The 54th Council
Meeting and Annual Forum of Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO)
has been started in Dhaka on today (08 September 2014). it will be continue
till 8-12 September 2014 at radisson blu dhaka.
Bangladesh is hosting the high outline event for the first time.
Ministers, decision makers and high officials of Telecommunications and ICT
from Commonwealth countries will take part in the event. Controllers, private
sector companies and operators consisting of 250-300 delegations are expected
to participate in those two occasions. Introductory function and all others
technical sessions would be held at Radisson Blu Water Garden hotel. This was
informed at a Press Conference jointly participated by high officials of CTO,
MoPT and BTRC at Bangladesh Telecommunication regulatory Commission (BTRC)
conference room this afternoon. Director of Operations & Corporate
Secretary of CTO Mr. Lasantha De Alwis, Director General (Systems &
Sevices) Brig. General Golam Mowla Bhuiyan and Director (Media & IT) Md.
Sarwar Alam of BTRC spoke and took part in the questions & answer session.
While Director General Mr. Avijit Chowdhury of BTRC, International Events
Manager of CTO Mr. Robert Hayman and Deputy Secretary of Posts and Telecommunication
and IT Ministry Mr. Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, amongst others, attended the media
conference.
A two member advanced delegation of the CTO is now visiting
Dhaka to see for themselves the progress of the preparation. The team members
are Mr. Lasantha De Alwis, Director of Operations & Corporate Secretary and
Mr. Robert Hayman International Events Manager of CTO. They had already have
separate meetings with representatives of Association of Mobile Telecom
Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB), Mobile Imports Association of Bangladesh
(MIAB), Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI),
Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Ltd (BTCL), Bangladesh Submarine Cable
Company Limited (BSCCL), Telecom Infrastructure Organization of Bangladesh
(TIOB), Internet Service Providers Association Bangladesh (ISPAB), Bangladesh
Association of Software and Information Service (BASIS), Bangladesh Association
of Call Center & Outsourcing (BACCO), Cyber café Owners Association of
Bangladesh (CCOAB), Bangladesh Computer Society (BCS), Nationwide
Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN), Broadband Wireless Access (BWA)
and International Terresterial Cable (ITC) and other stakeholders on various matters
& stuffs relating to ICT & Telecom. The CTO team also had threadbare
discussion meetings with the Bangladesh counterpart, particularly the
organizing committee and sub-committee. They paid a courtesy call to acting
Chairman of BTRC.
It may be mentioned that the CTO, based in London, UK is an
international organization of 53 member commonwealth countries working to
promote telecom and ICT related cooperation, It is the oldest and largest
Commonwealth organization engaged in multilateral collaboration in the filed of
Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), and uses its experience and
expertise to support its members in integrating ICTs deliver effective
development interventions that enrich, empower and emancipate people within the
Commonwealth and beyond.
Its mission is to promote, facilitate and guide members in using
ICTs to deliver effective development intervention. The vision of the CTO is to
be the preferred partner for governments, the private sector and civil society
in delivering effective ICTs for development (ICT4D) in the Commonwealth and
beyond.
The CTO seeks to work collaboratively with other Commonwealth figures
and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to build mutually beneficial
synergies in the interest of its members, It also offers a strategic channel
for member to influence the shaping of the global ICT agenda, advocate and
reach consensus on policy and regulatory positions, form alliance and build
relationships, It also provides private sector members with greater access to
policy makers and raise awareness and promote priorities of recent and future
ICT4D initiatives.
The present policy plan emphasizes six main areas, namely,
broadband, especially mobile broadband for rural development including food
security, Cyber security & Cybercrime, ICTs for people with disabilities,
regulatory environments, including convergence and digital broadcasting
switchover, the use of ICTs in education and youth and ICTs,
The CTO is governed by its Council, which consists of
representative from all member countries. It is the highest policy making body
of the CTO, It meets annually to examine the progress of the Organization and
to suggest future programs.
The Forum is the platform for sector members to examine issues
critically important to them. The CTO Forum is the premier ICT conference of
the Commonwealth. Held immediately preceding to CTO Council meeting, this event
draws high level participation from ICT ministries, regulators and operators
from across the Commonwealth. The 2014 Forum will focus on key aspects of ICT
access and utilization, including infrastructure, connectivity, applications
value added services, data and security. The theme for this year is ‘ICTs for
Development form Access to Inclusive and Innovative Services.