The iDEA project of ICT Division received international recognition in the Public-Private Partnership category

The iDEA project of ICT Division received international recognition in the Public-Private Partnership category.

“Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project” of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh received international honors in the Public-Private Partnership category of the “2020 WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards”. The iDEA project received the certificate of this prestigious international award in that category as runner-up at the program. On the second day of the 2020 TECHFEST Live! x ROAD TO WCIT Malaysia hybrid event, the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) announced that twelve private and public sector organizations from four different continents were selected to receive the 2020 WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards including the special WITSA Chairman’s Awards on Thursday, November 19, 2020 in Penang, Malaysia. WITSA is the leading recognized voice of the global ICT industry, whose members from over 80 countries and economies represent more than 90% of the world’s ICT market. The WITSA Awards recognize the entities that made the most significant contributions to mankind in 2020. This time, in a total of 10 categories were selected for this award where 10 runners-up and 21 merit awards including winners were recognized in each category. Among them, Bangladesh has received the runner-up award in 4 categories and the merit award in 2 categories.

Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP, Hon’ble State Minister, ICT Division of Bangladesh congratulated the recipients of all the awards from home and abroad, including the winners of the iDEA project of the ICT Division and other award winners from Bangladesh. Under the visionary leadership of Honorable Prime Minister H. E Sheikh Hasina and the overall supervision of the Prime Minister’s ICT Affairs Honorable Adviser Mr. Sajeeb Wazed, the ICT Division has been working tirelessly to build a “Digital Bangladesh”. He is also hopeful that this honor will inspire everyone to take more successful initiatives in the future.

Regarding this achievement, the executive director of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Mr. Parthapratim Deb said, “We are very proud of this international award. Bangladesh has come a long way in the ICT sector and this development will continue. This international honor will serve as our inspiration.”

The Project Director (Additional Secretary) of iDEA project Syed Mojibul Huq said, “We are delighted to receive the international award in the category of Public-Private Partnership and I am also grateful to BCS and other authority of this event ”. He added that about 158 startups have been provided pre-seed grants through this project till now. Since its beginning, the iDEA project has taken several initiatives through public-private partnerships with various educational institutions, including government and non-government organizations, and different international organizations and institutions. To encourage young people, the project organized Student to Startups (Chapters 1 and 2), “National Hackathon on Frontier Technologies” with Tech Mahindra Limited of India, “IdeaTHON” with South Korea, Startup World Cup, several technical training and Different initiatives have been taken including implementation of IDTP. In the meantime, a fully government-owned public limited company called “Startup Bangladesh Limited” has been formed to invest in seed/ growth/ guided startup companies on behalf of the government. Besides, 100 startups will be given grants under the “Bangabandhu Innovation Grant (BIG)” by selecting local startups as well as foreign IT-based innovative product and service startups where a university & stakeholder activation program plans have been made to organize with an international roadshow in the Birth Centenary of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Last year, in recognition of its work in 2019, the project won an international award in the ICT Education category by The Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO), one of Asia’s largest organizations in information technology. Lastly, the iDEA project aims to establish Bangladesh as an IT-rich country by creating a well-organized startup ecosystem for local innovators and entrepreneurs, including the inclusion of youth in innovative cultures to make the country a member of the developed world by 2041.

The WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards is one of WITSA’s most popular programs. Started 20 years ago, at the 2000 World Congress on IT in Taipei, WITSA has as the leading recognized international voice of the global ICT industry utilized its unprecedented reach into the ICT industry in over 80 countries, from Australia and New Zealand, to Bangladesh and Malaysia, to South Africa and Nigeria, to Argentina and Canada, in order to select the most impactful and innovative candidates from every corner of the world. Over the past 20 years, WITSA has recognized its award winners on the world stage, starting in Taipei, to Adelaide (Australia), Athens (Greece), Austin (Texas), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Montreal (Canada), Guada lajara (Mexico), Brasilia (Brazil), Hyderabad (India) and Yerevan (Armenia).

Other award winners from Bangladesh are Synesis IT Ltd. & a2i project of ICT Division in COVID 19 TECH SOLUTIONS FOR CITIES & LOCALITIES category, Virtual Hospital of Bangladesh of MyHealthBD in INNOVATIVE E-HEALTH SOLUTIONS AWARD category and Bijoy Digital in E-EDUCATION & LEARNING AWARD category as runners-up of this year. Besides, Nagad of The Digital Financial Service of Bangladesh Post Office in DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY/INCLUSION AWARD category and PrismERP of Divine IT Limited in SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AWARD category also received Merit Award.

The three-day World Congress of Information Technology (WCIT) conference started in Malaysia on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. The awards were announced on the second day of the conference and the closing ceremony was held on Friday, November 20, 2020, the third day of the conference.