Staff Correspondent: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) State Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak said the epidemic coronavirus vaccine app will be launched in seven days.

He said the government is working to ensure 90% government services by 2021 besides ensuring internet facilities for all. People will not run after the service, the service will reach the hands of the people.

He was speaking at a press conference organized by the Information and Communication Technology Department at the BCC Auditorium at the ICT Tower in the capital's Agargaon on Saturday (January 18th) on the occasion of "12 years of digital Bangladesh under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina".

Senior Secretary of ICT Department NM Ziaul Alam, Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council Parthapratim Dev, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Hosne Ara Begum and others were present at the press conference.

The state minister said under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a strong ICT infrastructure has been built in the country in the last 12 years, which has led to the expansion of information and communication technology to rural areas.

3,600 unions in the country are now covered by broadband internet connectivity. He also said that internet will be ensured for all by 2021.

He said the development of ICT infrastructure has made it possible to keep office-court, medical services, education and business, entertainment and even court activities running online and social distance during the Corona epidemic. The government is tackling Corona using various digital platforms including Corona Portal, Covid Tracer, Covid-19 Tracker, Food for Nation, Health for Nation.

The state minister said 600 services have already been converted to digital services as part of the digitization of about 2,800 government services by 2021. The government has introduced e-office activities to reduce the use of paper and pen in office activities. As part of this, e-documents were introduced in various government ministries and government offices to promote dynamism, transparency and accountability. At present, more than 90,000 officials of more than 6,000 offices are using e-documents. To date, one crore 43 lakh files have been disposed of through e-document system.

Palak said Sheikh Russell Digital Lab has been set up in a total of 6,000 educational institutions in the country, including 15 in Saudi Arabia. Construction of Sheikh Russell Digital Lab is underway in another 5,000 educational institutions. Work is underway to establish 300 schools of the future. In the last 12 years, 1.5 million people have been turned into skilled human resources through training. By 2021, the number of jobs in the ICT sector will be around 20 lakhs. He said 118 startup representatives from 44 startups have been allotted co-working spaces and innovation hubs have been set up in 136 universities to build startups and innovative culture.