Microsoft presses 'enter' for Bangladesh

Published in The Daily Star
Section: Star Tech
Wed. November 24, 2004

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Syed Tashfin Chowdhury

The youth of Bang-ladesh have a lot of potential and given a chance some Bill Gates may even pop up," said a laughing Faycal Bouchlaghem, Microsoft Asia Pacific's business development director for emerging markets.

The statement made at made at the Pan Pacific Hotel Sonargaon on Monday during the official launch of the first fully-owned subsidiary office in Bangladesh signalled the high hopes Microsoft has for the country.

Through the new office located at Gulshan, Dhaka, the globally reputed brand plans to implement an extensive range of local marketing and sales programs together with their market development partner, Square Group.

The foreign representative laid out the three basic areas on which Microsoft will be focusing in Bangladesh.

"We will be making our best effort to improve the education sector, aid in developing firms and entrepreneurs involved in the information and technology sector and also aid the government sector with ongoing e-government projects," said Bouchlaghem.

Microsoft plans to formulate education curricula and policies with the education ministry. Through the curricula, the students in the secondary schools and universities of Bangladesh will be able to acquire sound and fruitful computer knowledge and skills in various applications.

"Such programs in academic institutions will equip students with computer knowledge and skills and thus enable him or her to meet job requirements anywhere in the world," said Bouchlaghem told Star Tech, alluding to the current unemployment crisis in the nation.

"We want to work with the youth of Bangladesh who have a proven record of perseverance and hard work," said Bouchlaghem.

"Intellectual Property Right (IPR) will be implemented to ensure the promotion and encouragement of creative and amateur IT personnel and software developers," said Feroz Mahmud, country manager, Microsoft Bangladesh.

The brand plans to partner with local and foreign companies to establish an improved and efficient e-government in Bangladesh.

"If requested we will be more than willing to help out the government with their ongoing projects like the national Id, MRP and so on," Bouchlaghem informed StarTech after the conference. He believes employees of local partners will largely benefit from the global experience that the Microsoft team has acquired over time.

"We may even provide new and better solutions for e-government projects in the near future," said Bouchlaghem.

Microsoft also plans to localise their products and sell them in Bangla.

Currently, Microsoft has products in over 60 different languages, which are being sold all over the world.

At the official launching of Microsoft in Bangladesh, the Business Development Director briefly reiterated the primary focus of the newborn local office.

"We are keen on partnering with local and foreign companies. Through such endeavors we not only transfer skills, but we also bring in new players who can play an indirect role in the overall global Information Technology scene," he added while introducing the 15-member Microsoft Bangladesh team.

"Through this partnership, the IT sector of Bangladesh will be bolstered by a powerhouse like Microsoft," said Charles CR Patra, managing director, Square Informatix, speaking at the launch.

"This day is a historic point in our journey through the path to ICT in Bangladesh," said Abdul Moyeen Khan, Science and ICT Minister in his speech.

The Minister criticised the otherwise popular view of technology creating a barrier between the classes. He also pointed out that Bangladesh is currently exporting software to 23 countries of the world.

"The nation appreciates Microsoft's venture and we hope to reciprocate the confidence and trust that it has shown toward us, through hard-work and dedication," Khan concluded.