RAJSHAHI, Jan 21, 2024 (BSS) - State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak has said the 'Employment Skill Development Institute' being run by Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) will play a vital role towards generating smart employment.

He came up with the observation while sharing views with councillors and officers of RCC to mark his visit to the institute here today for the first time as the chief guest.

Established at the 10th floor of the city bhavan's annex building, the institute is conducting four courses - digital marketing for freelancing, graphics design for freelancing, web-design and development for freelancing and video editing and freelancing.

With RCC Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Chief Executive Officer Dr ABM Sharif Uddin and Panel Mayors Nizam Ul Azim, Abdul Momin and Tahera Khatun and Coordinator of the institute Prof Habibur Rahman.

Lauding the initiative of launching such a type of institute, Palak said the unique model will be expanded throughout the country as it will play a pioneering role towards smart employment.

He told the meeting that Bangladesh at present is earning 1.9 billion dollars in the freelancing sector adding that Prime Sheikh Hasina has given direction to uplift the figure to five billion dollars within the next five years.

To this end, "We are working. After achieving the digital Bangladesh, we are going towards Smart Bangladesh," he continued.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Liton said freelancing will be a major foreign currency earning sector in Bangladesh in future.

He also said they established the institute for creating skilled human resources through training.
 
Many people are seen earning a huge amount of money and bringing dollars from abroad through freelancing sitting at home, he mentioned, adding: "They are also working as remittance fighters."
 
Liton said they are very much intended to generate employment opportunities for youths both the boys and girls after the best use of the potential sector.