It is obvious that unless Bangabndhu was born in this land, the Bengali could hardly see their emancipation. Bangabandhu emancipated the people of this land who endured thousands’ years of tyranny and inequalities. He is the father of the Bengali nation. Today Bangabandhu’s Bangladesh has been digitalized. Sajeeb Wazed Joy is the pioneer of Digital Bangladesh.
Making Bangladesh a digital country and ensuring the digital services to the doorsteps of the people was the electoral manifesto of the Awami League government in 2008. It is the first Premier in the history of the country who sketched the Digital Bangladesh strategy spearheaded by the Information and Communications Technology Advisor, Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
Sajeed Wazed Joy is the grandson of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the worthy son of our honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. His father Dr MA Wazed Miah was an internationally reputed nuclear scientist. Bangabandhu named him Joy a symbol of nation’s victory.
The birth of Joy coincided with the independence of the country in 1971. To achieve ‘Joy’ or ‘Victory’ was the ultimate goal of the liberation war. During the liberation war the word ‘Joy Bengla’ was the most uttered word by the people in the country. It is eventually assumed that the birth of ‘Joy’ is very significant hinting at accelerating the spirit to be victorious over the war of independence.
A versatile scholar Sajeeb Wazed Joy was graduated in Computer Engineering at the University of Texas, Arlington in the United States and successfully completed the Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. After a prolific academic career, he went on to establish himself as an IT Professional at the Silicon Valley in the USA. He is a renowned IT expert in the world and the worthy successor of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy is the architect of digital Bangladesh .His gaining knowledge and skills from world reputed universities has opened new possibilities and eased the lives and livelihoods of the countrymen blessed with digital opportunities . He is the key artisan going on materializing the concept of digital Bangladesh with new policy formulation and sector roadmap.
Meanwhile, Bangabandhu Satellite-1 has been launched and the preparation is ongoing to send the second satellite in the coming year. Not only that, the country has seen enormous progress in building the digital economy and has been rewarded as a Top Mover in Huawei’s 2019 Global Connectivity Index list.
Again it is good to see that up to January 2021 the internet users of the country has reached to 112.713 million which indicates the tremendous achievement in internet connectivity. Sources estimate that 70% of the entire population has come under the internet coverage. Consequently, all the necessary information has been well-accessed to the mass public due to having a strong foundation of internet connectivity.
With the easy access of internet connectivity the country has found the digital coverage in the four targeted sectors such as Human Resource Development, Connecting Citizens, Digital Government, and Promotion of ICT Industry successfully. Before the estimated time frame these sectors have seen many achievements due to massive coverage. Thanks to the honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her prudent guidance to bring the nation under digital umbrella.
Evidently, people across the country are enjoying many services that have been quickened with the blessing of digitization. The government has ensured the services of digitization even to the people of remote countryside. Every Union Parishad across the country has been equipped with digital facilities. Consequently, the gap between the city and village has reduced.
From getting admission to academic institutions to collecting results and official papers or paying tax and many more purposes people choose online stand. Apart from this, online and mobile banking systems have sped up the financial activities. E-Business has been a boon in the age of digitization. Also telemedicine services, videoconferencing for the treatment of diseases, and video conferencing for administrative activities are common to see. The introduction of ‘999’ emergency service has been another revolutionary initiative by ICT Advisor of the government Sajeeb Wazed Joy , that is providing services millions of people across the nation.
On top of that, the present government has made ICT education compulsory from Class – 6 up until Class – 10. Digital labs have been established at many schools and the works of establishing more 5500 digital labs are ongoing to develop IT skills of the school students. Again, the government has established a great number of science and technology universities across the country to ensure quality technological knowledge for generations.
Many high-tech parks have been constructed in different parts of the country and using resources more than one hundred local companies are exporting their IT products to different countries in the world and earning huge currencies. Undoubtedly, the country has undergone huge changes in regard to infrastructural development to digitize it smoothly.
It is true that amid the Covid-19 pandemic digitization has added a magical strength in every sector including education, health, business and commerce. Besides, it has benefited in accomplishing office work at home. Online stand has given a friendly environment for students to continue learning as if digital Bangladesh were a boon to them. Health services, relief and emergency food distribution services are available through the new helpline “333”.
Undoubtedly, the country has been a glaring example of bringing enormous growth and development through the use of Science, Technology and Innovation. It is really surprising that amid the world economic downturn the country’s economy has showed upward and in terms of per capita income the country has overtaken some neighboring countries.
To this end, it is obvious that the government’s ICT Advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy will be the key leader to lead the 4th Industrial Revolution. He is working relentlessly to develop next-generation technologies now instead of hiring technology from other countries. Long live our visionary leader Sajeeb wazed Joy for bringing enormous possibilities and benefiting the nation through his plans and strategies to place the country to a height of digitalization.
Alaul Alam: teaches at Prime University. He is also a research scholar at the IBS
Email: malaulalam@gmail.com
