Be Entrepreneurs and Create Job for Others, PM Urges Youths

"There is an inclination among the educated persons to go here and there for fetching a job after completing study. But we don't want our youths to go here and there and approach others for jobs," she said.

"Instead of relying on others, the youths should be entrepreneurs of their own, stand on their own feet and create employment opportunities for others," she added.

The Prime Minister was addressing the "Digital Centre Entrepreneurs Conference" at the National Parade Square in the city. Some 11,000 entrepreneurs of over 4,500 "Digital Centres", previously known as "Union Information and Service Centres (UISCs), joined the conference.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, eminent IT expert and PM's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy, State Minister for ICT Junaed Ahmed Palak and UNDP Country Director Paulin Tamesis addressed the conference as special guests chaired by Local Government Division Secretary M Monzur Hossain.

PM's Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar spoke, while PMO Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad delivered the welcome address and Project Director of the A2I Programme Kabir Bin Anwar gave the vote of thanks.

Two Digital Center entrepreneurs -- Bishakha Chakma of Rangamati Sadar upazila and Md Arifuzzaman of Rangpur Sadar upazila -- shared their experiences with the audience at the programme.

The Prime Minister said the aim of the setting up of the UISCs is to make arrangements for every person to stand on their own feet. "It (UISCs' activities) won't remain limited to only Bangladesh as we have arranged training for the unemployed youths so that they can go abroad after getting training," she said.

Terming the Digital Center entrepreneurs as the "Digital Son" of the country, the Premier also urged them to devote themselves to building "Sonar Bangla" as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and thus take the country forward.

In this connection, she mentioned that the country's youths could now take collateral-free loan up to Taka 1 lakh from the Karmasangsthan Bank and start their own business. "The ceiling of loan would be raised to Taka 2 lakh in future to create further scope for self-employment," she said.

Mentioning that some ill attempts are being made to remove the entrepreneurs of the Digital Centers who are associated with these centers from the beginning, Sheikh Hasina categorically said that these Digital Centre entrepreneurs would not be removed rather they would certainly stay in their position.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina issued a strong warning to the public representatives including the pourasabha mayors and councilors, upazila parishad chairmen, union parishad chairmen and members not to make any interference and put their "own people" in these Digital Centres.

The Prime Minister also said that her government has a plan to set up high-tech park in every district alongside the main high-tech park in the capital.

"The main high-tech park would be established in Dhaka and we would build such a park in every district," she said.

Noting that the countrywide internet speed now is not time-befitting, Sheikh Hasina said her government has taken various steps to raise the internet speed and high speed internet would be made available in future.

In this connection, she mentioned the approval of the Bangabandhu Satellite Project by the ECNEC, which is expected to further enhance the digital services. "The work for the project would start very soon as a process is underway to float tender for the mega venture," she said.

Mentioning that some five crore services have so far been provided from the Union Digital Centres, the Prime Minister said that some seven crore online birth registrations alongside registration of some 20 lakh males and females seeking to go abroad have been completed through the centres.

Removing confusion among the Digital Centres entrepreneurs, Sheikh Hasina emphatically said birth registration would be done in the Digital Centres.

"I know there is confusion about continuing birth registration through the centres. The birth registration is now being done (through the centres) and it would continue in future," she said amid thunderous clapping of the Digital Centre entrepreneurs.

In this connection, the Prime Minister underscored the need for registering the deaths of people side by side with birth registration.

Highlighting various forms of services from the Digital Centers including over some 200 e-services to the rural people, Sheikh Hasina said that some 40 lakh students are being imparted education through some 23,500 multimedia classrooms while multimedia classrooms would be set up in all schools across the country gradually.

She said that Digital Centers are also offering outsourcing and training facilities for the youths through which they could gain more skills and raise their incomes.

The Prime Minister also renewed her pledge to build a hunger- and poverty-free middle-income country well before 2021 and a developed nation by 2041.

She said that as a victorious nation, Bangladesh would move ahead in international arena keeping its head high while the country would be further prosperous in all fields including education, health and employment.

PM's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy said it is fact that the speed and quality of internet services is lagging behind in over 4,500 Digital Centers across the country, but the government has taken an initiative and it would be possible to ensure high speed broadband internet to every union in the next four years.

He said that when the election manifesto of Awami League was unveiled in 2008 to build Digital Bangladesh, many had then termed it impossible due to scarcity of power and internet. "But, after five years, "Digital Bangladesh" is now a reality," he said.

The PM's son said that he had recently visited Rangpur and talked with the entrepreneurs of a Digital Center where they had informed him that they are earning Taka 50,000 to Taka 60,000 per month by rendering various services to the people through the centre.