Govt, industry, and academia, together can make big initiatives successful: Palak

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, said that the ICT Department strongly believes in public-private partnership (PPP) and is keen to see new initiatives succeed, based on these partnerships.

"I believe that if we can combine government, industry, and academia properly, we can make many big initiatives successful," Palak added.

The State ICT Minister said this as chief guest at the inauguration of the iSocial "Sujog" platform on Saturday, read a press release.

The digital platform 'Sujog' will benefit some 100 million Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) population of Bangladesh by enhancing their skills to provide decent earnings.

The platform will also create new entrepreneurs and incorporate them into their digital financial management.

In his speech, Palak applauded iSocial's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ananya Rayhan, for a homegrown solution like Sujog, and hoped that the platform will bring success to the digital economy of Bangladesh.

In his keynote address, Palak said that in 2021, some 11.5 crore people have access to the internet in Bangladesh, which is helping iSocial's activists to bring internet-oriented services to the doorsteps of citizens across the country.

He also called upon young entrepreneurs of the country to build a digital economy by harnessing the talent and energy of youth.

In her welcome address, Barrister Anita Gazi Rahman, chairperson of iSocial, highlighted the various achievements of the iSocial Digital Platform in building entrepreneurship through digital solutions to achieve the dream of a Digital Bangladesh.

iSocial's CEO Ananya Rayhan further highlighted their goals and objectives. Bipasha Hossain, managing director of Sujog, discussed the various benefits of the platform.

Aftabul Islam, director, Bangladesh Bank, Arfan Ali, managing director, Bank Asia, Dr Nazneen Ahmed, senior research fellow, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), and Tina Jabin, managing director and CEO of Startup Bangladesh Limited, were also present at the inauguration ceremony.