Course Correction For ICT

Local market and ICT education Could help ICT reaching next destination

Last week I had the opportunity to visit BASIS Soft Expo 2023 at Purbachal on the outskirts of Dhaka. The event is held every year to showcase local advancement in ICT and to highlight the areas that our ICT sector should focus on to meet the challenges and to unlock the potentials of techies. Previous year's event was cancelled due to austerity measures.This year's event was subdued but could have been postponed for the budget crunch that the govt is still facing.

I went to the event to hear public speaking given by “professional” developers and visited part of the exhibition where local ICT companies displayed their achievements. To my surprise, I discovered that one company offering banking solutions to local clients.As one news report divulged that a swiss company holds sway over the sector and local banks pay as much as Tk 4 billion every year to maintain the software¹. It is great to learn local fintech companies come forward to address local problems. After some brokerage houses,local banks are now using homegrown solutions.One local giant firm showcased their solution for pisciculture.The application will inform the farmer about the pH level of water in pond/tank and notify when to feed the fish. This particular company already made its mark at international arena by developing software for water management at apartments and it is being used by households in Japan and Saudi Arabia.

It is unfortunate that we have undermined the ICT sector by judging it in terms of earning forex.According to a news report ,Bangladesh last year exported $592.06 million worth of ICT products and services and anticipates to earn around $700 million this year². From policy makers to local software firms all cast their eyes on foreign market. But I think our goal should be to harness local market and develop local softwares that ultimately lead us to develop critical technology.

Our ICT education does not cater to the need of local learners. In English,there are well-written and well-developed ICT books and web contents. However, for kids and school-goers who are not well adept in a foreign language ,there is no substitute for good ICT books written in Bangla. More early our kids pick up coding habits the better for the nation. Coding skills help us to better use that part of the brain that deals with slow thinking,a quintessential part of critical reasoning and analytical ability. As a nation ,more of us need to acquire that ability. Apart from money and developing home-grown technology, welfare contribution of coding is huge.

Unfortunately series of scams at home and abroad left a serious blot on the image of our ICT industry in general. Fraudulent e-commerce platforms ruined thousands of ordinary lives right under the nose of law-enforcement bodies and sowed seeds of distrust among the consumers about the industry. Regional mafias lured many youths to work in the IT industry of Cambodia and forced them to do cyber scamming³. UNDP and govt funded projects on app development turned out to be useless and a money-swindling activity at the end of the day⁴. Electronic Voting Machine project by an Army-subsidiary cost the govt Tk 40 billon and presented the nation a farcical election that was criticized right and left. This year too in the name of EVM update Tk 10 billion has already been allotted to the Army subsidiary by the govt ahead of next general election.A news report says that another Army-subsidiary owes Tk 11 billion to a public bank that had lent to it to set up an edible oil plant. Govt refused to write-off the loan. Is there a trade-off? Meanwhile, many quasi-state and state organizations like NBR and Railway developed softwares that saved public money and show prospect for future export. There are also allegations of corruption and deception about one of the sponsors of BASIS Soft Expo took place in the past⁵.

As govt declared ICT sector one of the sectors where clandestine capital may find safe sanctuary , start-ups and ICT firms need to be careful about the opaque capital that may land in this sector. Often such investment only corrodes the industry and damage reputation. E-commerce industry is the burning example. Many international organized criminal groups may take advantage of such policy.

Local market,ICT education and addressing local problems should be at the heart of our ICT policy. Dependence on govt should be reduced.It is a bad idea that ICT target is solely fixated at foreign market. Our education, health,agriculture,textile and garments offer enough opportunities for the ICT sector to leap forward to another level.

Notes And References

1. "Bank Cholbe Deshi Software(Bank Will Run By Local Softwares)", Fakhrul Islam,Daily Prothom Alo,August 16,2020.For more read at https://tinyurl.com/acza9kx3
2. "Bangladesh's IT Export Surges Despite Global Slowdown",Mahmudul Hasan,Daily Star,February 23,2023. For more read at https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/bangladeshs-it-export-surges-despite-global-economic-crisis-3255011
3. "Sold In Cambodia: How Bangladeshis Are Lured Into Slavery", Masum Billah,The Business Standard,September 06,2022. For more read at https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/sold-cambodia-how-bangladeshis-are-lured-slavery-490818
4. " The Govt Has So Far Made 600 Apps.How Many Actually Work?",Ariful Islam Mithu,The Business Standard,September 11,2022. For more read at https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/government-has-so-far-made-more-600-apps-how-many-actually-work-493898
5. "RingId Embezzled Tk 212cr In Three Months",Daily Star,October 03,2021. For more read at https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/ringid-embezzled-tk-212cr-3-months-2189266

[Note:This piece has been updated by me at 9:00 am and 11:18 am Bangladesh Standard Time on March 06,2023.Updates include references to banking software and Bangladeshis working as slaves in Cambodian IT industry.]