Sylhet, Sept 26 (V7N) – An artificial intelligence (AI) training centre will be established in Sylhet to equip local youths with skills in information technology and create opportunities for them in freelancing and the global digital economy, Commerce, Industries and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir announced today.
"I have discussed with our ICT minister about setting up an AI training centre here. We will bring him to Sylhet next week or the week after, Insha'Allah. We will establish an AI training centre here," he said while addressing the installation ceremony of the Sylhet Metropolitan Business Association at Kushiyara Convention Hall in the city this afternoon.
Opportunities for Youths
The minister said many young people in Bangladesh are earning through freelancing, and the government wants to create similar opportunities for Sylhet's youths through proper training. "If the training centre can be operated properly, a large number of youths from Sylhet will get opportunities to work in freelancing and the IT sector," he said.
Describing the IT sector as a promising area for investment and employment, Muktadir said skilled youths from Sylhet could work with companies at home and abroad if they receive appropriate training. He said improving connectivity, information technology and law and order is essential to attract investment and create employment in Sylhet. "Economic transformation of a region is not possible through the development of a single sector. Infrastructure and skilled human resources must be developed simultaneously," he added.
Connectivity and Infrastructure
The minister said improving connectivity is one of the key prerequisites for attracting investment. Work is underway to upgrade the Sylhet-Dhaka highway to six lanes and improve rail connectivity, he added. He expressed hope that the Sylhet-Dhaka six-lane highway would be fully ready for traffic by the middle of 2029. The project had remained stalled for various reasons under previous governments, particularly due to delays in land acquisition, but the present government has given it special importance and is working to accelerate its implementation.
On rail connectivity, Muktadir said the cabinet had given policy approval for constructing a dual-gauge railway line from Akhaura to Sylhet, while the Dhaka-Akhaura section already has a dual-gauge line. "After negotiations, work on the project will begin soon. Once completed, it will be possible to travel from Sylhet to Dhaka by train in the morning, complete official work and return to Sylhet in the evening," he said. He also said initiatives had been taken to remove existing gaps on the Sylhet-Chattogram rail route and build a modern railway network of the same standard, enabling products manufactured in Sylhet to reach Chattogram Port by cargo train within four to five hours.
Investment Facilitation
Regarding investment facilitation, the minister said steps were being taken to reduce the entire process of setting up a new company, obtaining trade licences and clearances, securing IRCs and opening LCs for machinery imports from the existing 355 days to just 14 working days. He said an initiative had also been taken to establish a new BSCIC industrial estate on 188 acres of land in Dakshin Surma to accelerate the growth of CMSME industries in Sylhet, with development work to begin this year.
Law and Order
On law and order, the minister said there would be no place for drugs or online gambling in Sylhet. He said the entire city would be brought under CCTV surveillance equipped with drones, facial-recognition and infrared technologies through a joint initiative of Sylhet City Corporation and Sylhet Metropolitan Police. He also said swift legal action would be taken against identified drug dealers. The minister further said online verification using facial recognition and fingerprints would be introduced in various government services, including the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC), to modernise public services and prevent corruption.
