Addressing a press conference ahead annual software exposition -- SOFTEXPO 2004 -- Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (Basis) leaders said export earnings from the software sector jumped over 74 percent in the fiscal 2003-04 to Tk 42.35 crore.

The export earnings from software and IT enabled services were Tk28.31 crore in 2002-03, TIM Nurul Kabir, vice president of Basis, told reporters at a press conference.

The software exporters said the government should allocate 2 percent of the ADP (annual development programme) to procure locally produced software.

The Basis-organised five-day software exposition will begin on November 25 at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.

More than 120 ICT companies from home and abroad will participate in the SOFTEXPO2004.

The services and products the ICT companies will exhibit include software application, e-commence & e-commerce, multimedia, animation and games, wireless and mobile application, e-governance applications and telecommunication & internet infrastructure.

Some 16 leading software and IT companies from Denmark are expected to take part in the exposition to look for their possible business partners in Bangladesh.

The SOFTEXPO will also feature seminars.