DHAKA, Dec 15, 2021 (BSS) - The US-based leading tech giant Intel 
Corporation Chairman Dr. Omar Ishrak today met State Minister for ICT Zunaid 
Ahmed Palak at the mini conference room of IDEA project of ICT Division.

   ICT Senior Secretary N M Zeaul Alam, Director of National Data Center and 
LICT Project Director Tarique M Barkatullah, IT-ITES Policy Adviser of LICT 
Project Sami Ahmed, Country Director of Medtronic Bangladesh Farruk Alam, 
IDEA Project Director Md. Abdur Rakib were present at the meeting, said a 
press release. 

   During meeting, ICT state minister Palak highlighted the benefits of 
implementation of Digital Bangladesh saying that the digital economy has been 
flourished in the country increasing ICT export to $1.3 billion against 
export of $26 million in 2008. The government has now fixed the target of ICT 
export $5.0 billion by 2025, he added.

   Palak said the people do not need to run for getting services as the 
government has digitized 2000 services ensuring its easy access to the 
people. 

   "We have been able to keep functioning of all including the activities of 
office, courts, business using IT during Covid-19 pandemic," he said, adding 
that some 7.5 crore people made registration using `Surokhha', a platform 
developed by the ICT Division, for conducting the Covid-19 vaccination 
campaign smoothly.

  The ICT state minister sought cooperation from Intel Chairman Dr Omar 
Ishrak to develop a cost-effective healthcare service using the frontier 
technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and said the 
18000 community health clinics and 8,000 digital centers could play effective 
role to implement any initiative in this regard.

  Expressing keen interest to work with ICT Division for developing cost 
effective healthcare services using frontier technologies, Dr Ishrak said 
three things collection of patients data, preparing a standard guideline and 
connecting people with the guideline-are very important to develop a cost 
effective healthcare services. 

    Prior to join Intel Corporation Dr. Omar Ishrak was the Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer (CEO) of US based Medtronic.