The government plans to set up four more virtual desks in country's missions abroad with a view to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and linking connection between local and foreign IT companies.
The ICT Division has already started working to set up the desks in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Netherlands, sources said.
"The purpose of setting up such desk in foreign missions is to foster partnership and collaboration with the respective countries’ IT companies and businesses through investment, trade and business match-making," said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
He said such initiative will help Bangladesh achieve its target of earning US$5 billion from ICT exports by 2025.
The first such desk was launched in Bangladesh High Commission in London on May 31 to tap business and attract investment from the potential market of the United Kingdom (UK).
Palak said Bangladesh has already emerged as a lucrative destination for investment as 7 Hi-tech/software parks/incubation centres among the 39 are in operation now,” said the state minister for ICT Division.
The virtual desk will greatly help the Bangladeshi IT companies to utilise business potentials of these countries as some of Bangladeshi IT companies have already stepped in there and many other companies have been trying to enter these markets.
The services to be provided through the virtual desk are to make available company profile, appointments for the Bangladeshi IT companies with IT companies of these countries, B2B match-making, information about Bangladesh and IT industry insight etc.
LICT project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division has been coordinating and providing support to BNDA team and South Tech Group to develop the virtual desk.
IT-ITES Policy Adviser of LICT Project Sami Ahmed said a lot of development has taken place in the country’s IT sector and the local companies have been exporting IT products to nearly 100 countries.
The virtual desk would work as medium for match-making of local IT companies and foreign IT companies to expand business of local companies and increase ICT export which is over $1 billion now.
