Bangladesh’s digitalisation will not be possible if local companies do not flourish and the BASIS SoftExpo’s way of showcasing industry skills plays a great role in motivating companies and reaching out to targets, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi yesterday. 

Addressing the closing of a four-day BASIS SoftExpo, he expected the BASIS to not only uphold but also strengthen the private and public sector software and services industries.

The government is organising training programmes on a massive scale through which about six lakh manpower have already been added to the industry, he said.

“There are currently about 10 lakh youths related with the country’s ICT sector and by 2021, total employment in ICT related professions will hit 20 lakh,” said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

The time has come for Bangladesh to compete in the global market and using the latest technologies, Bangladeshi ICT companies will achieve excellence in the sector, he added.

Palak also urged local banks and financial institutions to use locally developed software as it would ultimately help the market for their products to grow.

It was the perfect opportunity for local software and IT companies to display their depth and strength of their capabilities in front of international buyers, said BASIS President Syed Almas Kabir.

The SoftExpo also focused on creating more collaborative relationships between ICT companies at national and international levels. Trade delegations from numerous countries were invited to experience the immense potential of Bangladesh’s ICT industry, he added.

The country’s biggest ICT product exposition showcased capabilities of Bangladesh’s software industry.

About 300 companies displayed their various products and innovations at the event, which the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) has touted as the biggest software related expositing in Asia of 2020.

A good number of international buyers from Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands took part in business-to-business meetings during the event, which helped a few firms secure contracts.

About three lakh visitors came to experience the local innovations and developments featured at the Dutch-Bangla Bank sponsored exposition at the capital’s International Convention City Bashundhara. Interested students were able to submit their curriculum vitae for possible employment.

There were about 30 seminars and sessions held with over 100 national and international speakers sharing their thoughts on the industry. Current and former BASIS officials were present.