Can IT change our fortune!

Economists of the world has been forced to admit the phenomenon of ‘Bangladesh paradox’. Political unstability, limping over the thin path of democracy, occasional but regular threat of fundamentalist activities- nothing could stop it from marching on the slippery path of economic progress.

\r\n\r\nCountry’s economy is in peril due to intermittent hartal coupled with violence disrupting business and commercial activities.One more important factor in business is safety and quality. Due to destructive political activities directly impact on product quality and timely delivery the product.

\r\n\r\nRecently, two incidences in Garments factory is a final warning for the country’s business. Confirm operation safety, this is the most important for expand business in global market.

\r\n\r\nWheel business magazine, as in its previous editions, has come up with the agenda for the fortunate educated section as to how they can prove themselves useful to their motherland. The IT industry of our neighbours is contributing 7% to Indian GDP while ours demanding subsidies and resources for decades together and still failing to cross its perennial infancy. While India is earning over 75 billion dollars from the ICT industry we are still in finger-countable millions! Our projection of earning 2 billion dollars by 2006 ended in a satiristic less than one percent performance. Authors in this volume have shown lights of hope as to how our ICT-skilled manpower could prove itself useful not only within the country but also outside being a significant part of the multi-billion dollar ICT export market. With similar social and educational background, why should we fail where Indians are achieving unprecedented success from this sector despite the fact that our young people have shown their superior performance in world wide ICT competitions? We need to focus ourselves and remain committed to the end. We must analyze success and failure of each project undertaken with the hard-earned money of the toiling common mass and ensure transparency and answerability of the agencies involved so the same error is not repeated.

\r\n\r\n The man power is the only surplus, but the absence of proper hands on training and education this power does not work properly. It becomes a burdens of the nation. The most cost-effective path to progress is developing human resources through world class education, which will enable us face the competition and globalization of the 21st century successfully. The present Government’s commitment of creating Digital Bangladesh can only be materialized by adequately emphasizing in education, in particular ICT-based education and through massive use of ICT to address the challenging issues the nation is facing.

\r\n \r\nDr. M. Kaykobad
\r\nProfessor and Head of Department
\r\nCSE (Computer Science & Engineering) Department,
\r\nBangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)