The three-year internship programme undertaken by the science and ICT ministry is aimed at developing skilled ICT practitioners and professionals and facilitating the growth of Software & ITES (IT Enabled Services) industry.

The government has also allocated the fund for the project, but the finance ministry is yet to disburse it to run the programme.

Due to non-availability of Tk 2.5 crore, hundreds of computer science graduates are being deprived of firsthand work experience, a prerequisite for job at home and abroad.

Due to lack of skilled manpower in the sector, many leading software firms have been hiring workers from neighbouring India.

Currently, 4,000 ICT students are graduating from eight government and 52 private universities a year and many of them are facing difficulties in entering professional life because of lack of experience.

Under the internship programme, different IT organisations, specially software companies, will provide internship opportunities to fresh graduates and post-graduates for a period of six months.

The objectives of this programme are to expose the students to the practical field when they finish their formal education, enhance the prospects of employment and to boost the export of software by developing skilled manpower.

The government has announced the ICT industry as a thrust sector and has a vision to earn US $ 2 billion from this sector by 2006.

The Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) was nominated as co-ordinating body for the government part while Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Service (BASIS) was given the responsibility for co-ordination among its member organisations to hire interns as the demand for skilled professionals has increased in the country as well as across the world.

"The Ministry of Science and ICT have reminded the finance ministry of disbursement of the fund but we are yet to receive any response," said Dr AM Choudhury, executive director of BCC.

Each intern will get Tk 6,000 in remuneration per month. The government will pay 60 percent of the amount i.e. Tk 4,000 while the rest 40 percent will be paid by the software firm.

"If the funds were disbursed in time, at least 500 interns could gain real experience in IT field in the last six months," said Jahidul Hasan Mitul, an official of BASIS.

"Only academic degree is not enough to get a job nowadays," said Mitul, also the executive director of Business Automation Limited, a software firm.

He said many IT firms were interested in taking interns in their firms but they finally hired manpower from India as the project is being delayed.

Students under 27 years who have graduate/post-graduate degree in computer science or computer science and engineering having and completed 16 years of formal education can take part in the programme.

The internship for each candidate will be a maximum period of six months.