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DHAKA, Jan 18, 2024 (BSS) - State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak today said the neighbouring India will continue its supports towards Bangladesh in building a smart country by 2041.

 "As a true friend of Bangladesh, India will also stand by the country in building 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041 as like it stood beside in materialising Digital Bangladesh," a press release quoted Palak as telling journalists after Indian High Commissioner Prannoy Kumar Verma paid a courtesy call on him at his secretariat office here.

During the meeting, they discussed various bilateral issues, especially those related to the posts, telecommunications and ICT sector.

Referring to the historical relations between the two friendly countries, Palak said that Bangladesh will remember forever India's role in its emergence through the great Liberation War.

He expressed the hope that the existing excellent relations between the two friendly countries will strengthen further in the days coming ahead.

Noting that Bangladesh and India will work together to keep the cyber world safe, the state minister said, to this end, a final agreement between the two countries will be signed within the next three to six months.

India is providing US$19 crore under the Line of Credit (LOC) to construct 12 hi-tech parks across the country, he said, adding that these parks will open by 2025.

"India is a large market with about 1.5 billion people. Through the export of our manufactured software and hardware, this huge market can be a milestone (for us) in the progress of the digital technology sector," Palak said.

Palak and Verma also discussed on increasing Indian investment in the private sector of data center construction, posts, telecommunications and ICT. In this regard, more attention would be given to accelerate Bangladesh-India startups bridging, they observed.

Besides, Palak said India will remain standing by Bangladesh in building the smart nation while Bangladesh will extend support to its neighbouring country in building 'Digital India.

After the meeting, the Indian high commissioner said significant discussions were held on various issues of the ICT sector.

"India will stand by Bangladesh to build the smart Bangladesh. And both countries will work together on cyber security," Verma said.

He added: "We also discussed on how to make the youth more tech-savvy and work-oriented and how to make digital payments".

The people of both countries have benefited from the enhanced mutual relations between India and Bangladesh over the past 10 years, Verma said, adding that this relationship will continue in the future.