People skilled with ICT knowledge are indispensable to reach the goal of Smart Bangladesh

If we are truly willing to build Smart Bangladesh in less than two decades and become a prosperous, high-income economy driven by technological advancement, the progress we make with regards to information and communication technology (ICT) will be one of the driving factors.

While Digital Bangladesh has done wonders for Bangladesh in terms of bringing digitization to the mainstream, the reality is that when it comes to overall ICT skills, particularly with regard to computer programming and coding, we are still playing catch up.

To that end, it is good to see that we are recognizing this need within the nation and are also doing something about it with Project Code, which is the first international coding bootcamp in Bangladesh and is an exclusive joint venture of Digital Bridge and Codeworks, Europe's premier coding bootcamp.

What was most impressive was hearing Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel admit that there has been a lacking with regard to providing training and guidance needed to deliver international standards when it comes to ICT jobs. Also notable has been the slow scaling of the project, with only 20-25 students having yet enrolled in the program, and the fact that they are cognizant of needing women to join in as well. The need for upskilling cuts across the entirety of our future generation, and it is only when forward-thinking initiatives such as Project Code allow for a level-playing field will we be able to equip tomorrow's leaders with the skills they require to bring us closer to Smart Bangladesh.

There is no denying that the previous few years were a difficult period for most economies. As a result of the fallout from Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine as a result of Russian invasion, entire sectors have been reeling and feeling the effects.

That is what makes the growth viewed in Bangladesh's ICT sector all the more impressive; ICT exports from the country reached record highs last year as a result of businesses in the sector receiving an increasing number of orders from international customers, with Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics show that by the first quarter of 2022, local IT companies' export revenues had increased by 52% year over year (YoY) to $369 million. The earnings from the July-April period of FY 2021-22 were also 35.59% more than the target set for the sector in that period.

This is particularly encouraging as it shows that despite the uncertainty that has been prevalent across the globe, the relevant authorities and stakeholders within our ICT sector have nonetheless marched on.