an ordinary citizen

I first came across the article from the link of ‘The 3rd World View’ that refers to The International Herard Tribune which cited the venture of a
group of Bangladeshi expatriates.

They thought of a plan to bring affordable Internet access to their homeland through a blend of high-end wireless technology and social entrepreneurship. (more…)

Budget acknowledges Information and Telecommunication Technology (ICT) is our thrust sector.[DS]
Taking into account this priority, Government is formulating national e- governance strategy supported by a national ICT road map. But this strategy is not yet declared.

Budget informs that the first phase of infrastructural work of a 231 acre hi-tech park at kaliakoir near Dhaka will be completed by the end of this year. Efforts are underway to attract the private and foreign investors to make investment inn this IT park. India, even West Bengal has more than on IT parks. They are establishing IT parks in small towns also. Bangladesh should advance to that direction. (more…)

Bangladesh can produce seven crore tonnes of rice a year, more than double the present production, by ensuring proper irrigation and use of fertiliser, and bringing cultivable fallow lands under irrigation.
Excessive irrigation for Boro cultivation and lack of it for Aman now drastically reduce the yield of both, Daily star reports.
It is revealed in a study conducted by Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC).
The country now produces around three crore tonnes of rice a year with Boro output 3.66 tonnes per hectare and that of Aman a little above two tonnes. But Boro yield can be raised to six tonnes and Aman output to five tonnes a hectare, the study said.
The major factor behind the wide gap between present yield and potential output of Boro is excessive irrigation, says M Eftekharul Alam, assistant chief engineer of the BADC, who carried out the study for more than two decades
The study concludes that with little effort Bangladesh can transform itself into a rice exporting country.[DS]

An ordinary citizen

Post script:
The editorial of the paper said ‘in the food productivity challenge the modern method is the key’.[...]

Today’s is the age of technology. One will prosper how efficiently one is using the technology. It is true for individual as well as for a state. It is obvious that the developed countries are rich in technologies and they are using technologies at different level to get the maximum benefit. The developing nations coul also change their lot by using technologies properly. (more…)

I was listening to a talk show few days back where the chairman of Public Service Commission, was telling that the survey they have conducted on quota system for Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) has been given to the journalists and it was hoped that the journalists would summarize and discuss it in the papers and TV channels. (more…)

The Government has taken major decisions to achieve excellence in ICT to create the required environment for business, education and reseach.
We appreciate the government decision and hope it will be implemented as soon as possible.
The details of the news is here[...]

An ordinary citizen

It was 16th February 2008. I wanted to have a view of the Softexpo exhibition organized by BASIS in the China–Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre.

It was a grand assembly of the organizations beyond my expectations.

Stalls were more than 150 and of different categories. But most of the them are those who are working on software development. They are developing business and other solutions.

There are organizations who are working on outsourcing. Hope that outsourcing will be increased with time in Bangladesh and would be a good source of income for our IT industry.

Works is also advancing in animation. Projects are also ongoing for products of animation for other countries.

University students are also demonstrating their skill in software development. The enthusiasms in the students are praiseworthy. A student from IIUC developed a giant robot which has drawn attention of many and a contact is undergoing with a company in Australia.

A stall also demonstrating a device to identify fake notes from the real ones and which may be of use in treasuries, banks and business organizations.

I also stepped in ‘somewhere in’ where in the middle of the room a rickshaw was displayed to project their given importance on the local culture. ‘Somewhere in’ is the bangla blog platform which has magnified bangla bogging many a times. Rashid Zaman, a young chap with the responsibility of head of communication demonstrated me their objectives and mode of work.

In the seminar hall, there were a number of discussion groups were exploring the possibilities between local organizations and foreign partners. When I was in there was a Danish team, a Japanese delegate and UK representatives busy in discussion with possible local partners.

I was impressed with the show. People are working hard in the sector without much corporate support and governmental patronization.

Over the years, governments were more rhetorical than doing something more substantial. They may cite some of the deeds they have accomplished, but in comparison to other counties, those are not comparable.

The ordinary citizen feel that it is one the areas where Bangladesh would shine if get proper nourishment.

An ordinary citizen

Chief Adviseer Fakruddin Ali Ahmed acknowledged while inaugurating SOFTEXPO exhibition on 14 February 2008 that despite some successes, the adoption of ICT in all sectors have been so far poor.

