AMCHAM DIALOGUE WITH ICT SECRETARY AND POLICY ADVISER (ICT COORDINATION & REFORM)

• 26 Feb 2025
• 8:30 pm
• The Sheraton Banani

The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) hosted

a dialogue with Mr. Shish Haider Chowdhury, ndc, Secretary, Mr. Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Policy Adviser (ICT Coordination & Reform) from the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology at the Sheraton Hotel Banani, Dhaka on February 26, 2025. Mr. John Fay, Commercial Counselor, Mr. James Gardiner, Economic Officer and Ms. Amy Cass, Economic Officer from U.S. Embassy Dhaka also attended the event. AmCham President Mr. Syed Ershad Ahmed joined as the Session Chair. Vice President Mr. Eric M. Walker and Executive Committee members Mr. Md. Moinul Huq, Mr. Rashed Mujib Noman, Mr. Mirza Shajib Raihan and Ms. Rubaba Dowla and a few AmCham members including Mr. Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager, MasterCard,  Mr. Khaled Aziz, MD & CCTO, Standard Chartered Bank, Mr. Atiqur Rahman, Country Leader, Cisco Technology Bangladesh Limited, Mr. Habibullah N. Karim, President, Technohaven Company Limited, Mr. Kazi Taher Hossain, Business Development Manager, Dell Global B.V-Bangladesh Liaison Office, Mr. Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Managing Director, Smart Technologies (BD) Ltd., Mr. Yousup Faruqu, MD, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Microsoft.

During the meeting, members actively shared their valuable insights, challenges, and recommendations regarding National Broadband Reach (NBR), contributing to a robust and productive discussion. Their diverse perspectives provided a deeper understanding of the key issues, highlighting both the obstacles faced and the opportunities for improvement. The presence of the honorable ICT Secretary and Policy Adviser (ICT Coordination & Reform) further enriched the dialogue, offering expert guidance and fostering a collaborative environment. This interaction allowed for a more comprehensive examination of NBR strategies, laying the groundwork for potential policy reforms and initiatives that could drive the country’s ICT development forward.

The dialogue on ICT Coordination & Reform focused on several key issues: Standard Chartered Bank highlighted the confusion around the definition of “Person” and the unclear classification of personal data, which raises costs and deters foreign investment. Cisco discussed the suspension of government-funded projects and the resumption of some, urging action to deliver equipment to customers. Microsoft emphasized the need for timely approval of the Cyber Ordinance 2025 and PDPA, along with ensuring software compliance and developing a roadmap for AI and cyber security. Technohaven called for stronger e-government security, the use of proven technology platforms, promoting foreign investment in data centers, and collaborating on managing national IT parks for growth in the IT and BPO sectors. The ICT Secretary and Policy Adviser (ICT Coordination & Reform) emphasized the importance of successful digitalization and the need to identify gaps within the ICT sector to ensure effective progress. He highlighted the significance of skill and capacity development to keep pace with evolving technologies, stressing the need for a structured and organized approach to the sector’s growth. He also appreciated that the current journey of digitalization had been good, acknowledging the progress made so far. Additionally, the Secretary pointed out the importance of implementing a Tier 4 Data Center to support the increasing demand for secure and reliable data storage infrastructure, which would be crucial for fostering both business growth and technological advancement.