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Roundup: Bangladesh's software industry records robust export growth amid global recession
DHAKA, Dec 20, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) --
By Naim-Ul-Karim
Bangladesh's software industry
marked an impressive 33 percent growth in export in the last
fiscal year (2008-09) that ended in June this year, as many
western and European firms shifted focus on the South Asian
country for low-cost IT services, sector insiders said Sunday.
They said a healthy chunk of 32.91 million U.S. dollars export
earnings of the industry in the last fiscal year (July 2008- June
2009) came from computer software developmental services.
President of Bangladesh Association of Software & Information
Services (BASIS), Habibullah N Karim, told reporters at a press
conference Sunday that the country has already become a large
ground of potential human resources with bright aptitude, quality
and natural ability in software development.
The BASIS, national trade association of software & IT services
companies of Bangladesh, organized the press conference to
announce its annual event, "Soft Expo", which aims at bringing
together multinational and local software vendors and information
communication technology companies.
The 5-day exposition of the BASIS, which is to begin from Feb.
10 next year, will feature an IT job fair, seminars and match
making sessions between local and foreign companies' delegations.
BASIS director MA Mubin Khan, who also spoke on the press
conference, said the theme for the BASIS Soft Expo 2010, the
eighth of its kind, is "Digital Bangladesh in Action".
The organizers expect that about half a million visitors and
over 200 exhibitors from home and abroad to throng the exposition.
They said the country's software export has achieved hefty
growth, as more than 400 software and IT companies are exporting
their services to around 30 countries in the world, which includes
the U.K., the U.S.A, Denmark and Japan.
According to the BASIS, Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce has
set an export target of 38 million U.S. dollars for the current
fiscal year 2009-10 (July 2009-June 2010).
"Bangladesh's software industry will become a 500 million U.S.
dollars export earning sector by 2013-2014 fiscal year (July 2013-
June 2014) if the current trend of robust growth continues," the
BASIS president Karim had earlier told Xinhua.
He said Bangladesh's approximately 20 billion taka (about 285.
71 million U.S. dollars) software industry currently employs
nearly 20,000 skilled and semi-skilled professionals.
Following global companies' interest about Bangladesh's
software industry, the sector insiders said many local and foreign
IT firms are investing for developing high-quality software taking
advantage of low-cost work force here.
But they said poor investment is still hindering the desired
growth of the sector, which is the second largest avenue of
graduate employment in the country.
"We'll welcome more foreign investment in the sector," the
BASIS president said.
Among the hundreds of export-focused companies, according to
BASIS, at least 30 companies have been set up either as joint
venture or as ODC (Offshore Development Center) with hundred
percent foreign investment in the country in recent years.
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