programs are playing a special role in this regard. Hikvision is ready to provide assistance in these cases. He thanked the ICT Division and the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority for creating the opportunity for the production of security surveillance products of Hikvision Brand in ‘Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City’.

Goutam Saha, Managing Director of Excel Technologies Ltd and Excel Intelligent Solutions Ltd said: “With the inauguration of Bangladesh’s first security surveillance equipment manufacturing plant at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, we are happy and proud that we have ushered in a new era in the country’s ICT industry and ‘Made in Bangladesh’. He said, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all concerned including the ICT Division and the Bangladesh High-tech Park Authority for creating this opportunity.” He further said that development work of two acres of land leased to us is going on here to make this early stage industrial plant on a large scale. He expressed hope that Excel will be able to start production of more Hikvision Security Cameras and accessories and other accessories within the next year at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City such that the security surveillance equipment could be exported soon by meeting the domestic demand. In addition, other brands of digital devices, networking, telecom, AI and robotics equipment will be gradually produced here.

The inaugural function was attended by senior officials of ICT Division and Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, top IT entrepreneurs, businessmen and leaders, industrialists at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City and journalists from various media.

After the inaugural ceremony of the manufacturing plant, there was groundbreaking for the development of  two acres of land leased in the name of Excel Intelligent Solutions Ltd. for the establishment of large scale security surveillance equipment and other digital devices & networking, telecom, AI and robotics equipment at Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City

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Rampant Corruption Plagues ICT Sector in 15 years : White Paper

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Highlights

  • ICT sector plagued by corruption
  • Hi-Tech parks fail to attract investors
  • Lack of transparency in project implementation
  • Misuse of funds to benefit preferred vendors
  • Calls for robust project evaluations

The White Paper on the State of the Bangladesh Economy, submitted to the Chief Adviser today (1 December), identified the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector as one of the most affected by corruption.

“The review of the White Paper puts the banking sector on top of the most corruption-ravaged sectors, followed by physical infrastructure, and energy and power,” it reads.

ICT was also identified as one of the most corruption-affected sectors by its operational and technological novelty, it added.

The White Paper committee’s comment highlights years-long corruption allegations in the key sector the Awami League pledged to improve during the 2008 election for the sake of national progress.

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And the story later frustrated the youth and technology experts due to huge waste of taxpayers’ money in improper projects. These lacked transparencies and were alleged to benefit people close to the then regime.

In the one and half decades of Sheikh Hasina’s ruling, the state spent nearly Tk29,000 crore to build “Digital Bangladesh” and later “Smart Bangladesh by 2041.”

Most of the funds were allocated to infrastructure projects, which still require justification from sector experts. For instance, Hi Tech parks outside major cities barely attracted investors.

Government-funded projects aimed at youth ICT training, women empowerment, and local app and game development, costing hundreds of crores of Taka, appear to have primarily benefited officials and their preferred vendors, reveals the gradually unfolding facts.

The interim government in August formed a committee to evaluate the ongoing projects already recommended to downsize them in lots of unjustified cases. It will also dig deeper to find the anomalies in the already finished projects.

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In an example of how the government projects were being justified in questioned ways, the white paper mentioned a 2013-18 ICT Division project “Leveraging ICT for Growth, Employment, and Governance Projects” that had a 43% cost increase to Tk774 crore, from its original budget of Tk521.97 crore.

According to the White Paper, the large capacity-building initiative aimed to promote the IT sector and train 30,000 individuals for employment within it. The evaluation report from the Planning Ministry’s Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division showed strong satisfaction with the project’s success.

However, it overlooked the contributions of training institutions, colleges, and universities that also played a role in advancing the sector, the White Paper stated.

Additionally, the quality of the evaluation report was inadequate, as it failed to distinguish the marginal impacts of training 30,000 individuals on the entire IT sector.

This analytical weakness in assessing the project’s impacts has contributed to the continuation of various ICT and other projects that lack tangible benefits.

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“It highlights the need for more robust evaluations to ensure that future initiatives are grounded in a clear understanding of their actual contributions to the sector,” said the White Paper.

Bangladesh lags behind many comparator countries in a number of technological indexes, despite the digital and smart nation narratives.

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Corruption behind Tk 650bn investment in telecom, ICT sectors

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ICT Advisor Nahid Islam has said due to ‘irregularities’, Bangladesh has not realised the full benefits of the ‘Digital Bangladesh’ initiative despite a substantial investment of Tk 650 billion in the telecommunications and ICT sectors under the Awami League government.

Speaking at an ADP review meeting at the Posts and Telecommunication Division on Monday, Nahid criticised the execution of numerous costly projects under the ‘Digital Bangladesh’ banner which, according to him, failed to deliver their promised impact.

From fiscal year 2010-11 to 2024-25, the ICT Division implemented projects worth Tk 250 billion, while the Posts and Telecommunications Division accounted for projects totaling Tk 400 billion.

Despite these investments, Bangladesh scored a modest 62 out of 100 in the June 2024 edition of the ICT Development Index by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union, trailing behind nations such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Vietnam, and Bhutan.

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Highlighting the country’s technological lag, Nahid referenced the May 2024 Ookla Speedtest Global Index, where Bangladesh ranked 109th out of 147 countries in internet speed, below Kenya.

Also, Bangladesh placed 108th in broadband internet performance, with India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Rwanda, and Ghana all performing better.

In the realm of artificial intelligence, the IMF’s June 2024 Artificial Intelligence Preparedness Index placed Bangladesh 113th, again behind India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Rwanda, and Ghana.

The Digital Quality of Life Index 2023 by cybersecurity firm Surfshark saw Bangladesh drop five notches to 82nd among 121 countries, with internet speed 5 percent below the global average.

