The government has launched a virtual desk in Bangladesh Embassy in South Korea aimed at connecting investors and partners, exploring business, and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the IT sector.

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak inaugurated the virtual desk titled: `Bangladesh IT Connect Portal-South Korea (www.kr.itconnect.gov.bd)’ which will play a role of a catalyst to bring business and investment from South Korea by connecting IT companies of both countries.

ICT Secretary Md Shamsul Arefin, Ambassador of Bangladesh to South Korea M Delwar Hossain, Managing Director of Startup Bangladesh Sami Ahmed, Project Director of Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Dr Mohammed Mehedi Hassan, Director General of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Jon Won Kim, President of BASIS Russell T Ahmed and Chief Operating Officer of Ulkasemi Mizan Rahman, among others, addressed the function.

The `Bangladesh IT Connect Portal-South Korea’ has been developed jointly by the World Bank-financed Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division to make it a Bangladesh and South Korean Business to Business (B2B) connectivity hub.

Speaking at the programme, Palak said Bangladesh and South Korea relations reached a new height in the last 51 years of independence of Bangladesh as both countries have been cooperating with each other in many areas, including trade and commerce.

“The volume of trade crossed the $3 billion mark for the first time in 2022 which was 38.71% up from the previous year,” he said adding Bangladesh’s export to South Korea also reached a record high of 678 million during the same period,” he said.

Seeking cooperation in Bangladesh’s journey towards becoming a Smart Nation by 2041, the state minister said South Korea ranked 5th in the world in terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and it would further continue to provide cooperation by investing in Bangladesh.

“The government has already created an enabling environment for investment in the IT sector by building Digital Bangladesh,’ he said calling upon the IT companies of South Korea to invest in Hi-tech Parks and the IT sector.

 Palak proposed taking up a long-term joint skill development programme by Bangladesh and South Korea to provide training to the Bangladeshi educated youths.

He urged the state-owned Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Bangladesh embassy in South Korea to take immediate steps in this regard.

With the inauguration of Bangladesh IT Connect Portal- South Korea the number of such portals set up in foreign missions stood at four.

The necessary information relating to business and investment could be found on the website (www.kr.itconnect.gov.bd).