Chattogram hi-tech park to open this yr: Official

FT ONLINE

The construction work of a hi-tech park in the port city is going on in full swing.

The Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) is establishing the Tk 250 million (Tk 25 crores) hi-tech park at Bangkok Singapore market in Agrabad area by its own resources with assistance from the World Bank.

Sources said, construction of the hi-tech park is nearing completion and it is likely to be inaugurated in the current calendar year.

Once constructed, the ultra-modern amusement park will create employment opportunities for hundreds of people, they said.

A high official at the CCC said, a total of 2,500 new jobs will be created after the hi-tech park project is implemented.

Under the project, the CCC is renovating the whole Bangkok Singapore market. The main portion of the hi-tech park will occupy five floors of the multi-storied supermarket, the official said.

Modernization work is going on in full swing from the first floor to the fifth floor of the market.

He said the World Bank is providing Tk 300 million (Tk 30 crore) for setting up the park on the five floors of the market.

Officials said the CCC signed an agreement with the hi-tech park authority on July 18 the last year 2018 to implement the project. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed on March 11 this year for building the park within the current year.

Under the deal, the Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centre will be a part of the new hi-tech park.

Construction work of the food court, kids' zone, Cineplex and other main amusement components have already been completed. The rest of the work on the five floors is progressing fast.

CCC Mayor A J M Nasir Uddin said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has planned for creation of a 'Digital Bangladesh'.

He said the endeavour to make the country a Digital Bangladesh was finally started by her a decade ago.

At present, there are over 10 crores (10 million) people in Bangladesh who are using Internet, he mentioned.

"So, we are setting up a hi-tech park in Chattogram (as part of that process to digitise the whole country)," he said.

"After completing the park, 2,500 youths can get jobs there," he added.