With a magnificent ceremony on February 26, the 17th edition of BASIS SoftExpo, Bangladesh’s largest private-sector exposition featuring IT and ITES goods and services, came to an end. Over 200,000 people attended the four-day exhibition, which was hosted at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka. Participants included local and international delegates as well as investors, buyers, and enthusiasts.
This year’s expo’s theme, “Bringing on the Smart Verse,” represented the idea of transforming the world through digital transformation to create a smart, connected environment. Twenty seminars, roundtable discussions, and policy dialogues on a range of IT-related subjects were included in the expo. These topics included the potential for industry-academic collaboration, the potential for growth in the Bangladeshi ICT sector, the professional framework for HR development, and the opportunities and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
A number of special events were also held at the expo, including the BASIS National ICT Awards, the Women in IT conference, the Freelancers conference, the Startup conference, the Ministerial conference, the Developers conference, Ambassadors’ Night, and the ICT Career Camp and Job Fair. The IT community was able to network, share ideas, celebrate successes, and show off their inventions thanks to these gatherings
The Hon’ble Speaker of the Parliament, Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury; Hon’ble Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Mr. Mustafa Jabbar; Hon’ble State Minister for ICT, Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak; EU Ambassador to Bangladesh, Mr. Charles Whiteley; Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Mr. Jeremy Bruer; Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ms. Winnie Estrup Petersen; BharatPe Founder Mr. Ashneer Grover; and actress, Ms. Azmeri Haque Badhon were among the highlights of the expo.
Additionally, the exhibition included the newest offerings from over 300 IT companies in the areas of software development, e-commerce, cloud computing, blockchain, artificial intelligence, mobile applications, cybersecurity, and the internet of things. Both domestic and international businesses, including Microsoft, Huawei, Samsung, Dell, HP, Oracle, IBM, and Accenture, were represented among the exhibitors. Since Japan is one of the main markets and partners for the Bangladeshi IT industry, the expo also included a special pavilion for Japanese IT companies.The exhibition was arranged by the national trade association for the IT sector, the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), in association with the Bangladesh Computer Society (BCS), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Government of Bangladesh’s ICT Division, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The ICT Business Promotion Council (IBPC), Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, Bangladesh Computer Council, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority were among the sponsors of the exhibition.
The exhibition served as evidence of the expansion and promise of Bangladesh’s IT sector, which is regarded as one of the top 10 outsourcing locations worldwide. Over 1.2 million people are employed in Bangladesh’s IT sector, which makes for 1.4% of the country’s GDP. In addition, the business exports goods and services to over 60 nations, bringing in over $1 billion in foreign currency.The exhibition also showed how eager and dedicated the IT companies are to expanding their clientele, both domestically and internationally, by demonstrating their innovations, caliber, and competitiveness. In addition, the exhibition gave IT companies a chance to network with stakeholders and establish strategic alliances and collaborations while learning about the latest trends, best practices, and obstacles facing the worldwide IT sector.
In terms of raising awareness, producing leads, and enabling transactions for the IT businesses, the exhibition proved to be successful. The exhibition brought in more than $50 million in business inquiries and contracts for the exhibitors, according to the organizers. Positive feedback was also received by the expo from the attendees, who conveyed their enthusiasm and gratitude for the IT companies and their offerings.
The exhibition was a significant turning point for Bangladesh’s IT sector, showcasing its accomplishments, goals, and aspirations to the global audience. The IT community was further encouraged and inspired by the exhibition to keep up their efforts to establish Bangladesh as a preeminent IT hub in the region and beyond.