DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said we decided to provide 10,000 computers to schools across the country during our first term in power.

The Netherlands wanted to help us in this regard with one condition that the computers had to be bought from them, she continued.

We wanted to buy computers from one of their firms, named Tulip Computers, and had finalized everything in this regard but our government’s term was over.

Later, BNP formed government but they did not buy those computers. Someone told the government that ‘Tulip Computers’ might have some connection with Sheikh Rehana as her daughter’s name is Tulip.

At long last, that company sued the government and it had to pay Tk 32 crore as compensation as well as Bangladesh lost the opportunity of getting 10,000 computers.

Sheikh Hasina recounted the history to the audience at the inaugural ceremony of Digital Centre Entrepreneurs Conference, to mark the 4th anniversary of Union Digital Centres on National Parade Ground in city.

‘Access to Information (A2I)’ project of the Prime Minister’s Office organized the conference to honour the 11,000 entrepreneurs across the country.

The premier said mass people especially the young generation accepted their plan of ‘Digital Bangladesh’.

She further said, “The information technology is not confined only in the capital or bigger cities now. We have helped reaching it to every corner of the country. People are enjoying its benefits.”

The PM also said, “We have been working to develop human resources using information technology.”

Prime Minister’s information affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy and LGRD minister Syed Ashraful Islam also addressed the function.

BDST: 1436 HRS, NOV 11, 2014