DHAKA, Sept 15, 2019 (BSS) – State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak today said the government is promoting country’s young generation in innovations and entrepreneurship to help them become self-reliant.
“The ICT Division is encouraging youths in generating innovative ideas to become self-reliant by utilising information and communication technology,” he told the inaugural ceremony of 2nd chapter of ‘Student to Start-Up’ at ICT Tower in Agargaon area here.
Leading youth platform ‘Young Bangla’ and Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA) Project under the ICT Division arranged the function.
The state minister said at present the country is enjoying demographic dividend as seventy percent people of the country’s total around 16.5 crore population is now below 35-years old, according to a press release.
He said around 4.5 crore students are studying at different educational institutions and every year around 20 lakh youths enter into work field. Palak said only government and private enterprises will not be enough to ensure employments for them. The state minister said the government is promoting entrepreneurs to help them become self reliant and enable them in creating employment opportunities of others.
He said an innovation ecosystem will be built in the country utilizing innovations in the ICT sector.
Palak said Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre will be built at every university to make the students skilled in IT.
He said they government has Taka 100 crore budgetary allocation in the current fiscal to cooperate entrepreneurs. Besides, the IDEA project has allocation of Taka 100 crore, he added.
Chaired by Bangladesh Computer Council Executive Director Parthapratim Deb, the function was addressed by Bangladesh University Grants Commission Member Dr Sajjad Hossain and IDEA Project Director Syed Mojibul Huq and Centre for Research and Information (CRI) Associate Coordinator Tonmoy Ahmed, among others.
This time, students of the school and college will also be able to participate in the 2nd chapter of ‘Student to Start-Up’ competition along with university students.
The winner of competition will also be awarded grant of Taka 10 lakh to the top 10 winning startups and 20 more startups will also be selected for grooming to make them matured. After completion of grooming, if the startup meets the targeted improvement then the matured startups will also be awarded grant.
There are about 25 places have been selected as venues for ‘Student to Startup: Chapter- 2’ across the country.
Any Bangladeshi student will be able to register with their invention in the contest. There is a condition for participants under the age of 18 is that at least one member of the team must 18 years old or older.
For online registration, students may apply through the following link- www.s2s.startupbangladesh.gov.bd and also may visit at Startup Bangladesh Website which is www.startupbangladesh.gov.bd.