Bangladesh has 7th largest data centre in the world: Here’s how it can earn foreign currency

Located in Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, Kaliakoir, Joydebpur, the National Data Centre has recently shown potential to be a big source of foreign investment. According to reports, international firms are interested in storing their company data there. 

The world's 7th largest data centre has already started saving the country's foreign currency in millions of dollars by reducing its foreign dependence on data preservation. 

Alongside ensuring the security of the country's data, the Tier-IV Data Centre is now saving Tk. 353 core annually as Bangladeshi firms don't need to preserve their data in foreign lands, according to officials of Bangladesh Data Centre Company Limited (BDCCL).  

The present government set up the Tier-IV National Data Centre on a 7-acre land as part of transforming the country into 'Digital Bangladesh'; in line with its 2008 electoral manifesto. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Data Centre on November 28, 2019.  

"Now any organisation of Bangladesh can store their data in the Tier-IV National Data Centre. Even foreign organisations are showing their interest to store their data here in the heart of Digital Bangladesh," said the company secretary of BDCCL, AKM Latiful Kabir. Noting that the world standard data centre has ensured data localization in the country, he said if agreements are signed with the foreign firms, the centre would be a great source of earning foreign currency. 

Terming the Data Centre as the "brain" of Digital Bangladesh, State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak said it is the host of everything, including 55,000 websites, 11 crore National Identity Cards, e-Nothi, Surokkha and registration system. Stating that the G-Cloud based Data Centre will have an unlimited capacity of preserving data, he said,  "We hope we could launch the G-Cloud of Oracle technology within the next six or twelve months. And it will be the largest G-Cloud platform in Southeast Asia." 

So far the Election Commission and nine government offices, including Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and state-run banks and government's e-filing systems and a2i, were preserving their data at the facility, said BDCCL officials. Another twelve organisations are at the final stage of inking the agreement to avail the services, they said adding that the monthly income of the data entre is now Tk. 3.98 crore and expenditure is Tk. 1.97 crore.

The Tier IV National Data Centre is certified by the Uptime Institute-USA, in cloud computing and G-cloud technology; and was awarded the Asia Pacific 'DCD-APAC Award 2019' by the UK based Data Centre Dynamics in the category of Data Centre Construction Team of the Year on September 17, 2019.

The process of establishing the Data Centre as Tier-IV Gold Fault-Tolerant Certified Data Centre is underway as it has already achieved the 'Tier Certification of constructed facilities, said BDCCL officials. 

With downtime at zero level and 99.995% uptime, the Data Centre is able to provide services 24/7 with efficient and skilled manpower. 

An initiative has been taken to set up G-Cloud using Oracle technology. Once the G-Cloud of Oracle technology is set up in the Centre, it will be able to render Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) services, reducing US$45 million cost of purchasing and renewing Oracle licence. 

The Oracle G-Cloud will facilitate safe protection of information of all the government offices, ministries, divisions and agencies as it will have the Data Localised and Standalone Backup.  

The construction of the Tier IV National Data Centre was started in 2016 on a two-lakh square feet space with Chinese financial and technical assistance while it was completed in June 2019.