The government is going to appoint 1,112 persons trained in computer science and information technology at district and upazila levels.

The decision was taken last week at a meeting of the secretary-level committee on administrative development under the Cabinet Division.

Officials at the Information and Communication Technology Division said the appointments would be given for conducting ICT activities properly at the field level.

In addition, computer labs are also being set up in primary and secondary schools. The labs have been set up in four to five secondary schools in every upazila with equipment worth Tk 20 lakh to Tk 30 lakh each.

The headteachers of the schools are provided with tablet computers. The schools will soon have free Wi-Fi services, said headteacher of a secondary school at Kolaroa in Satkhira.

Besides, a digital data centre has been set up in each union so that people can avail information easily.

For coordinating these activities properly, the government has decided to hire the persons at district and upazila levels, said an ICT division official.

Of the 1,112 persons to be recruited, 64 are assistant network engineers, 64 office assistants at district levels, 488 data entry or control operators and 488 office assistants at upazila levels, he said.

The government has already set up a directorate of information and communication technology for utilisation of ICT, the official added. It has taken a number of projects in this regard.

In future, more ICT-related jobs would be created in public and private sectors, he added.