The
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...
sector in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
had its beginnings in
nuclear research
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...
during the 1960s. Over the next few decades, computer use increased at large Bangladeshi organizations, mostly with
IBM mainframe
IBM mainframes are large computer systems produced by IBM since 1952. During the 1960s and 1970s, IBM dominated the large computer market. Current mainframe computers in IBM's line of business computers are developments of the basic design of th ...
computers. However, the sector only started to get substantial attention during the 1990s. Today the sector is still in a nascent stage, though it is showing potential for advancement. Nonetheless, Bangladesh IT/ITES industry has fared comparatively well by achieving US$ 1.3 billion export earnings in FY 2020-21 and holding US$ 1.4 billion equivalent market share in the local market contributing 0.76 per cent to the GDP creating more than 1 million employment opportunities so far amid
Covid-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
havoc that suddenly shattered businesses last year.
Consequentially, riding on the successes of IT/ITES sector-supported export-led industries as well as pro-private sector and conducive policies pursued by Bangladesh Government, the country is now poised to become a Developing Country by 2026, as recommended by the United Nations
Committee for Development Policy
The Committee for Development Policy (CDP; Spanish: ''Comité de Políticas de Desarrollo'', CPD) is a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The task of the CDP is to provide independent advice to the Counci ...
(UNCDP), besides, Bangladesh now seeks to transform itself into a knowledge-based and 4IR-driven cashless economy, aiming to become a developed country by 2041.
The Bangladesh government has formulated a draft `Made in Bangladesh– ICT Industry Strategy’ aimed at turning Bangladesh into a ICT manufacturing hub, enhancing export of local products, attracting foreign investment and creating employment proposing to implement in three terms— short term from 2021 to 2023, mid-term from 2021 to 2028 and long term from 2021 to 2031 for implementation of the 65 action plans.
History
The first computer in
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...
was an
IBM mainframe
IBM mainframes are large computer systems produced by IBM since 1952. During the 1960s and 1970s, IBM dominated the large computer market. Current mainframe computers in IBM's line of business computers are developments of the basic design of th ...
1620 series, installed in 1964 at the
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
center of the
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) (Urdu: ) is a federally funded independent governmental agency, concerned with research and development of nuclear power, promotion of nuclear science, energy conservation and the peaceful usage of nuclea ...
(later the
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission). Computer use increased in the following years, especially after the
independence of Bangladesh in 1971; more-advanced IT equipment began to be set up in different educational, research and financial institutions.
In 1979, a computer centre, later renamed Department of Computer Science & Engineering, was established at
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, commonly known by the acronym BUET, is a public technological research university in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1876 as the Dacca Survey School, it is the oldest institution for the study ...
(BUET); the centre has been playing a pivotal role in Bangladeshi IT education since its inception. Through the introduction of
personal computer
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...
s, the use of computers witnessed a rapid increase in the late 1980s.
In 1985, succeeding several individual initiatives, the first
Bengali script in computers was invented, paving the way for more intense computer activities. In 1995, use of the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
began and locally made
software
Software is a set of computer programs and associated software documentation, documentation and data (computing), data. This is in contrast to Computer hardware, hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work.
...
started to be exported.
In 1983, the
Ministry of Science and Technology A Science Ministry or Department of Science is a ministry or other government agency charged with science. The ministry is often headed by a Minister for Science.
List of Ministries of Science
Many countries have a Ministry of Science or Ministry ...
established a National Computer Committee to create the required policies. The committee was also responsible to carry out programs to expand and promote the efficacious use of the sector. In 1988, the committee was replaced by the National Computer Board. In 1990, the ministry reformed the board and reconstituted it as the
Bangladesh Computer Council
The Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), is a statutory and autonomous government body located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that aids in the use of information technology and the formulation of related policy.
Bangladesh Computer Council operates a tier ...
to monitor computer- and IT-related works in the country.
ICT industry
The ICT industry is a relatively new sector in the country's economy. Though it is yet to make tangible contributions in the national economy, it is an important growth industry. The
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) was established in 1997 as the national trade body for software and IT service industry. Starting with only 17 member companies, by 2009 membership had grown to 326. In a study among Asian countries by
Japan International Cooperation Agency
The is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries, and the promotion of international co ...
in 2007–08, Bangladesh was ranked first in software and IT services competitiveness and third in competencies, after India and China.
The
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
, in a study conducted in 2008, projected triple digit growth for Bangladesh in IT services and software exports.
Bangladesh was also listed as one of the top 30 Countries for Offshore Services in 2010–2011 by ''
Gartner
Gartner, Inc is a technological research and consulting firm based in Stamford, Connecticut that conducts research on technology and shares this research both through private consulting as well as executive programs and conferences. Its client ...
''. The
Internet penetration
Global Internet Usage is the number of people who use the Internet worldwide.
Internet users
In 2015, the International Telecommunication Union estimated about 3.2 billion people, or almost half of the world's population, would be online by the ...
has also grown to 21.27 percent in 2012, up from 3.2 percent three years prior.
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector of the country has maintained 57.21 percent export growth on an average over the last nine years since 2009.
In the fiscal year (FY) 2016–17, Bangladesh ICT sector registered export earnings worth US$ 0.8 billion from the global market and US$ 1.54 billion from the domestic market span - thereby making around one percent contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP).
The ICT sector has created around three hundred thousand job opportunities so far.
ICT exports of the country are also projected to reach US$ 5 billion by 2025
.
As the Internet usage increases, the government expects the IT sector to add 7.28 percent to GDP growth by 2021.
References
{{Asia topic, Information technology in