ICT Sector Needs Incentives Like Garment Industry: Adviser

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Telecommunications, ICT, Science and Technology Rehan Asif Asad has said the ICT sector needs incentives similar to those provided to the garment industry. He made the remarks at a discussion organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) at a hotel in the capital on Sunday.

Describing ICT and telecommunications as priority sectors, the adviser outlined five government priorities: introducing consistent and forward-looking policies under a five-year tax framework, improving mobile and broadband connectivity, building strong digital public infrastructure under the “One Citizen, One ID, One Digital Wallet” initiative, developing an AI-ready workforce and expanding electronics manufacturing.

Citing Vietnam as an example, Mr. Rehan said the country’s consumer electronics exports had increased from $1 billion to $217 billion in a decade. He said a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration could contribute around 1 percent to national GDP growth.

AmCham President and Mastercard Vice President Syed Mohammad Kamal welcomed several government initiatives, including tax exemptions for freelancers and content creators and duty benefits for computers, digital devices and semiconductor-related equipment.

Participants at the discussion called for open-loop ticketing in metro and toll systems, wider use of Bangla QR for international payments, stronger cybersecurity, legal recognition of digital signatures and electronic contracts, and measures to address the shortage of AI and data engineering skills through industry-academia collaboration.

Mr. Rehan said Bangladesh Bank had agreed to open Bangla QR for international fund flows as an initial step. He said the One Citizen, One ID platform would be open to both domestic and international payment networks and that the Startup Sandbox provisions would be reviewed in consultation with the wider startup community.

The adviser also stressed the urgent need to expand Bangladesh’s submarine cable capacity. He said the country’s maximum national demand had reached 12 terabytes against current capacity of 6 terabytes, while data traffic was doubling every two years. He said adequate submarine cable capacity was crucial for ensuring the country’s digital sovereignty.