Dhaka — To marks the 48th anniversary of the membership of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations’ specialized body for telecommunications technology, the Postal Department of Bangladesh has issued commemorative stamps, opening envelopes and data cards.
On this day in 1973, Bangladesh became a member of the ITU under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. On Sunday, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar released a commemorative stamp of the Tk10 denomination and an opening envelope of the Tk10 denomination. Also, a data card worth Tk5 was launched.
The Minister has issued a statement in this regard besides using a seal in this regard. In a statement, Mustafa Jabbar said the acquisition of ITU membership was the fruit of Bangabandhu’s visionary leadership. The main task of this specialized agency of the United Nations is to set up telecommunication networks and ensure uninterrupted telecommunication services by setting wireless waves, allocating satellite orbits, and improving the quality of telecommunication services.
He said: “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman germinated the seeds of Digital Bangladesh by setting up a satellite ground station at Betbunia, establishing a T&T board and gaining membership of the UPU to ensure modern telecommunication services to the world.”
He said that due to ignorance about digital technology, in the early nineties, the then government deprived Bangladesh of free submarine connectivity and left Bangladesh 14 years behind in the world of digital technology.
The Digital Bangladesh program was announced on December 12, 2008, under the visionary leadership of the People’s Leader Sheikh Hasina has set a historic precedent for Bangladesh in the last 12 years.
The Minister noted that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh was elected as a Council Member of Bangladesh ITO in 2010 and 2014. Mustafa Jabbar said the Bangabandhu Satellite Project in 2016 and the Central Biometric Verification Monitoring Platform (CBVMP) solution in 2018 won the ITU Telecom Award.
Commemorative stamps, opening envelopes and data cards can be collected from today at the Philatelic Bureau of Dhaka GPO and later from other GPOs and major post offices in the country.
