ICT Division moves for 14 more IT training centres

The ICT Division plans to build 14 more IT training and incubation centres in the country, aiming at turning entrepreneurial dreams of rural youths into a reality and better enabling them for the job market ahead of the fourth industrial revolution.

The division has recently sent a proposal to the Planning Commission for the project – to be implemented by the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority at a cost of Tk1,118 crore.

If the project is approved, 33 districts will come under localised IT training coverage.

"With a decentralisation bid, the government wants to spread the training facilities across the country to reduce pressure on Dhaka," Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, managing director of the Hi-Tech Park Authority, told The Business Standard.

He said each of the proposed centres would have arrangements to train 500 students annually with a minimum Secondary School Certificate (SSC) academic qualification.

"The training would be sufficient to employ them in the ICT sector," commented the managing director.

According to the project proposal, there is no alternative to building knowledge-based human resources to establish Bangladesh as a middle-income country. So, each district in the country needs to have such hi-tech or IT parks to attain sustainable development goals.

So far, 39 hi-tech parks have been set up in different regions including Dhaka, Chattogram, Jashore, Natore, Rajshahi and Khulna.

But, reviewing the project proposal recently, the Planning Commission raised some questions over matters, including Tk6,848 cost for developing per square foot space excluding land, Tk75 crore allocation for training, Tk50 lakh for fuel although the project will have rented cars.

Officials at the ICT Division said they estimated the construction price based on rates fixed by the Public Works Department as well as in the market. Besides, Bikarna Kumar Ghosh told TBS that the new building would have energy-saving power facilities and green technology that added some additional costs to the construction.

The Planning Commission recommended implementing the project with the help of the Local Government Engineering Department or the Public Works Department.

Bikarna Ghosh said they would establish such IT training centres in every district of the country.