ICT trade bodies demand amendment to A2i bill

ICT trade bodies in Bangladesh yesterday urged the government to amend the recently approved Agency to Innovate (A2i) Bill 2023, scrapping the clause that empowers A2i to form companies.

"The current clause within the A2i bill grants the agency authority to establish any type of company and provide any service, which directly contradicts the interests of the industry," said Russell T Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).

The bill was passed in parliament on July 5.

"In light of this conflict, I hereby request the complete revocation of the power granted to A2i to form companies as described in Section 21 of the recently passed A2i bill," he said.

The current clause within the A2i bill grants the agency authority to establish any type of company and provide any service, which directly contradicts the interests of the industry.

Russell T Ahmed BASIS president

"Furthermore, I urge for reprinting of the bill with necessary amendments to resolve conflicts that exist in other clauses," Ahmed added.

He was speaking at a press conference on the bill jointly organised by five leading ICT trade associations at the BASIS auditorium in Kawran Bazar, Dhaka.

The organisations are: BASIS, Bangladesh Computer Samity, Bangladesh Association of Contact Center & Outsourcing (BACCO), Internet Service Provider Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), and E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB).

He urged the Prime Minister to consider their demand for the sake of the development of the industry.

In a written statement, the trade bodies said before passing the bill, the 12th meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications & Information Technology was held on 18 June.

Members of the committee, posts and telecommunications minister, state minister for ICT, relevant officials from the ICT Divisions, participated in the meeting.

Besides, presidents of the five trade associations within the IT sector were also in attendance.

Along with some of the trade bodies' demands, it was unanimously agreed that A2i shall not be authorised to form any company.

However, A2i was empowered to form companies in the bill that was later passed in parliament.

Wahid Sharif, president of BACCO, said it is imperative that the existing clause be repealed through an amendment to the law in order to foster progress towards becoming "Smart Bangladesh".

"The significance of amending this bill cannot be overstated as it holds the key to expediting the growth of this industry," he added.

ISPAB President Md Imdadul Hoque and e-CAB General Secretary Md Abdul Wahed Tomal also spoke.