Business Desk :
The government has set up eight technology parks across the country, aiming to create skilled manpower, facilitate businesses in the information technology sector and create employment opportunities.
However, apart from the one in Dhaka, the seven other parks established in different parts of the country remain in a dire strait even 5 years after the announcement of the plan.
The real situation of creating employment opportunities in these parks is nowhere near the government-set target. About 60% of space in the parks outside Dhaka has remained unrented for a long time due to a dearth of entrepreneurs. On top of this, many of the entrepreneurs who rented space in some of these parks have had to shut down their businesses later.
Creation of skilled manpower is one of the main objectives behind setting up of these technology parks. But, entrepreneurs say a lack of skilled manpower is a major reason why entrepreneurs are not being able to start businesses or are being forced to close down after starting them. Even though the country has a small number of manpower who can work in the general fields of the IT sector, it seriously lacks skilled manpower to work in the advanced fields of the sector.
These parks even lack all supposed high-tech facilities including high-speed Internet. There are various infrastructural deficiencies as well.
Entrepreneurs claim that space rents and other charges in these parks are much higher compared to private establishments at the district level.
Most of the IT sector businesses are Dhaka-centric, which is why doing business in these parks established in the districts is not profitable, according to leading businessmen in the sector.
Against such a backdrop, entrepreneurs are showing little interest in investing in the technology parks except for the Janata Tower Software Technology Park at Karwanbazar in the capital.
The government has set up eight technology parks across the country, aiming to create skilled manpower, facilitate businesses in the information technology sector and create employment opportunities.
However, apart from the one in Dhaka, the seven other parks established in different parts of the country remain in a dire strait even 5 years after the announcement of the plan.
The real situation of creating employment opportunities in these parks is nowhere near the government-set target. About 60% of space in the parks outside Dhaka has remained unrented for a long time due to a dearth of entrepreneurs. On top of this, many of the entrepreneurs who rented space in some of these parks have had to shut down their businesses later.
Creation of skilled manpower is one of the main objectives behind setting up of these technology parks. But, entrepreneurs say a lack of skilled manpower is a major reason why entrepreneurs are not being able to start businesses or are being forced to close down after starting them. Even though the country has a small number of manpower who can work in the general fields of the IT sector, it seriously lacks skilled manpower to work in the advanced fields of the sector.
These parks even lack all supposed high-tech facilities including high-speed Internet. There are various infrastructural deficiencies as well.
Entrepreneurs claim that space rents and other charges in these parks are much higher compared to private establishments at the district level.
Most of the IT sector businesses are Dhaka-centric, which is why doing business in these parks established in the districts is not profitable, according to leading businessmen in the sector.
Against such a backdrop, entrepreneurs are showing little interest in investing in the technology parks except for the Janata Tower Software Technology Park at Karwanbazar in the capital.
