RAJSHAHI, Aug 18, 2018 (BSS)-Construction of Bangabandhu Silicon City (hi-tech park) is
progressing fast here creating a high hope of employment generation.
The hi-tech park is being built at a cost of Tk 281.91 crore at Bulanpur
under Rajpara police station in the metropolis.
The park will create new employment for more than 14,000 youths both males
and females.
Deputy Project Director Mahfuzul Kabir said the park will provide
incubation facility to new entrepreneur companies in IT and ITeS sectors
along with drawing local and foreign investors.
The work on the project covering an area of 31.63 acres is going on in
full swing. The youths will get the opportunity to work in the area once the
construction is finished in June, 2019.
“We are implementing the project with highest priority as it was promised
by honourable prime minister. We hope we would be able to initiate the
activities of the park by completing its construction within the stipulated
time,” Kabir added.
Mayor-elect of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton terms the
silicon city as dream of Rajshahi and it is going to be a reality within near
future. On completion of the park, Rajshahi will be familiarised with the
global arena by 2021.
He said the park will play a key role in accelerating the economic
development by expanding hi- tech industries, establishing hardware and
IT/ITeS industries, and creating a healthy investment environment for foreign
firms.
“Rajshahi will become a digital economy hub by generating IT-based
employment in that park,” Liton said adding that the park is being built
following a pledge made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a rally in
Rajshahi in 2011, when she had promised a bright future for the city’s
students.
“The city is hosting more than 100,000 students of different educational
institutes like Rajshahi University, Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi
University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) and Rajshahi College,” he
said.
At the preliminary stage, the interested persons will get training and
afterwards they will get works in the park.
Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP, said Bangabandhu hi-tech park will play a vital
role in boosting the current economy of the region by creating new
technology-based employment.
He said a total of 672 families who were residing on the 31-acre park site
were given around Taka 3.74 crore in phases as compensation for their proper
rehabilitation.
Badsha said that the ICT Division has been implementing the hi-tech park
project as the present government under the dynamic leadership Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina is very much keen to implement the project for socio-economic
development of the region.
The lawmaker said the park will play a key role in building Digital
Bangladesh, accelerating the national economic development by expanding hi-
tech industries, establishing hardware and IT industries and creating a
conducive atmosphere to attract foreign companies.
Foreign companies, he said, would be allowed to provide technological
support for developing local industries. The present government is pledge-
bound to promote the ICT sector for overall development of the country, he
added.
To this end, the government has been implementing massive programmes and
people of both rural and urban areas are enjoying benefits of modern
technology, Badsha also said.
Upon successful completion, the silicon city will infuse dynamism into
economic activities of the region, said Prof Abdul Wadud of Department of
Economics in Rajshahi University.
In addition to generating massive young entrepreneurs, the park will
contribute a lot to creating employment opportunities.
The number of Dhaka-bound job hunters from this region will be reduced,
Prof Wadud expected.
“I am very much hopeful about positive outcomes of the park”, said
Akheruzzaman, a student of Department of Computer Science and Engineering in
Rajshahi University.
He expected that many of the graduates of Rajshahi University and Rajshahi
University of Engineering and Technology will get job in the park.