Saturday, August 14, 2010

5th Internet Governance Forum


5th Internet Governance Forum
14 to 17 September 2010  Lithuania
Fifth meeting of the Internet Governance Forum. The meeting, which is being graciously hosted by the Government of Lithuania, will be held in Vilnius from 14 to 17 September 2010.
Participation is open to all entities accredited to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Other institutions and persons with proven expertise and experience in matters related to Internet governance may also apply to attend.
The overall theme of the meeting will be IGF 2010 – Developing the Future Together. This theme reflects the open and inclusive nature of the IGF with its multilateral, multi-stakeholder, democratic and transparent approach to discussions of Internet-related public policy issues. The Vilnius meeting will help articulate a view of how we can use the Internet for the benefit of all humankind, and how we can further address the risks and challenges ahead. Internet governance should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means of achieving development for all as expressed in internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.
In broad-based consultation with stakeholders, the Multistakeholder Advisory Group has prepared the following programme for the meeting:
• Managing critical Internet resources
• Security, openness and privacy
• Access and diversity
• Internet governance for development
• Taking stock of Internet governance and the way forward
• Emerging issues: cloud computing
The experience of the IGF so far illustrates the complexity and multifaceted nature of public policy issues related to Internet governance. While the IGF has no decision-making power, it has built bridges by bringing together people and institutions with diverse interests. Perhaps the greatest strength of the IGF is that it encourages stakeholders with diverse opinions and experiences to discuss concerns and move towards a common understanding. http://intgovforum.org/cms/the-preparatory-process/492-invitation-to-the-fifth-meeting-of-the-internet-governance-forum

Bazlu
________________________
AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
&
Head – Community Radio Academy

House: 13/1, Road:2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh

Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105

E-mail:
ceo@bnnrc.net, bnnrc@bd.drik.net
www.bnnrc.net

Dont Buy Any Mobile Handset Without WifI .


Now a days you will see lots of "latest" model mobile being launched. these mobile were due 5 years ago, not now. These mobile actually being dumped in our country, Bangladesh. Because latest mobiles all have WiFi on it. So don't fall for these mobiles, don't buy. Buy or wait till you get WiFi Enabled mobiles handset,  its the future feature and a must.

- jahan

Disclaimer: ICT Of Bangladesh Group is not responsible for the content of external website links and messages that has came from it's members.

I am don't agree with Mr. Jahan in some point. Yes, now a days a lots of mobile handset being launched in Bangladesh. I know most of them are either Brand Less or few Unknown Brand. But in Branded Mobile set I can't agree that ALL of them which is without WiFi Supported. Say Nokia MusicExpress Series 5230 mobile  handset has excellent on Music Player but don't have WiFi Support. Now will you say it 5 years old model ?!

You advice people don't buy any handset which not have support of WiFi. If a person, earning about 10k BDT per month. Will he buy a handset which cost about 25k? or wait when the hand set price become lower in future.

My ultimate asking is how many people who bough high end WiFi enable handset in Bangladesh, used 30% of feature ? Most of people use his handset as camera, playing music, FM Radio and receiving or sending call or text. 


Noor Ahamed Bauani
Chief Technology Advisor
Dhaka Wireless
http://www.dhaka-wireless.net/
An IPv6 Ready ISP in Bangladesh, Need an IPv6 Connectivity? Just Knock us!
HP: +880-1818-BAUANI (SMS Only, No Direct Call Please)

Friday, August 6, 2010

On Digital Politics in Bangladesh


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

Science study : A review of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinees


A review of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinees of different groups under the country's education boards over two decades shows that the share of science is continually shrinking. Whereas the percentage of science students in 1990 was 42.21, it has come down to 22.32 in 2010. Similarly, at the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) level the percentage of the same group in 1990 was 28.13 but in 2010 it has come down to 18.14. The statistics speak for themselves. Where have the students gone? They are taking Business Studies in larger numbers. At the SSC level the percentage of business studies examinees has gone up from 7.30 per cent in 1998 to 34.57 per cent in 2010. Almost a similar jump of the same group has been recorded at the HSC level too.  
At a time when the need for science and technology study proves crucial, this decline is alarming. For a precise answer to why this is happening, a methodical and elaborate study conducted by competent people is essential. The statistics of the education boards have not shown the urban rural disparity. But the fact is that schools and colleges of rural areas mostly do not have competent teachers in, among others, science subjects. Students willing to pursue science studies in some schools and colleges would not be able to do so simply because those institutions do not offer teaching in such subjects. Then there is a complaint that the HSC science syllabus is complicated and contains many unnecessary topics. Moreover, 25 per cent of the marks has been kept for practical work but most schools and colleges in rural and even a few in urban areas do not either have a laboratory or required facilities.
 
So, these problems need to be addressed on a priority basis if we want to revive interest in science study.
Science study The Independent
Saturday, 31 July 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

First Hi-Tech Park Infrastructure of Bangladesh in Kaliakoir District Erects Hope


The administrative office of the Hi-Tech Park erected at Kaliakoir, Gazipur, as a symbol of the great expectation from the IT entrepreneurs of the country. The much talked Hi-Tech Parked finally opened the gate for national and international IT investors to show how the government is prepared to facilitate the IT industry. 247 acres land with high speed internet connection and uninterrupted power supply will make the country one of the global outsourcing destinies.

The land for the Hi-Tech Park was acquired some years ago but its development was slowing down time to time. Now it is prepared to boost the local IT industry and such huge land with a vast panoramic beauty will need foreign investment to grow up with businesses. 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.

State Minister, Ministry of Science and ICT, Architect Yeafesh Osman joined an event at the Hi-Tech Park titled, "The role of Hi-Tech Park, Software Technology Park and ICT Incubator for the development of IT industry" which was organised by BASIS, Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services. The State Minister invited businessmen to build own building for developing a world class technology hub and he laid focus on R&D.

The State Minister shared his experience of visiting some hi-tech parks in other countries. He emphasized on building eco-friendly out sourcing and technology hubs.

About 19 crore Taka has been allocated by the government to build roads across the Hi-Tech Park. Road construction will be started after the allocation of the land among the IT investors. Bus and train services will connect the Hi-Tech Park with Dhaka for comfortable and quickest communication. The Park will bear a digital university to cater the required experts to the IT industry.

Best utilisation of the Hi-Tech Park will spring off more Tech regions, thus these regions will be developed, employment will be growing up and the country will earn like the garment industry.

Already a negotiation with SAMSUNG is going on with the government to kick off a biggest IT establishment at the Park which may employ at least 1000 IT professionals.

Besides the Park BASIS also demanded and demonstrated requirements for more IT incubators and software technology parks in Dhaka. The apex software association suggested that Jonota Tower can be converted into a software park for building the software industry. Another request of them was to build a software park at the BCSIR arena.

India and Pakistan are enriched with many Hi-Tech Parks, our neighbouring country Bhutan is also building a Hi-Tech Park. So far we lagged behind for lack of Hi-Tech Park. Many smaller hi-tech parks, in terms of sizes, than the Kaliakoir Park are employing huge IT professionals as well as fuelling up export growth.

The elegant place for the Hi-Tech Park will allure investors if production goes up smoothly and Hartal typed political activities cannot hamper the operation. In addition to the IT infrastructures other facilities like hotel, hostel, swimming pools etc can encourage investors and foreign experts to stay in or around the Hi-Tech Park. This well-built IT park will invite NRB IT experts to come back home and it will stop brain drainage.

Even without Bangladesh Computer Samity, BCS, and Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh, ISPAB, the event at Kaliakoir organised by BASIS was vibrant. However, absent of the two trade bodies from the event rose some questions about the unity among the IT businessmen.
http://www.theindependent-bd.com/
http://www.theindependent-bd.com/

The Independent
9 July 2010

* Shahidul K K Shuvra
Editor of IT and Science pages
The Independent
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