He also informed that Government has identified some key reasons:

a) lack of awareness what ICT could offer

b) insufficient telecommunication infrastructure and Internet connectivity

c) Expensive Internet access

d) absence of adequate legal and regulatory framework

e) shortage of required manpower

Government has taken few steps to rectify the condition:

a) to get connected with the second submarine cable

b) framing of the national broadband policy

c) reduction of bandwidth price

d) arrangments for alternative fibre optic connection between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazaar

e) preparations are going on for issuance of licenses for call centres, IP telephone, WIMAX and 3G

He said that Government is committed to form an effective information society in the country. It is about bridging the digital divide and connecting the unconnected.

But the adoption of ICT for all sectors should be allout and rapid for Bangladesh. We are already in backfoot. We are far behind than many of our neighbours. A comprehensive strategy must be adopted to overcome this.

The government and non-government organisations all should go to the Internet. For exchange of information Internet should be the mode. Software should be encouraged to be made by the local individuals and institutions and be preferred for applicaion in the local industries. Adequate training facilities must be available at the institution and university level. Job opportunities must be created for skilled people. Linkage with the outside countries and out sourcing should be created. Government in all these arenas would provide leading role but private sectors then could supplement this.

Government could also take the support of the NRBs. In many areas public and private partnership will yeild better result.

The present caretaker government, we hope, will take necessary steps to take Bangladesh to the information super highway in all sense.

An ordinary citizen

Post script:

Danish IT expert suggests policy change to tap ICT potential [DS]

Infrastructure needed to attract global IT giants[DS]

Blog is one of the best way of expressions of one’s thoughts and ideas. There are more than a million bloggers now in the internet and it is increasing day by day. Bangladeshis are also becoming gradually involved in blogging. Though it is more popular in the young but the olders are also taking interest.

Though many of the bloggers are from abroad but more bloggers from home are also participating in the exercise.

Blog is the bridge among people beyond the boundary of a country. (more…)

You can identify blogging with anything and everything.

Blogging may be a diary- description of one’s daily rituals, or recoding of one’s own thinking. It may be an album – collection of pictures that one is impressed by or pictures that one like to share with others.

Blogging may be the exposition of one’s secret life which in no other way one can express. It may be collection of information on any subject from health to climate which one likes to disseminate to others. (more…)

Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday called for empowering poor, disadvantaged and rural population through providing them with access to the information superhighway for building a prosperous Bangladesh.

He made the call while formally declaring open a two-day launching programme of Mission 2011, organised by Bangladesh Telecentre Network (BTN) at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

The head of the caretaker government urged all to help make the Mission 2011 a success, which can usher in a new era in the country’s march towards progress.
The theme of the mission 2011 is “Building a Sustainable ICT-based Information and Knowledge System for the Poor and Marginalised”.

The aim of the mission is to set up 40,000 telecentres all over Bangladesh by 2011, raising the number from existing 800.

Telecentre is a public place where people can have access to computers, internet and other technologies.

Telecentre exists in almost every country although they sometimes go by different names like village knowledge centre, infocentre, community technology centre, community multimedia centre, information kiosk. In Bangladesh, telecentre are called Community Multimedia Centre, Community Information Centre, Rural Knowledge Centre and so on.

The telecentre helps community members in different ways–like learning and developing skill, creating local content and capturing local knowledge, creating economic activities, providing access to physicians and other distant professionals, overcoming isolation, bridging the digital divide and reaching out to the youth.

Addressing the function, the CA hoped that Mission 2011 would play a significant role in unleashing the immense power of ICT for the country’s national development and help achieve MDGs in the medium term and a poverty-free Bangladesh in the long run.

Highlighting immense prospects of knowledge economy, he mentioned that India currently earns more than $50 billion annually from their software services alone.

Besides, e-governance programmes have brought about dramatic improvements in many countries of South Asia and Southeast Asia as well as in transition economies.

The CA said export earning from knowledge economy of Bangladesh is also growing but it remains far behind its actual potential.

He said the poor have an additional entry now to their list of deprivation. The better-off urban people are benefiting from the ICT-based new economy, but the poor, disadvantaged and rural population do not have access to the information superhighway. “We need to remove this barrier and empower these people by providing them with access to new technologies.”

The CA said a solution to this problem lies in a network of telecentres, which will provide access and support to rural communities.

