IT sector experts in a webinar on Thursday said that some fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to the Japanese ICT entrepreneurs and investors by the Japan government would expedite the process of making investments in Bangladesh following the current practices while Japanese investors are investing in the ASEAN countries.
They highlighted the rewarding opportunities that the fast-paced IT/ITES sector of Bangladesh is ready to offer to the Japanese ICT entrepreneurs and investors. The webinar hosted by BASIS with Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) on Thursday on “Bangladesh- Japan IT/ITES Industry Fraternity: Tapping the Trade & Investment Opportunities”.
BASIS Senior Vice President Farhana A. Rahman presented keynote in the webinar. She said Bangladesh rejoices the time-tested strong economic and diplomatic relationship with Japan, established in February 1972, since then, Japan has been the single largest bilateral development partner of Bangladesh.
Addressing the ICT industry fraternity that Japan and Bangladesh enjoys, BASIS had also observed Japan Day in SoftExpo 2019 and continuously attending in the Japan IT Week since 2015, she informed.
The webinar was attended by representatives from around 100 top Japanese companies of the ICT domain with a quest of understanding the trade and investment potentials of Bangladesh ICT sector. Farhana A. Rahman further informed that Bangladesh has emerged to be a competent outsourcing destination globally for IT/ITES becoming the 2ndin providing ICT outsourcing services such as, image processing, customer supports, software development, business processing and management outsourcing including non-verbal BPO, telemedicine, medical transcribing, customized website development, mobile application development.
During the webinar, BASIS Director Rashad Kabir introduced the Bangladeshi ICT companies who are now working with cutting-edge technologies in the areas of artificial intelligence, big data analysis, internet of things (IoT), AR & VR, web application and customized software, mobile application, and he invited all interested Japanese ICT businesses to communicate BASIS for finding suitable counterparts here, when needed.
While delivering his presentation, BJIT Representative Yasuhiro Akashi said that Bangladesh can be equally seen as the Next China and Next India from the Japanese IT/ITES investors and offshore development partners as Bangladesh is simultaneously oriented to English and Japanese languages offering available human resources at a very competitive rate that makes Bangladesh unique compared to Viet Nam, Philippines, Latin America, and Myanmar.
In his closing remarks, Country Representative of JETRO Yuji Ando wished, JETRO along with BASIS looks forward to working together for taking the ties between Japan and Bangladesh ICT sectors to the next level.