Syed Iqbal, a 35-year-old physically challenged youth, looks beaming as Union Information Service Centre (UISC), set up in Kamalbazar under Dakshin Surma upazila of the district around three years back, has brought a major change in his life as he is earning a satisfactory income by providing ICT-based services to people.
He said, ‘I have earned around Taka 80,000 and Taka 85,000 in May and June last respectively by providing around 37 categories of services to people through this UISC established in 2011,’
He informed the number of service-recipients was 21,105 and earning was around Taka 3.51 lakh in last 2013-14 fiscal.
Rokib Uddin, who initially lost interest to work in the UISC, said during launching of the UISC he was not hopeful of making a profit out of it due to repeated losses. But, within six months, a good number of people started coming to the UISC to get various emergency services, he added.
In terms of earning, from very beginning he upholds the top position in the district and the second or third in the division – comprising eight districts.
At the centre, alongside providing different services including agriculture, land, health, education and legal aid, Rokib provides computer training to the students and unemployed youths, which greatly helped them to get better jobs.
Very recently his major incomes started coming mainly from computer training, composing, scanning, printing services, photography, photocopy, online registration, birth registration and internet browsing, he stated.
Like Rokib Uddin, many entrepreneurs of UISCs across the district have entered these profitable ventures to enhance their regular income.
An entrepreneur of Jalalpur Union said he earned Taka 47,488 in June last through his centre. He expects to earn more within a short time if the existing problems are solved.
Narrating his brief working life, Roni, a post-graduation student of Sylhet College, said ‘I want to be self reliant through the UISC and I am very hopeful of becoming a successful entrepreneur and social contributor.’
Md. Shohidul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Sylhet, said different services of the upazila administrations are available at UISCs, which are helping to save time and money of the rural people.
