Bangabandhu hi-tech park creates jobs for 14,000 youths in Rajshahi

The under-construction Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park is now on the final stage of creating employment opportunities for around 14,000 youths, both male and female, in Rajshahi.

 Around 90% of the implementation works of the "Establishment of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park" project have so far been completed.

 There are two portions- Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Building and Sajeeb Wazed Joy Silicon Tower- in the park.

The construction of the Sheikh Kamal IT Incubation and Training Centre was completed around two years back, while the Joy Silicon Tower is now in the final stage.

Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation and Awami League Presidium Member AHM Khairuzzaman Liton revealed this while inaugurating the decorative and eye-catching lighting on internal roads of the park here Friday evening as chief guest.

He said 10 companies have so far been allocated spaces in Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Building, while seven others in Joy Silicon Tower.

The park has started becoming an employment hub for youths creating enthusiasm among the young generation.

At present, around 400 youths are engaged in various works, including software development, site maintenance of famous companies and file works as per demand from abroad, generating working atmospheres in the park.

Afroza Arbi Tusi, who is working in Fleet Bangladesh, said she has got a chance of developing her career living in Rajshahi with her family members.

"I was very much anxious about developing my career during university life and always thought about going to Dhaka for career development," she said while talking to BSS here on the occasion.

She added that the Bangabandhu Hi-tech Park has become a blessing for her as it has created scopes of building careers for many youths interested in the IT sector.

"Tech Rajshahi' has been working to deliver services related to mobile games and other software.

Mahfuzur Rahman, chief executive of the organization, said they have 142 workers and 28 of them are working in the hi-tech park.

He said the location of the park along with its modern facilities has enhanced the brand value of his institution.

Chief Executive Officer of 'MD Info' Monzurul Murshed said they have got spaces in Joy Silicon Tower and Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Building.

They have around 1,000 workers and 150 of them are working in the office as ninety-five% of the workers are the residents of Rajshahi, he said.

The park has been built on around 31 acres of land in the Nabinagar area adjacent to the Rajshahi metropolis along the bank of the River Padma with involvement of around Tk335.51 crore aimed at establishing knowledge-based IT industries together with ensuring an area-based development.

The infrastructure development works include land development, a ten-storey silicon tower in an area of 2.70 lakh square feet, a substation building, internal roads and drains, a boundary wall and high-speed internet.

The 62,000 sqft IT Incubation centre with an energy-efficient state-of-the-art office building has multipurpose training facilities, high-quality start-ups, rainwater harvesting and renewable energy sources.

Meanwhile, a 172-seat Star Cineplex has been opened at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park early this year.

Side by side with showing cinema, the Cineplex will be used for the purposes of project training and audio-visual by the entities concerned.

There are also provisions of the Cineplex for showing video documentaries to investors from both home and abroad besides an auditorium.

The silicon tower has multipurpose facilities including two basement parking floors, high-standard training, seminar and conference rooms, rentable office spaces and a lounge and recreation area.

All sorts of business environments were ensured for attracting investors from both home and abroad.

 As a whole, the park will contribute a lot towards establishing a knowledge-based IT industry in Rajshahi side by side with creating a business environment by attracting domestic and foreign investors.

It will also play a significant role in the national economy by creating opportunities for new IT entrepreneurs besides creating employment scopes.