Internet users reach 12.92 crore

Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali Thursday said over 20 lakh young people have found employment in the information technology sector over the past 15 years as the cost of the internet has been significantly reduced, and the opportunities for web-based employment and business have been expanded.

In his budget speech for fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25) in Jatiya Sangsad (JS), Ali said in 2008, minimum cost of 1 Mbps fixed internet bandwidth was Taka 27,000, whereas it is now only Taka 60. To extend these benefits to rural areas, high-speed internet has been expanded to union levels at low costs, he added.

The finance minister said the number of mobile financial wallet users has surpassed 12 crore. With over 9,000 digital centres across the country and approximately 8,500 post e-centres and more than 16,000 entrepreneurs, including 5,344 women, citizens can access to necessary services.

Additionally, to allow citizens to access services conveniently, over 2,400 services have been digitized, he said, adding: "The easy availability of the internet has increased its user base from 40 lakh in 2008 to nearly 12.92 crore by the end of January 2024."

During this period, internet density in Bangladesh has risen to 75.12 percent from just 2.7 percent in 2008, he added.

/MHK/