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98pc areas under 4G coverage

  • Staff Correspondent
  • 2 August, 2023 12:00 AM
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98pc areas under 4G coverage
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar speaks at a programme titled "Green Earth Quest" held at the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital on Monday.

Country's 98 percent areas have come under 4G coverage, enabling the people in remote and inaccessible regions to earn foreign currency through outsourcing.

Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar said this after inaugurating a competition titled "Green Earth Quest" held at the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital on Monday.

Ethics Advanced Technology Limited (EATL) organised the programme in collaboration with the World Bank, according to a press release.

The price per Mbps of internet, which was Tk 75,000 in 2006, has been reduced to Tk 60, said the minister.

Due to the availability of high-speed internet facilities, students in haors, islands, and remote areas are earning foreign currency through outsourcing, he said.

The people in remote and inaccessible regions of the country are getting access to the internet, thanks to Bangabandhu Satellite-1," said the minister.

The minister also highlighted the adverse effects of climate change that make Bangladesh highly vulnerable to different natural disasters.

According to the Climate Risk Index, Bangladesh ranks first among the top 10 most affected countries.

"The developed countries are mainly responsible for global warming, but we are bearing the brunt of its consequences," the minister said.

"Addressing the impact of climate change solely through the efforts of a single country, institution, or the United Nations is not enough. People of each country need to work together with awareness and consciousness," he emphasised.

Bangladesh is facing damage from sea level rise, salinity intrusion, changes in river courses due to the melting of Himalayan glaciers, and more frequent natural disasters.

The salinity in river water will lead to a loss of 25 percent of the country's food production and a decline in freshwater fish.

If this situation remains unchecked, extensive low-lying coastal areas will be submerged in the sea, he feared.

"Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sowed the seeds of the Third Industrial Revolution from 1972 to 1975 despite facing the destruction of war. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has set remarkable examples for the world in the development of a digital Bangladesh," said the minister.