He expressed his confident that the telecneres will not only minimise the digital divide by improving access to technology but will also provide invaluable support through appropriate contents and advisory services in the livelihood struggle of large number of the country’s population.

He said ICT can undoubtedly play a vital role in the country’s development endeavours and a well-planned and well-laid-out ICT network all over the country will speed up development on many fronts.[Source:Daily Star]

An ordinary citizen

[News & Views] Times of India reports that 4 more Indian cities are transforming into IT cities- 2 in the Tamilnaru and 2 in the west Bengal.Virunelvelly and Trichi are of Tamilnaru and Durgapur and Dankuni are of West Bengal.

The Indian National Association of Software and Service Companies has recently announced the plan. The President of the Association declared that they are taking the information technology from large cities to small towns. Manybig companies have extended their support to the idea. Tata Consultancy, Wipro and HCS and other large companies have expressed their willingness to buildup IT institutes in Tamilnaru and West Bengal. The concerned state governments are also enthusiastic in this regard. They have taken steps to improve the infrastructures of their towns. West Bengal government is ensuring electric supply, improving the roads and highways and improving the livelihood of the citizens in these towns. Tax-free economic zones are to be created in these towns and IT parks are being developed in these 4 towns.(Source: Prothom Alo)

The IT activity in Bangladesh in mainly confined in Dhaka. Now is the time for the Government to spread the technology to other cities and towns. The IT park or infrastructural facilities for IT development should be made available in those areas.

An ordinary citizen

Links:

1) One-fourth of Sundarbans lies in ruins
2) Strong local Govt key to democracy
3) Exit stretagies: the way ahead

By proper application of IT, the local government structures can be strengthened and good governance can be taken to a long distance. It is possible to deliver the service of the government to the doors of the common people. This was expressed by the participants in a workshop.

The workshop was arranged in Bhashani Novotheatre on 7th October 2007 jointly by the Access to Information Program of the Office of the Chief Adviser and Department of Local Government. All the City Corporations, Local Government Directorate of 6 divisional cities, Dhaka and Chittagong WASA, Tongi Municipality, Loudip Union Parishad and executives and representatives of different Ministries and Departments attended the day long workshop.

In the workshop, representatives of different local Government Institutions projected the plan and program of their institutions and analyzed the strength, weakness, opportunities and obstacles of their institutions and assessed the prospect of the E- governance Project in Bangladesh.

Opportunities have been created thorough E- governance to deliver the service to the door of the people. The opportunity must be utilized. This workshop was organized as a step in the continuous effort for developing an E-Government Service for the Government by the Access to Information Program with the technical support of United Nations Development Fund (UNDP).

The ordinary citizen is feeling dismay that while many countries including our neighbor already implemented the E-governance in their country, our exercise is limited within the workshop. We must come out of this inertia and implemented the e-governmence service as early possible in our institutions and organizations of the Government.

ordinary citizen

Mr. Craig Barrett,Chairman, Intel Corporation  in a press conference in Dhaka on 4^th September, 2007  declared the launching of ‘Intel World Ahead Program’ in Bangladesh. Through this program Intel will try to develop infrastructure for Information and communication technology in Bangladesh.

Under this program Intel will supply 1000 PCs to different schools in 3 years in phases. In parallel, in association with Bangladesh Government  it will supply PCs to develop Computer Labs in 64 different districts of Bangladesh. It  will also support to develop high speed wireless W-Max Internet connection to schools of remote areas. In addition it will give training to the teachers and students and will help to develop different topics in local languages for imparting standard education. (more…)

Intel  introduces ‘Intel World Ahead Program’. The program is designed to introduce the digital world to the next billion new users. It is investing $1billion over the next 5 years to enhance live by providing access to uncompromised technology for anyone.

One of the missions of Intel is to provide greater accessibility to the worlds underserved by rapidly creating access to fully capable affordable PCs that are tailored to meet their need.

(more…)

Intel Chairman Mr.Craig Barret along with his wife is coming to Bangladeh on the 4^th instant.

We are not informed about the details of his program. But we are feeling encouraged on his coming to Bangladesh. We hope that his visit to Bangladesh will mark as a milestone in the history of IT sector in Bangladesh.

Intel is the world’s largest semiconductor company and holding the number one position in semiconductor sale worldwide since 1991. (more…)

West Bengal has set the vision to rank among the top 3 IT state by 2010.

