BSS, Rajshahi :
The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib High-tech Park, which is being constructed in Rajshahi, has been generating high hope among the young entrepreneurs and others concerned in terms of generating job opportunities.
As a whole, around seventy-five percent of the physical infrastructure development works of the park has already been completed. However, construction works of Sheikh Kamal IT Incubation and Training Centre at the park has been completed creating working scopes for 100 start-ups and 500 IT professionals.
The 62,000 square-feet IT Incubation centre with energy efficient state of the art office of building have multipurpose training facilities, high quality start-ups, rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources.
All sorts of business environments were ensured for attracting investors from both home and abroad.
Space allotments were already handed over among ten young entrepreneurs in the Sheikh Kamal IT Incubation and Training Centre and six of those have started work with around 200 youths.
It may be mentioned that the park is being built on 30.67 acres of land in Nabinagar area adjacent to Rajshahi metropolis aimed at establishing knowledge-based IT industries together with ensuring an area-based development.
Bangladesh Hi-tech Park Authority has been implementing the Taka 287.11-crore project initiated by the Information and Communication Technology Division with the main thrust of creating scopes for the new IT entrepreneurs and employment generation.
Employment opportunities for around 14,000 youths both male and female will be created upon successful implementation of the project by June, 2021, said Engineer Fazlul Haque, Director of the project.
The infrastructure development works included land development, a ten-storey Sajeeb Wazed Joy silicon tower in the area of 2.70 lakh square-feet, substation and generation building, internal roads and drains, boundary wall and high-speed internet.
Engineer Haque said the silicon tower will have multipurpose facilities including two basement parking floors, high standard training, seminar and conference rooms, rentable office spaces and lounge and recreation area.
He said the Bangabandhu Hi-tech Park intends to create an atmosphere for establishing industries on ICT, engineering, electronics, telecommunication and biotechnology. Besides, more avenues of employment for the ICT people will be created in this venture.
Foreign companies, he said, would be allowed to provide technological support for developing local industries.
The present government is pledge-bound to promote the ICT sector for overall development of the country, he added. As a whole, the park will contribute a lot towards the national economy.
Professor Rafiqul Islam Sheikh, Vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, expected that the park will play a key role in building Digital Bangladesh, accelerating the national economic development by expanding hi-tech industries, establishing hardware and IT industries and creating an investment-friendly condition to attract foreign companies.
Afroza Arobi Tushi, who is working with an IT institution namely Power Fleet Bangladesh at Sheikh Kamal IT Incubation and Training Centre, said many youths both male and female will get scopes of building careers in the park in Rajshahi instead of going outside.