Rankings in the Key Government Index, e-security, and internet purchasing capacity were similarly below par.

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Nahid also pointed out that Bangladesh lags in freelancing, ranked 29th among the top 30 global destinations, as per an April 2024 report by US-based CEOWORLD magazine, trailing behind India and Pakistan.

These indicators, according to Nahid, reflect not just the failure to enjoy the full benefits of digital initiatives but also suggest pervasive irregularities in the sector.

He criticised the frequent delays and the need for repeated extensions in project timelines, calling for more sensible proposals regarding extensions.

Nahid emphasised that timely and proper project completion could significantly propel the nation’s progress in internet and telecommunication sectors, benefitting all Bangladeshis.

The meeting disclosed that nine projects are currently underway within the four offices of the Posts and Telecommunications Division for the fiscal year 2024-25, involving entities such as Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited, or BTCL, Teletalk Bangladesh Limited, the Directorate of Posts, and Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC.

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As of August 2024, national-level project progress for the fiscal year was reported at 1.02 percent, with the Posts and Telecommunications Division achieving a progress rate of 3.84 percent.

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Web Summit to host hundreds of curated community meetups in Lisbon this November

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Web Summit has announced today that it will host hundreds of curated community meetups in Lisbon this November, powered by its proprietary software, Summit Engine.

This initiative is part of Web Summit’s renewed mission to foster meaningful connections and communities. By bringing people with similar backgrounds, interests and objectives together in community meetups, Web Summit hopes to make the event feel smaller and more intimate for attendees, as it continues to grow and scale across the world. Hundreds of these community meetups will take place alongside signature challenging discussions on how technology is shaping the world.

So far, this year’s top speakers include Yinon C. (Yinon Costica), co-founder of cybersecurity powerhouse WIZ , which recently made waves by turning down a US$23 billion offer from Google; Julie De Moyer , LVMH ’s recently appointed chief data and AI officer; Lidiane Jones , CEO of popular dating app Bumble Inc. , which harnesses AI to improve matchmaking; Cristiano Anon, CEO of Qualcomm, the company working to create bigger, better, and more affordable AI chips; and Meredith Whittaker, president of encrypted messaging app Signal, which is fighting against government measures to scan citizen’s private messages.

Also taking to the stage will be Alibaba.com president Kuo Zhang ; Škoda Auto CMO Meredith Kelly; Amazon Web Services VP of AI Matt Wood ; Meta’s global head of consumer marketing, Eshan Ponnadurai; Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada, and much more. They will be joined, by world comms@websummit.com leaders and changemakers, including Germany’s Vice Chancellor, Robert Habeck; Portugal’s minister of youth and modernisation, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, and exiled Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López.

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Global tech companies, including IBM, Adobe, Intercom, Samsung Next, and Niantic Labs will exhibit on the floor alongside financial giants such as Visa and American Express. Other notable partners include Novo Nordisk, Bosch, EDP, and KPMG.

New for 2024: Hundreds of curated meetings

Of course, Web Summit isn’t just about the speakers – it’s about the connections. That’s why this November, our curated meetups, powered by Summit Engine, will bring together attendees with shared roles or interests in AI, fintech, crypto, food tech, sustainability, and more.

To do this, Web Summit’s data science team uses in-house software to group attendees who have common interests and backgrounds, helping uncover emerging communities. This technology was tested this year at Web Summit Rio in April, and at Collision in Toronto in June. From data scientists in Uruguay and food tech startup founders and investors to public sector AI innovators, Web Summit wants to make sure that the right people find each other at our events. Attendees can use the Web Summit app to easily connect and stay in touch with those they’ve met long after the event ends in November

“This is going to be our biggest but also our smallest event yet … we aim to host thousands of community meetups at the event and across Lisbon in November. We are evolving from being one large event to becoming a collection of a thousand deep, interconnected experiences,“ said Paddy Cosgrave .

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“Over the last 15 years, the world has changed in many ways, and we’ve always been committed to adapting and re-evaluating our mission and goals to meet evolving challenges, ideas, and global circumstances. We’re currently in an especially charged moment in time,” Paddy continued.

“We are bigger than ever, but our mission remains the same – connecting the people, companies and ideas that change the word. Ultimately, the best event experience is when you walk away with a stronger network than you came with,” added SVP of product Brian Flanagan .

Just announced

The full list of speakers at Web Summit is being announced today:

● Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble

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Anastasis Germanidis , co-founder and CTO of Runway

Meredith Kelly , CMO of Škoda Auto

Sarah Myers West , co-executive chair of AI Now Institute

● Patrick Kluivert, former footballer with Barcelona and The Netherlands

Paula Goldman , chief ethical and humane use officer at Salesforce

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● Omar Berrada, CEO of Manchester United

Hans Niemann , chess grandmaster

Meredith Whittaker , president of Signal Messenger

● Munya Chawawa, actor and comedian

Atul Bhardwaj j, chief digital and technical officer at the LEGO Group

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Smita Hashim , chief product officer at Zoom

● Alex Hirschi, founder of Supercar Blondie

New speakers are being added regularly on the Web Summit speaker page

About Web Summit:

Web Summit is a technology events company, bringing together a global community of founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to connect and exchange ideas about the technology and trends shaping the world. Web Summit events – including Web Summit in Lisbon, Web Summit Rio in South America, Web Summit Qatar in the Middle East, and RISE in Asia – have gathered nearly one million people since Web Summit’s beginnings as a 150-person conference in Dublin in 2009. Its newest event, Web Summit Vancouver, will launch in May 2025.

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Useful Links:

Web Summit website: https://websummit.com/

Web Summit Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/websummit/albums/

Web Summit YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJtkHqH4Qof97TSx7BzE5IQ

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