ICT officers demand creation of dedicated cadre

Government ICT officers are pressing for the urgent establishment of an "ICT Cadre" to address long-standing grievances and modernise the nation's digital infrastructure. At a press conference held in Dhaka's BTMC building on Friday, the Government ICT Officers Forum, representing around 2,000 first-class gazetted officers, renewed their call for the creation of the cadre, which was initially proposed over four years ago.

The officers argue that establishing the cadre is crucial to building a technology-driven, transparent, and corruption-free Bangladesh. The creation of the cadre was first proposed on 28 January 2020 but has been repeatedly delayed, with forum leaders pointing to bureaucratic corruption and vested interests as the primary culprits behind the stagnation.

In the press briefing, forum leaders criticised the bureaucratic inertia that has halted progress, blaming what they described as personal greed and corruption among certain officials. They also mentioned the A2i syndicate which enabled third party domination over government projects. Despite the proposal for the cadre being sent to the Prime Minister's office in 2020, it remains unimplemented, leaving many ICT professionals feeling marginalised and frustrated.

During the press briefing, speakers highlighted the ongoing exodus of Bangladesh's talented ICT professionals and fresh graduates, many of whom are seeking better opportunities abroad due to limited career progression at home. This talent drain, the forum argued, is weakening the country's ability to foster innovation and is making Bangladesh increasingly dependent on foreign consultants and technology.

Despite the delays, forum leaders remain hopeful as they pointed to the recent proposal, signed by the Secretary of the ICT Department on 15 August 2024, which now awaits final approval from the Advisor for the ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology.