At least five million people in the country are currently using the Internet, with the number of users rising by three percent a year, the ICT secretary said on Thursday.

The country’s 30 percent areas will be brought under the Internet network by 2015, Abdul Awal Majumder told a briefing on ‘digital Bangladesh’ at the Information Directorate.

He said about 4.6 million mobile phone subscribers are now getting Internet service and 0.4 million people access the service through public and private companies.

The government plans to bring the entire country under Internet network by 2021, Majumder said and added some 77 access points have been set up across the country to bring the rural population under Internet coverage.

On allegations that the government websites are not updated regularly, the secretary said: “Each ministry has assigned a joint secretary to monitor these activities and review them every 15 days.”

He said his ministry will monitor whether the assigned officials are properly doing their jobs.

The Awami League-led coalition government in its election manifesto pledged to build a ‘digital Bangladesh’.

Explaining the theme Majumder said: “Digital Bangladesh does not mean availability of computer everywhere.

“It’s a modern philosophy to apply modern technologies in education, health and employment generation, alleviation of poverty and dealing with the impact of crises created due to climate change.

“Computer is only a tool here,” he said.

“Talking only about digital Bangladesh will not do. We need to build a corruption-free society to fulfill it,” Majumder added.

Source: BD News Service