It has taken up projects –

a) an ASP( Application Service Provider) to set as enabler of e-Governance application through an effective Government – Citizen interface.

b) Established on an aggressive IT literacy program in schools and colleges n collaboration with industry leaders IBM, Winpo. and NITT

c) Government to actively promote IT usage in state, thereby improving the to the people

West Benga has been one of the Indian fastest growing states in last decade, with 5.2% growth in per capita net SDP.

The state has identified IT as a priority focus sector to be developed into a growth engine. WB is the first state to develop an IT policy in 2000 which is followed by Incentive Scheme in 2001.

(more…)

The INTEL launched a program to take the Computer to the remote villages in India Intel is educating the poor people of this region in computer. At present they are working at Rajestan.

They have a contract regarding this with the provincial Government. Under this contact they will develop wireless network system in the community centre. They will develop internet service in the remote area and help the local people to use the internet in their own language.

To support INTEL, the ICICI Bank, the biggest private bank of India has extended its hand. The bank is giving loan to the villagers in easy installments to buy computers.

INTEL has recently marketed its Classmate PC for the school children. They have decided to distribute this classmate PC to the villages of India.

Already they have invest about 100 core Rupee in this project and they have appointed 3000 computer instructor to teach the students.

We think that such a program is necessary to be launched in Bangladesh also. We may not get INTEL to support us in this respect. Some among us have to come forward to take the initiative to change the face of our villages and their children and to change the fate of our poor people.

In the mean time, the ordinary citizen noticed two developments. One, the introduction of Internet in the mobile phones in Bangladesh.The other, the institution of Computer Information Centers by Grameen Telecom in the rural areas.

We think that these two steps will facilitate use of computer and internet to the common people including the rural people.

But we need more comprehensive projects to reach to all the village people and their children and need special initiative from the private companies and public sector to achieve this.

Bdoza

‘The world poorest countries are being sapped of the technological capacity they need to break out of the poverty trap and catch up with the rest of the world, the UN’s trade and development agency said in its report.

The UN body argued that the Science, technology and innnovation were not luxuries for the the world poorest, but necessities that would allow them to leapfrog into the 21st century.
” We do not see the real mainstreaming of technological policies in the poverty reduction stretagies,” UNCTAD President told. (more…)

The other day (11.06.07) I was listening to a Live Program on ETV. The guests were two Election Commissioner –one is Mr. Sohul Hussain and the other is Brig. General (Retd) Shakhawat Hussain.

Few journalists were also allowed to ask question directly to them and there were provision for the public to ask questions directly to the guests. The whole program was moderated by Samina Jaman, a well known media producer.

One interesting question which touched me is why Election Commission is thinking of preparing National ID card rather than Voter ID card for which they are dictated by the constitution. The question was raised by more than one journalists and when mediator connected Justice Naimuddin(once an election Commissioner) he also put forward the same question to the guests.

The fact which came out is that the Election Commission is primarily working for voter list and Voter ID card but data that is collected by the process could be utilized to produce the national ID card. Virtually they are preparing a database which in future will be taken up by the other ministries or other organizations and will be utilized to serve many other purposes. So a national ID card would be produced as a bi-product of the database preparation for the election.

It is said that finger prints of the voters would be taken by ‘bio-matrix’ system and be shown along with the photo in the voter ID card.

This ID card will not only be used in casting votes but may be used in many other purposes-such as in opening bank accounts, in getting passports, in getting license from the trade bodies etc.

As the voter ID card is for the voters who are above the age of 18 years, so initiative will be taken in future by other organizations to complete the ID card for all.

We appreciate the idea. Bangladesh is becoming more digital and more scientific.

Bdoza

Post script:

29 June 2007

Recently I have read an Interview of the Chairperson of ‘Bela’ , an NGO in Daily Prothom Alo where she told that EC should better prepare the Voter ID card , not the National ID. She told that it wii not be possible to complete the National ID card by 18 months.

We khow that Experts with whom the EC has consultaed opined that the procedure for both National ID and Voter ID is almost same. It willl take no Extra time and it is possible to complete the work within 18 months of time frame.

People with minimum knowledge on digital technology will not differ with the experts.

3 Dec 2007

Controversy over the Voter and National ID card gradually faded away. Both EC and Government were committed to the decision and gradually different areas of the country are being covered by the ID card program. After completion of the port city, Chittagong voter registration with photography is started at Dhaka.

