‘Press Conference on 'Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and ICT : Achievement of Dnet'

Development Research Network (D.Net) arranged a press conference on 'Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Information and Communication Technology' at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity in 26 th September 2005.

Dr. Ananya Raihan, Executive Director of D.Net described the vision and objective of the organization. Mr. Mahmud Hasan, Program Director presented D.Net activities with a Powerpoint Presentation.

They informed the press that D.Net has won the Gender and ICT Award-2005 in the Asia-Pacific region for an ICT initiative, Mobile Telephone Help-Line Programme, for underprivileged rural women.

They informed that D.Net has set up a village-based Pallitathya Centres (rural livelihood information network) in shelabunia, Mongla, Bagerhat to facilitate access for the rural poor to various information and knowledge and to justice. The also work to establish three more centre in Nilphamari, Netrakona and Noakhali. These centres, still at research level, aim to provide information services and income-generating ancillary services to rural people who do not have access to information technology. They hope that all villages of our country may come under the programme.

The centres also engage Mobile Phone Ladies who roam around the village and address the problems of women by communicating expert instructions to them through cellphones.

The D.Net has so far launched 11 Bangla web portals, including 'Abolombon', 'Born', 'Gunjan' and 'Bobin, which provide information about legal and human rights issues, eminent personalities, entrepreneurship and research materials on Bangladesh.

D.Net Programme Director Mahmud Hasan, Programme Corodinator Ferdousi Akhter and Deputy Director Dr. Tapan Bagchi were also present at the press conference.