The government hopes to provide internet facilities to 30 percent of the country's population and community-based broadband to all villages by 2015, the chief adviser's press secretary Syed Fahim Munaim said on Sunday.
The press aide was briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting which passed the "National Broadband Policy 2008".
Munaim said the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, in consultation with stakeholders, had finalised the policy with 11 clauses and guidelines for broadband to flourish in the country.
"The guidelines reveal that 30 percent of the country's population will be brought under the internet by 2015. All universities, medical colleges, technical universities, research bodies, all ministries, autonomous and non-governmental organisations will have access to the net," he said.
The press secretary also said e-governance facilities would reach Upazila levels by 2012 and all villages by 2015.
"At least one national internet exchange will be set up in each divisional headquarter by 2010," he said.
Munaim said the advisory council meeting, chaired by chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, also finally approved the Local Government (Union Parishad) Ordinance 2008 and the Vested Property Return (Amendment) Ordinance 2008.
On the latter, the CA's spokesman said a law was enacted in 2001 but not published by gazette resulting in lethargy in implementation.
"A gazette will be published soon in this regard."
The cabinet also approved the merger of BSD and BSRS into BDBL, a public limited company and government Finance and Budget Management Ordinance-2008, Fahim said.
The advisory council further approved the setting-up of the North East Zone Power Distribution Company Limited under the Power Development Board.
The new company with a nine-member board of directors will operate in greater Mymensingh and Sylhet regions, Munaim said.
He said the interim cabinet also approved a draft MOU between Bangladesh and Australia for cooperation on prevention of terrorism. The MOU stipulates that both countries will exchange intelligence reports, meet at policy level and provide technical and specialised training among other measures.
The council of advisers sent a draft policy on private satellite operations back to the concerned ministry for further studies and revisions, Fahim added.
All advisers—except the finance adviser—special assistants to the CA new cabinet secretary M Abul Aziz, and other relevant secretaries.
courtesy: bdnews24.com
