DHAKA: Post and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju Wednesday said every upazila, union and village of the country would be connected with internet network by 2012, making a major advance on the government’s digitizing recipe.

"The `third-generation service (3-G)’ would be introduced within one year," said the minister.   

He spoke of the plan while addressing a roundtable meeting on ‘Dream of Bangabandhu and Digital Bangladesh’ organized by online newspaper ‘The Editor.net’ at the CIRDAP auditorium in the city.

The minister also requested the BTRC Chairman to give two more Wimax licenses.

He also declared that laptop would be made available for Tk 10,000 within next year.

Computer Samity President Mostafa Jabbar said if it is possible to introduce 3-G service within three months, it would be possible to build Digital Bangladesh within 12 months.   

With media personality M Hamid in the chair, the function was also addressed by Prof AK Azad Chowdhury, Former Vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, BTRC Chairman Major General (retd.) Zia Ahmed and Prof Khurshida Begum.

BDST: 1626 HRS AUG 25, 2010