Business Desk :
Bangladesh is going to set up virtual desk titled `Bangladesh IT Connect’ involving its foreign missions to connect partners and investors in IT sector and explore business from potential IT markets, said officials.
They said as part of the initiative the ICT Division is going to launch virtual desk in Bangladesh High Commission in UK on June 3 to connect investors in IT and tap business from the potential market of London.
After launching of Virtual Desk for UK market, similar desk will be set up in three to four potential markets including Japan within six months, the officials hoped.
“Bangladesh has emerged as a lucrative destination for investment as five Hi-tech/software parks among the 39 is in operation now,” said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
He said the purpose of setting up such desks in foreign missions is to foster partnership and collaboration with the respective country’s IT companies and businesses through investment, trade and business match-making.
“The initiative will help achieve our target of $5 billion ICT export by 2025,” Palak added.
The services to be provided through the virtual desk are to make available company profile, appointments for the Bangladeshi IT companies with UK based IT companies, B2B match-making, information about Bangladesh and UK events, IT industry insight etc.
“The virtual desk will greatly helped the Bangladeshi IT companies to utilize potentials of UK market as some of the IT companies have already stepped in there and many other companies have been trying to enter the market,” said ICT Senior Secretary NM Zeaul Alam.
He said the desk will also help Bangladeshi IT companies for business to business match-making, rejuvenate trade and investment in the country as well as attract foreign investors to invest in Bangladesh.
LICT project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division has been coordinating and providing support to BNDA team and South Tech Group to develop the virtual desk.
IT-ITES Policy Adviser of LICT Project Sami Ahmed said a lot of development has taken place in the country’s IT sector and the local companies have been exporting IT products to nearly 100 countries.
The virtual desk would work as medium for match-making of local IT companies and foreign IT companies to expand business of local companies and increase ICT export which is over $1b now, he said.
