Country Report : Bangladesh
Presentation
by
Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury
Vice Chancellor, BRAC University
Planning Meeting : Enhancing Research and
Education Connectivity to and within South Asia
26 April, 2007
Outline of Presentation
 Higher Education and Research in Bangladesh
 Access to Internet
 National ICT Infrastructure
 Past Efforts
 Recent Initiatives
 Strategic Plan for Higher Education
 The Road Ahead
Higher Education and
Research Scenario
 Universities
• Public : 25
• Private : 52
 Colleges under National University :  1500
 Open University : 1
 Total number of students in all the institutions
• 1 million
• 0.7% of population (146 million)
 Research Institutions :  30
Students in Higher Education in 2004-05
Type (no.)
Public Universities (25)
No. of
Students
112,430
11
National University (1)
773,492
75
84,271
8
62,856
6
Bangladesh Open
University(1)
Private Universities (52)
Total (79)
%
1,033,049 100.00
Comparison with other
Countries
 in Bangladesh approx. 4% of the 17-23
years age group receive higher
education
 India : 12%
 Malaysia : 29%
 Thailand : 37%
 OECD countries : 51%
 Middle income countries : 21%
Access to Internet in HEIs
Connectivity
Most of the universities (31 private and 8
public) are dependent on “broadband” (4-64
Kbps) for their internet connectivity
 Only 4 of the private universities and 3 public
universities have their own VSAT.
Past Efforts to set up network among HEIs
 BERNET (Bangladesh Educational and
Research Network)
• Set up by UGC in 1998; connected to local
ISP
• 2 Universities (DU and BUET) connected
through 64 Kbps radio link
• 5 more connected through dial-up
connection
• No longer functional
 BANSLINK (Bangladesh Scientific Link)
• Set up by Ministry of S&T in 1998 through
BANSDOC
• Linking libraries (S&T) through dial-up
connection
• Failed to take-off
Internet Connectivity
In 2005 :
 Registered ISP : 145
 Active ISP : 73
 Registered VSAT licensee : 67
 VSAT Hub Licensee: 4 (1 active)
 Aggregate Internet Bandwidth :  50 Mbps
 Aggregate Internet Bandwidth for all HEIs
 6 Mbps
Exisitng National Infrastructure
 SEA-ME-WE 4
• 10 Gbps
• Commissioned in May, 2006
 ISPs
• BDIX set up in 2004
• 20 leading ISPs connected
 still dependent on VSATs
 Fibre Optic Backbones (BTTB, Railway)
 Metro area fibre network set up in Dhaka by a
number of ISPs
1,800 km fibre
installed along
2,900 km of
railway track
Recent Efforts
 BAERIN
• Bangladesh Advanced Education Research &
Information Network
• Not-for-profit Foundation set up in 2004
• APAN Primary Member
• Has not taken off due to fund constraints
 BREN (concept paper) :
• Dr. Javed Khan (2006)
Strategic Plan for Higher Education
Vision for ICT in HEI
Ensure access to computers, with broadband
internet connectivity, to all students, teachers,
researchers and administrators by 2010.
All graduates, majoring in any field of study, must
have competency to use computers
All HEIs to switch over to ICT-based administration
and management
All HEIs to have access to National Digital
Library (with full text of selected journals and
courseware) using NREN
The Road Ahead
 Form a consortium of HEIs (Public-Private Universities)
and Research Institutions to set up NREN
• Negotiate with BTTB/Grameen Phone/ISPs for
discounted access to existing fibre networks and
submarine cable
• Outsource management to the private sector
 Phased REN
• Metro REN (MAN) - Digital libraries, E-learning
resources (e.g. MIT OCW, eGranary)
• negotiate with publishers of journals for country access
• Regional REN (Natl. Fibre-optic Backbone)
 Partnership with similar NRENs in the region and in USA
 Seek funding from World Bank and/or NSF