AT A GLANCE OF PRESENT ICT STATUS OF BANGLADESH(Part-3):

(“E-Governance Horizon report (2007) -An assessment study of e-Governance in
Bangladesh”, Prepared by Access to Information (A2I) Program, Chief Adviser’s
Office Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh)
o Almost 41% households own television.
o Only 22.5% people listen to the radio.
o Bangladesh Post Office introduced Electronic Mail Service (e-Post) through 16
general post offices. from 16 Aug 2000.
o Grameen Phone, a leading telecom operator in Bangladesh, has 475 Community
Information centre (CIC) that are fully owned by local entrepreneurs. With a
minimum investment of BDT 80,000
o There are around 1000 telecentres (year: 2007), owned by local entrepreneurs,
operating mainly in the rural areas of Bangladesh.
o Cyber café is now available even at the district level. The café owners’ association
presented, an estimate showing that 40 percent of their users are students, 30 percent
job-seekers, 20 percent business users and 10 percent of them fall in the mixed
category.
o Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) has already established Digital
telephone exchange in 41 districts and in prominent upazillas. The rest of the districts
will be under the digital telephone network coverage within 2008.
o The government has issued 5 licenses for national PSTN operators and 11 for
different regions.
o There are 6 mobile operators providing services, among them 5 are GSM technology
based and one is CDMA technology based. The whole country is under the network
coverage of mobile operators.
o In July-2007 the total number of mobile phone subscribers have reached to
32,525,414 and tele-density reached to 23.3% (As per population number 140
million).
o Brown University's 7th annual analysis (which was published on July 24, 2007) of
international e-Governance reflects that Bangladesh ranked 155 out of 198 countries.
o Bangladesh was connected to the information super highway through sub marine
cable in 2006.
o 55 projects were taken through SICT (Support to ICT Task Force) program in
different ministries and agencies, from which 14 are already completed and remaining
41 are going. It can be noted that these projects have created a favorable impact in
rendering better services to the Citizens.
o Most of the banks are getting automated in their various services like ATM
(Automated Teller Machine) booth, different types of cards (VISA, Master Card,
Debit, Credit card), point of sales (POS), online banking, SMS banking, Tele
banking, etc. In terms of trade.
o About 23 Public Universities offer Computer Science and ICT related courses. Nearly
all 54 Private Universities are offering ICT related courses.
o Both Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchange are highly computerized and networked,
allowing citizens to trade with much more ease than before.
o Bangladesh is trying to introduce e-Police system on automation of five thanas under
Dhaka Metropolitan Police such as electronic databases of criminals and crime cases,
online GD entry etc.