Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today stressed the need for filtering the harmful digital contents properly, urging the people not to share anything on internet or social media without verification.

“Digital technologies are creating a scope in one hand, while many problems arise for it on the other hand. Many unnecessary links appear while going to use mobile phone or internet … So, arrangements will have to be made to filter harmful digital contents properly,” she said.

The prime minister was addressing as the chief guest the award-giving ceremony of Digital Bangladesh Day 2019 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here this morning.

Sheikh Hasina said the people should not react or do anything by seeing or listening to anything. “It’s not proper … the people will have to verify first whether the information is correct or not,” she said.

She went on saying: “While going to share any post on social media, the people will have to enquire about the matter beforehand whether it is true or fake.”

The prime minister said some apps are developed and spread in such a way by some bad elements so that the country, society and person are affected.

“So it’s better not to enter any app without verification by only paying heed to rumour or curiosity … it’ll bring welfare for the country, society and the people as well,” she said.

Urging all to stay alert to cyber crimes, Sheikh Hasina said it is necessary to make the children and the youthfolk aware of the crimes.

“The children and youths go to wrong paths and involved in various types of crimes, while many misunderstandings are created for misuse of internet. So all including the parents, guardians and teachers will have to remain careful so that it cannot happen,” she said.

State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Posts and Telecommunications and ICT Ministry AKM Rahmatullah and Senior Secretary of the ICT Division ANM Ziaul Alam also spoke on the occasion.

At the function, the premier handed over awards to 14 organisations and individuals for their outstanding contributions to development of the country’s IT sector. She also inaugurated an app titled “Amar Sarkar”.

Referring to the children’s addiction to digital devices like computer, mobile phone and tab, Sheikh Hasina also called upon all to remain alert to it.

“You’re handing over mobile phones or other digital devices to your children. But you must have surveillance on them that what they’re watching and where they’re visiting on internet through it,” she said.

“When the children use mobile phone, computer or tab for a long time, it becomes like an addiction. It puts an impact on the body, mind, eye and brain due to it. So, it’s necessary to be careful about the matter,” she said.

Elaborating her government’s steps for further development of the country’s IT sector, the premier said: “Our government’s all-out support will continue to ensure highest and latest info-based services and facilities for the people.”

“We’ll build ‘Sonar Bangladesh’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation and turn the country into a modern, prosperous and IT-based developed state in the world, Insha Allah,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League in its election manifesto on December 12, 2008 declared the Vision 2021 and pledged to build Digital Bangladesh.

“We’ve turned the country into Digital Bangladesh before the countrymen,” she said, adding that the people are now getting its good results.

After assuming office in 1996, she said, the Awami League had taken various initiatives for the expansion of information and communication technologies.

“We broke down the monopoly on mobile business and also reduced the taxes on computer import,” she said.

Referring to launching Bangabandhu Satellite-1 into the space, she mentioned that it has strengthened connectivity, while work on setting up of the 2nd satellite into the orbit has already begun.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has set up a total of 5865 digital centers to bring the rural areas under internet connectivity.

“The people have received 46 crore services only from these union digital centers in the last 10 years and the entrepreneurs have earned a total of Taka 396 crore as well,” she said.

The premier said a total of 3600 unions have been brought under internet connectivity and 200 more unions will be brought under it by this year.

“We’ll connect the remaining 772 unions of remote areas to internet service by 2021,” she said.

The prime minister said the government has developed the largest web portal of the world — Jatiya Tathya Batayan — incorporating a total of 465000 government offices websites to digitize the government services.

She said the government has achieved significant successes in e-tendering and e-governance and one-shop, one-pay and one-service are launched to provide one stop services.

Sheikh Hasina said the people are now getting many emergency services calling at 999, 333 and 109 and these call center based services have become popular nowadays.

The prime minister said the government has given importance to create a start-up culture utilizing the merits of the students and youths to face the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution.

“Sheikh Kamal IT training and incubation centers are being set up in district levels to fulfill the demands of skilled manpower in the ICT sector,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the government is setting up 28 hi-tech parks, software technology parks and IT training and incubation centers across the country which will be the ‘lifeline’ of digital economy.

The premier said the government is going to launch e-passport and e-visa and 5G mobile services very soon.

Pointing out Bangabandhu’s contributions to IT sector, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh became a member of International telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1973 through sincere efforts taken by the Father of the Nation.

“The Father of the Nation set up the country’s first satellite sub-station at Betbunia on 14th June 1974 and that opened the path of direct communication with the world through information and data exchange,” she said.