BB initiative to set up 10,000 digital centres
July 5, 2010
FE Report –Bangladesh Bank has taken initiative to set up 10,000 digital centres to provide IT-based banking and insurance services at the grassroots level of the country.
“This is a visionary project and the centres will be set up under SME programme,” Dr Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) said.
Proper implementation of the plan depends on the good intention of banking and financial institutions. This technology-based project will take the banking service to the door step of common people, he said.
The private banks and financial institutions should come forward to establish the digital centres, he said adding that private banks could be able to take their services to the remote corners of the country through introducing the electronic system.
“And with this aim we are planning to set up 10 digital centres in each thana initially,” he said.
He was speaking at a seminar on “Setting up Digital Centres under SME” in the city organised by the central bank and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Foundation.
Digital Technologies Ltd (DTL) will set up the centres as the central bank approved the project in September last year.
“The centres will take ICT services to the doorstep of common people and ensure empowerment of women,” Mozammel Haque, chief executive officer of DTL said.
Apart from giving bank credit the digital centres would be used for bill payment of utility services, online care trading, e-ticketing, e-top-up and payment of land taxes and insurance premiums, he said.
The project will create self-employment for 100,000 unemployed women in three years, he said while presenting his key-note paper.
The loan under SME project will directly be extended to a five-member group of unemployed educated young people, he explained.
The group of five educated youths would be given Tk 0.5 million loan from SME fund to establish a centre, he added.
The activities for setting up of the digital centres have already been launched in a number of areas and Sonali Bank intended to be involved with the project, Mr Haque said.
Aftab-ul-Islam, chairman of SME Foundation, suggested setting up the centres at pilot project-based programme to observe its output.
Syed Rezwanul Kabir, managing director of SME Foundation, Sukamal Sinha Choudhury, general manager (SME and special programmes department) of BB and Ebtadul Islam, executive director and head of Bangladesh Bank Training Academy were, among others, present at the seminar.
Source: thefinancialexpress-bd.com
iPhone 4 Drop Test: Outlook Not So Good
June 24, 2010
Prone to dropping your handsets? Maybe you even dropped your iPhone in the past and got lucky with no scratches or cracks? These iPhone drop test results might scare you into using some protection (ha!) or being a little more careful. We already know that the iPhone 4 has glass that is chemically strengthened, but it’s still glass and therefore still pretty damn fragile.
Maximum utilisation of ICT stressed
June 24, 2010
RANGPUR, June 22 (BSS): Speakers at a seminar at Nababganj said building of a medium income developed digital Bangladesh would be possible through ensuring maximum utilisation of information communication technology (ICT).
Successful implementation of digital programme can contribute a lot
June 22, 2010
RAJSHAHI, June 21 (BSS): Mayor of Rajshahi AHM Khairuzzaman Liton has said that the wide-ranging promotion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based service delivery process could be the means of building digital Bangladesh as announced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Citi, D.Net launch first round of Citi Financial IT Competition
May 6, 2010
The Citi Financial IT Case Competition (CFICC), supported by Citi Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Citi and organized by Citibank, N.A. Bangladesh and D.Net (Development Research Network) launched the first round of 2nd CFICC Wednesday.
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Ctg laptop show begins May 6
May 4, 2010
The 6th Chittagong Laptop Fair showcasing brand new laptops of world-renowned brands begins at the port city on May 6, officials said.
Maker Communication will organise the three-day fair sponsored by the country’s leading telecom company Grameenphone at Chittagong Gymnasium. The main theme of the fair is ‘Light up the technological light.’
e-business in Bangladesh: An analysis
April 28, 2010
Muhammad Mahboob Ali and Nargis Akter
Bangladeshi companies and organizations have several problems to start full swing e-business. These include limited resources, backwardness in technology, managerial inefficiency, socio-infrastructural problem such as corruption, default culture, law and order situation, rampant corruption, strike etc. Good governance and investment friendly environment are required in Bangladesh. Network is a mode of communications with the computers. Networks of computers can be classified in following ways: Local area network, Metropolitan area network, and World Wide area network. Multiple computers connected through telephone lines, cable systems, and in wireless technology are also required.
Community radio in Bangladesh: The way forward
April 21, 2010
The community radio movement in Bangladesh has started on the right foot though it may find itself balancing on a narrow plank.
The Bangladesh Ministry of Information, in collaboration with various stakeholders, has put together a set of guidelines called “community radio installation, broadcast and operation policy.” The paper encompasses definition, fundamental principles, eligibility of applicants, technical structure, licensing process and fees as well as technical structure and other terms and conditions.
Bangladesh can be ‘an ideal site’ for regional investors
April 18, 2010
THE seminar on ‘Bangladesh as an Investment Desti-nation”, organised by India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI), is an appropriate initiative. This topic is relevant to the current context of regional economic cooperation. It may be considered a significant and dynamic driver for the prosperity of both Bangladesh and India.
Nuclear sand in Cox’s Bazar
April 17, 2010
Bangladesh is said to be the only country of the world to have naturally-enriched uranium. It is said to be in its nuclear sand in Cox’s Bazaar: For long this sand has cured cancer and related diseases. The fast flowing current of our mighty rivers naturally enrich the uranium ore which ultimately turns into radio-active sand in the coast.We are not aware of the authenticity of this report, neither are average Bangladeshis aware of the arithmetic of the nuclear process.
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