Dhaka: In a notable stride toward enhancing bilateral collaboration, the Embassy of Nepal in Bangladesh orchestrated an event on 'Strengthening Nepal-Bangladesh Tech Relations' in Dhaka on Thursday. This event served as a platform for evaluating the ongoing technological collaboration between the two nations in the IT sector and exploring potential avenues for future partnership.

Gathering a diverse spectrum of participants, including Shamsul Arefin, Secretary of the ICT Division of the Government of Bangladesh, IT experts, entrepreneurs, and academics from both Nepal and Bangladesh, the event garnered the participation of around 90 individuals, as reported by the Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka.

Addressing the occasion, Nepal's Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ghanshyam Bhandari, underscored the remarkable growth of Nepal's burgeoning IT sector. This sector, he emphasized, is not only creating a myriad of career opportunities but also catalyzing innovation, entrepreneurship, and contributing significantly to the nation's overall economic advancement. He noted, "The IT sector's development is fostering innovation and digital transformation across various domains, including healthcare, education, tourism, and finance."

Ambassador Bhandari highlighted the sector's ability to attract international clients, which is subsequently resulting in an uptick in Nepal's exports of IT products and services.

Acknowledging the rapid evolution of information and communication technology and the challenges posed by the digital divide and limited technology access in countries like Nepal, he stressed that the IT industry has the potential to generate promising employment avenues, particularly in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. He emphasized that the right investments in education, training, and infrastructure are pivotal in harnessing this potential.

Ambassador Bhandari underscored that youth-centric policies provide a solid foundation to tap into talent and promote organic growth, ultimately aiding Nepal's transition from labor export to service export.

Recognizing the steadily growing Nepal-Bangladesh partnership in the technology arena, he emphasized that recent developments, including increasing interest from Bangladeshi investors and entrepreneurs to explore new dimensions in this field, have opened avenues for mutually beneficial collaborations between the two nations.

The event, held in collaboration with the Nepal Association for Software and I.T. Service Companies and Genese Solution, showcased the shared vision of forging stronger ties between Nepal and Bangladesh in the IT sector.

The event also featured insights from Secretary of the ICT Division of Bangladesh, Md. Shamsul Arefin, who shared Bangladesh's policies and initiatives in the realm of ICT and innovation. Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Government of Nepal, Anil Kumar Dutta, joined the event virtually from Kathmandu.

This collaborative event is anticipated to invigorate fresh perspectives for mutual benefit, fostering cooperation and collaboration in the IT sector between the two nations. It signifies a promising stride toward nurturing a robust partnership that leverages the dynamic potential of technology for both Nepal and Bangladesh.