State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak has laid the foundation stone of a hi-tech park in Barishal city’s Kashipur area on Thursday morning. The hi-tech park is being built under the ‘District-based Hi-tech Park Building Project’ undertaken by the Hi-tech Park Authority of the ICT Division. Besides, the park is being built on 6.5 acres of land at a cost of Tk 170 crore. The construction of the hi-tech park will be completed within next two years. Once established, at least 1,000 youths will be able to receive training from it. Besides it will create job opportunities for 3,000 youths. Talking to reporters, Palak said that the hi-tech park will turn Barishal into a technology-based city. Read: Hi-Tech Park to turn Khulna industrial area into tech-based zone: Palak “Barishal will turn into a Silicon City, which will help in the making of a Smart Bangladesh,” Palak added. Mayor of Barishal City Corporation (BCC) Serniyabat Sadek Abdullah, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-tech Park Authority Dr Bikarna Kumar Ghosh and other officials and political leaders were present during the event. BCC Mayor Sadek said that the initiative by the government to build a hi-tech park in Barishal has fulfilled the long-cherished desire of the people of this part of the country. “I hope a generation rich in ICT-based knowledge will grow in Barishal due to this park,” added Sadek. 

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak has said Hi-Tech park will turn the Khulna industrial area into a technology-based zone and create huge employment opportunities for its youths. He said this at Khulna Hi-Tech Park foundation stone laying ceremony in the city on Tuesday. The State Minister and Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque  jointly laid the foundation stone at Tutpara . Also read: PM urges South Korea to invest in Hi-tech Park The Hi-Tech Park in Khulna will be constructed on four acares of land at a cost of Tk 170 crore under the Hi-Tech park construction project at district level by the ICT Ministry funded by the Indian government. The Hi-Tech park which is expected to be completed by two years will provide training to 1,000 youths and jobs to 3,000 youths. Addressing the even Palak said it will have significant contribution in building a smart Bangladesh from a labor-dependent economy to a knowledge-based, developed economy. Also read: Hi-tech park to be developed in Keraniganj Among others present on the occasion were Khulna-2 MP Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel, Information and Communication Technology Department Senior Secretary NM Ziaul Alam, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, acting Assistant High Commissioner of India to Khulna Asim Kumar Santa and officials concerned of the ICT division.

A 15,000 square feet hi-tech park is going to be established in Keraniganj, southern suburb of Dhaka city. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid laid the foundation stone of the 7-story hi-tech park in Keraniganj. Also read: 'Boosting electronics, hi-tech industry the need of the day' Addressing a function on the occasion, he said the hi-tech park will play an important role in creating skilled manpower in the country. “There is no alternative to create skilled manpower to get the results of the fourth industrial revolution”, he said adding the initiative to create skilled manpower will help face the future challenges.      State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami also addressed the function. It was informed at the function that Tk 200 crore will be invested in the hi-tech park project which will have facilities to provide training to 1000 people per year. Also read:KEPZ Hi-Tech park will attract huge FDI, hopes Palak In addition, some 3000 more people will get the opportunity to be employed directly and indirectly under the project.  Zunaid Ahmed Palak said the government has been implementing a huge number of projects to develop digital Bangladesh. “Already cent percent of people have access to electricity while 13 crore people are using the internet,” he said.

The Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) Hi-Tech park will play a significant role in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Bangladesh, said State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Wednesday. "Korea is a pioneer country to invest in Bangladesh and has extended and enhanced its cooperation beyond textile to ICT, energy, blue economy, climate change and infrastructure development for over 45 years," he said. Palak made the remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony of the KEPZ Hi-Tech Park mentioning that the collaboration between Bangladesh and South Korea goes a long way. The Hi-Tech Park was jointly inaugurated by State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun with the physical presence of Kihak Sung, Chairman & CEO of Youngone Corp & KEPZ. It was a remarkable day for KEPZ in the field of Hi-Tech industrial development, said the Youngone Corp adding that the vision of the company to establish a state-of-the-art Hi-Tech park is coming to a reality. Also read: S Korea sees brighter ties with Bangladesh with multifarious success stories: Envoy

Bangladesh Bank (BB) further relaxed outward remittance rules for foreigners working in the country’s economic zones (EZs), export processing zones (EPZs) and hi-tech parks (HTPs).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday invited South Korea to invest in Bangladesh, particularly in the Hi-tech Park, mentioning that a conducive business climate prevails here.

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Thursday urged the Japanese investors to capitalise on the benefits and invest in the IT sector of Bangladesh and to recruit Skilled Bangladeshi IT professionals. 

Minister Hi-Tech Park Ltd, a Bangladeshi electronics manufacturer, has appointed MediaQuest Bangladesh as the public relations arm.