Bangladesh elected chair of Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway

Bangladesh has been elected chairman of the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Working Group for next one year.

United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) countries at a high-level forum in Bangkok yesterday supported Bangladesh to lead the group, said a press release issued in Dhaka today.

State Minister for ICT Affairs Zunaid Ahmed Palak joined the forum titled "Internet of

Opportunity in the Asia Pacific" organised by UN-ESCAP and Internet Society at the Thai capital of Bangkok.

The ESCAP Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) has convened a 3-day meeting that began today in Bangkok to formulate concrete policy recommendations on ICT and STI development in the Asia-Pacific region, according to ESCAP.

The Committee will review regional progress against the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the Sustainable Development Goals, and promote the use of space applications for strengthening e-resilience to disasters, along with building capacity in the use of ICT for sustainable development.

Addressing yesterday’s forum, he stressed the need for connecting UN-ESCAP countries into Asian Pacific Information Highway as inclusive internet is very essential to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including good health, qualitative education, innovation and smart city.

The information superhighway is an initiative of ESCAP aimed to increase availability and affordability of broadband internet across Asia and the Pacific, by strengthening the underlying infrastructure in the region.

Asia and the Pacific countries is expected to get uninterrupted internet connection at a cheaper rate as the countries would be connected by fibre optic cable along the Trans Asian railways.

Bangladesh Permanent Representative to UN-ESCAP and Bangladesh Ambassador in Bangkok Saida Muna Tasneem, Additional Secretary of ICT Division Sushanta Kumar Saha and Department of Information and Communication Technology Director General Banamali Bhowmick were present on the occasion.