We are in a realisation that ICT is a must for socio-economic development and there is nothing beyond IT in terms of changing life style and productivity rapidly. US President Barack Obama had taken the IT benefits during the last US election and now many politicians are replicating the way of digital communication. Last election in Bangladesh was to some extent digital focused because teleconference was one of the tools of the election campaign. A bit of digital politics indeed reflected in the last election.
Furthermore, the last election manifesto of Awami League contained some nice words on ICTs and of course, it pledged for a Digital Bangladesh by 2021which, however, was not defined property in the election manifesto. Much discussion about it enlightened people on what should be a Digital Bangladesh and many feedbacks on it suppose to widen politicians' view on it.
The last election of UK was broadcasted as Britain's first and real cyber campaign, mostly it was like Obama-styled to generate grassroots fund, younger facebookers led the cyber awareness programmes, video messages and twitting were taken very seriously as media of interacting with people.
Here all the people are highly in favour of nationwide cyber connections at cheap prices, and involving at least a person from a rural family with PC with internet connection can fuel up economic growth. Business friendly atmosphere is the first pillar of gripping global outsourcing businesses. Nowadays most of educated citizens of the country are more and less acquainted with the connotation of Digital Bangladesh.
So far this Awami League government delivered two budgets focusing much on ICTs than previous budgets. Especially the recent passed budget highlighted IT and telecommunication sectors with laying much importance. The government is in an afford to set up IT villages, Hi-Tech Parks, Software Park, Community E-centre in 133 Upazilas and these are jazzing up minds of IT activists.
Recent opening the gate of the Hi-Tech Park at Kaliakoir, Gazipur, boosted confidence of IT businessmen to go ahead to built joint venture establishments. The Hi-Tech Park of 247 acres land will have government provided high speed internet connection and uninterrupted power supply, about 19 crore Taka will be spent to build roads across the park which is hoped to be one of the global outsourcing destinies. Biggest ever scope at the doorstep of the IT industry just came and strong profession outlook is needed to grip the international business after being settled at the Hi-Tech Park. Latest news is: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in the meeting of Digital Bangladesh Task Force, has agreed to allocate Janata Tower for a Software Technology Park.
However, with a saddened voice we have to tell some performances of the government cannot be called it really has a digital outlook. At first the government blocked YouTube on a ground of blocking discussing between the Prime Minister and some army persons on the BDR massacre. Such closed doors discussing should not be licked out for the interest of national security. But this blocking was not a solution at all; on the contrary, the YouTube blocking caused dissemination of the secretly taped conversation. After the blocking surfers used different internet means to hear the audio record.
Again the telecommunication authority logged out facebook to deprive over seven lac facebookers from the social networking. For a few cyber criminals a great numbers of surfers cannot suffer and the authority ignored facebook is related to economic activities and it is next generation version of e-commerce.
Currently machine readable passport is a nightmare than becoming a blessing. Our passport office has taken a big challenge to prepare machine readable passports for the foreign travellers of the country when it is not efficient enough to deliver manually written passports on time without harassing passport seekers. The process of MRP preparing was uncertain business during the last BNP led government, they delayed to take decision on awarding the business. Finally the government had taken a decision despite being not well equipped in delivering such passports.
Foreign travellers and overseas job seekers are in a big hassle to get a MRP passport, even with MRP they are refused to get visa or faced hassles at some immigration points because its information cannot be seen without help of machine. Embassies are confused in issuing visa on manual passport or MRP! These dualities are a complex for the travellers who are visiting outside of the country.
These are not attached to the digital outlook and endeavour; such acts mostly can go against the concept of Digital Bangladesh. Most of IT advisers to the government are out of the course of ICTs, sometimes they mislead our leaders who are yet to be based on e-governance. Similarly instead of national interest trade men try to convince the government only for the interest of their businesses. We need more wise policy advisers to the government and the government can bring ministers, bureaucrats and politicians in a class for educating them on IT revolution and courses of ICTs.
Citizens of the country will be cheated and deprived until they are not coming in the management of information dissemination. Right information should be come in a click of any citizen, it will be shown on radio and TV screens. Efficient dissemination of information can invite an ordinary citizen to knowledge based society. Here people are eager to get information, for example: one of the recreations of them is reading newspaper, so bringing them in availability of information can connect them with the essence of knowledge based society.
ICT is changing politics like other things have been changed for the advent of internet. Soon politicians will be very eager to get IT savvy as well as involved with digital politics for survival. This aforesaid statement should be delivered to them; at first IT literate politicians will get the benefits than those politicians who will be late in adopting IT. Politicians in Dhaka are heading towards the next City Corporation election and soon they will be agile in election campaign. Tele-density in Dhaka is up to the mark and internet penetration is on the rise. So soon we will be witnesses of digital politics and campaign by hosting website, facebook propaganda, twitter, blogs, SMS, teleconference etc.
The Independent
6 August 2010
* Shahidul K K Shuvra
Editor of IT and Science pages
The Independent
