Foundation stone laid for the 8th Hi-Tech park in Natore under the Indian Line of Credit to Bangladesh

New Delhi: The foundation stone for the 8th IT/Hi-Tech park built under the Indian Line of Credit was laid at Singra, Natore on Sunday. The foundation stone was laid jointly by the Bangladesh State ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami. This is the 8th park out of 12 IT/Hi-Tech parks under the Indian Line of Credit (LOC) extended to Bangladesh.

The speed of implementation of the agreement for setting up Hi-Tech parks in 12 districts of Bangladesh, reached in 2015 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has accelerated significantly in recent months. Foundation stones for 8 Hi-Tech parks have been laid since April this year starting with Keraniganj in April, followed by Rangpur, Khulna, Barisal, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Cox’s Bazar and Singra in Natore.

Speaking on the occasion, State ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak thanked Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh for the IT/Hi-Tech parks being built in 12 districts of Bangladesh with financial assistance worth USD 193 million under Line of Credit offered by India. He said that with the completion of the Hi-Tech park 1000 youth will get trained directly and 3000 youth will get employment opportunities. Indirectly, it will benefit many more, said the minister.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka said in a tweet that these parks will help develop the IT industry of Bangladesh creating a technically skilled workforce which will boost growth.