In early 90s, the London based Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) made a survey in their 52 member countries including Bangladesh and found that the women scientists, technologists and researchers are disadvantaged almost everywhere. Their skills and talents are unrecognized and unutilized in most cases. Based on study report, the director of CSC adopted a project of empowering women scientists, technologists and researchers of the Commonwealth countries with modern technology. The project was implemented first in an African country-Tanzania. One Bangladeshi scientist was trained in USA on a Fellowship of Commonwealth and then sent to Africa to pick up the project ideas in 1996. Getting the responsibility to design a similar project in the context of Bangladesh, he established “Association for Advancement of Information Technology (AAIT)” an ICT based organization in the country. The senior women scientists, technologists and researchers were drawn from universities, research institutes, medical institutes, and government and non-government organizations and they were trained by AAIT experts on ICT with the objective of empowering them to connect their colleagues and fellow scientists all over the world. The participants drawn are highly qualified, many with Ph.D in respective fields, and the training programs were held at universities under auspices of the ministry of science and technology, government of Bangladesh at different stages till 2004. The director of CSC visited Bangladesh twice to observe the activities of Bangladeshi project director how he was fairing with the modern technology project that could transform the traditional country to digital Bangladesh.
In 1997 and ‘98, three programs were held in the capital city. Participants were selected from among applicants spanning life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and engineering. For the first phase, trainees were drawn from government institutions responsible for health, environment, education, mineral resources, energy, industry, agriculture, fisheries and forestry. In the second course participants came from research institutions relating to jute, food science and technology, fuels, space and remote sensing, housing and building, meteorology and electronics and communications, academia, local government, the national library and television. The third course held at the Institute of scientific instrumentation (ISI) of the university grants commission (UGC) included women from NGOs and the private sectors. In August 2000, fourth course was held at NTRAMS in Bogra. This time the courses were redesigned for the qualified female medical professionals (nutritionists, psychologists, microbiologists, pharmacists, research and industrial scientists and technologists) working in northern region. The fifth course was held at Rajshahi for the medical doctors in cooperation of regional medical colleges, university and Bangladesh computer council (BCC). After a long gap, the sixth program was held in 2004 for various disciplines of participants at the first ICT based university in Rural Bangladesh that was established under guide lines of AAIT experts.
The impact of the project was unique in respect of national and international benefits of the women communities. Connecting all the activities of AAIT-stakeholders performed during last 13 years, a guideline for our desired digital Bangladesh is not very difficult to develop if the concerned authority looks into the matter giving enough importance on it.
AAIT experts have been awarded Fellowships and Scholarships by the world famous universities and international organizations as recognition of their excellent works of transforming developing countries to digital countries through empowerment of women professionals and they were invited in seminars, workshops and conferences to explain their success and failures in the project. A lot of activities have been going on under AAIT in diverse fields at home and abroad since the project have started functioning in 1996. All activities should be evaluated as part of digital Bangladesh for the benefit of the nation. It is worth mentioning that the stakeholders in the project of AAIT are highly qualified, experienced and internationally recognized experts in their respective areas whose expertise, experience and talents may be counted as valuable assets to fulfill the dream of Sheikh Hasina’s Digital Bangladesh.
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