Chief Election Commissioner is pleased with the progress of the work and hope to complete the task earlier than expected. He also declared that EC will present an election this time that the nation will feel proud of.

The ordinary citizen also became listed as voter and he enjoyed the total process- the Registration worker (school teacher) came to the house and recored the data in a sheet, took the signature and took the impression of the fingers. Then few days later, for photography he and his family had to go the camp equipped with laptop and camera. The data were checked and picture was taken along with digital impression of fingers.

22 January 2008

Yesterday I was listening to an ‘expert’ in an interview who was talking against the recording of the fingerprints by biometrix system. He argues that it is taking extra time to complete the process and finger prints may not be evident in many persons who work hard with their hands.

The ordinary citizen believes that even with the few lapses, fingerprints by the biometrix technology will help in many ways to prevent false voting, to identify criminals, to confirm one’s identity in the matter of disputes, etc.

25 January 2008

Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Shamsul Huda Chowdhury was saying to the journalists that the voter list that they are preparing will be national database, the benefit of which will be felt when all the works will be completed.

26 January 2008

The Election Commission has floated the voter list in the web at www.voterlist.gov.bd for correction by the voters themselves by using their pin numbers. Now the voter list of Dhaka has been given and time allowed for correction is 15 days. The voter list of other areas will be displayed gradually.

18 Feb 2008

The EC has undertaken special drive o f10 days to include the elders, ill and disabled people in the voter list after completion of the normal voter listing in the Dhaka city, which will be gradually extended to the other areas. A relative of a jaundice patient was rather excited when she saw the field personnels of the EC came to the hospital to list her relative in the voter list (a TV channel).

EC also arranged to include the inmates of the jails to be listed in the voter list and it is decided that that voting camp will be stationed in the jails for the inmates.

Hope that EC would be careful not to include the inmates who couldn’t be voter as per law. They may be included in the national database.

4 Mach 2008

EC declared that they have crossed 50% of the voter list by this time and they are 1 month ahead of the schedule.The progress is hailed by the UN representative and others.

8 Mar 08

Government has taken initiative to form a ‘National ID card Registration Body’, first of its kind in Bangladesh to instutionalise the Voter ID and National ID card initiative.

16 March 08

CEC hopes to publish the draft voter list by June 08 which is earlier than the declared roadmap. After June, he hopes to declare the date of national election.

30 Mar 08

5.16 crore (51.6 m) voters, 60% of the total voters, have been registered , another 3 crore will be registered by the end of June 2008, CEC hopes.

25 April 2008
‘The ongoing Voter registration process is of international standard’ says a survey funded by UK Department of International Department (DFID)

‘It is going to be a list of quality no less than that of America or England’ said one of the consultant of the survey titled ‘Monitoring voter listing process and focal group research’

10 May 2008
One Election Commissionar said yesterday that the voter listing will be completed by June and in October they will able to declare the national election schedule.

20 May 2008

It’s a great day for me. Me and my family got the ID card today. Over the card printed ‘National ID Card’ both in English and Bengali. Then my name, my father’s name and mother’s name, my date of bith -no mistake and then at last my ID no. In the opposite page,my address is written down and an authorised signature of EC and a date of delivery. We have to colect it from a school, a make-shift centre for local EC. But I expected it to be delivered at home.

3 June 2008
The Election Commission published full page ad on leading dailies with a big Bangadeshi map in the centre showing the progress of the voter listing in different areas of Bangladesh. It shows that 7 crore of the voters are already listed which covers the 85% of the total voters. EC is expecting to complete the voter list by June and to publish the final complete voter list by October 2008. The Chief Adviser retaliated in a meeting with the business leaders that by December 2008 the election will definitely held.

26 June 2008
Daily Star reports ‘whopping success for EC’, 8 crore voters already registered, electronic database ready.

5 July 2008
EC informed to contact the server rooms for any correction of Voter ID cards and who missed the earlier chances to enlist as voters.

8 July 2008

Bangladesh Election Commission has ubdated their website. It is now nice and informative http://www.ecs.gov.bd/English/

9 July 2008

The voter listing is completed today with 8 crore 5 thousand enlisted as voters throughout the country.

14 July 2008

Prothom Alo editorial termed the Voter list with photograph and ID card as the milestone development in our history.[PA]