Chittagong, March 10 (BDNEWS) - They are visually impaired, but they have the strength of mind. With indomitable determination and auditory power now they are operating computer in their workplace in Chittagong.

Young Power in Social Action (IPSA) is conducting the computer literacy programme and with this end in view they have already set up IPSA ICT & Resource Centre for the Disabled (IRCD).

The sightless people are successfully using computer to read newspaper, writing and listening. Moreover they can communicate through e-mail and chatting.

The computer literacy programme was launched in December 2005 with six visually impaired persons. The ongoing five-month course deals with basic computing, Internet browsing, Daisy, leadership and spoken English. The second batch will consist of 15 disabled persons.

Programme coordinator Bhaskar Bhattacharya told BDNEWS that they are using the screen reading software for the sightless persons.

Stressing the urgency of the Bangla version of the software, he said all quality books have digital editions and thus the sightless can acquire knowledge from computer.

Mokhlesur Rahman, teacher of Muradpur Government Blind School, is taking part in the programme and expressed his desire of introducing the course in his school. He hopes some day he might compose music in computer.

Selina Akhter, a Chittagong University student, said this computer literacy programme would help her in the competitive job market.

IPSA is providing the computer literacy free of cost, but gets the technological support from the Japan-based institute 'Daisy for All.'

The IPSA authority emphasised the need for supplying computers among the trained disabled persons.

Kolkata, Mar 1 (BDNEWS)- A two-day workshop entitled 'Nari Parichalita ICT Shilpa Udyog ke Sahayata Dan' (providing assistance for women oriented ICT) on rule of Information Technology in women's empowerment opens on March 2 at the Tower International in Salt lake of Kolkata.

Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) 'Change Initiatives' is organising the workshop. Some 50 representatives from public, private sectors from Bangladesh and West Bengal, Civil Society, Journalists and grass root level people are expected to take part in the workshop.

Jakir Hossain Sarker, Program Officer of 'Action Aid' and Arafatul Isalm, Staff Correspondent of BDNEWS will read out a paper on 'the development of Information Technology in Bangladesh'.

A book will be published in Bengali by the 'Change Initiatives' in association with the Manchester University London on 'Nari Parichalita ICT Shilpa Udyog ke Sahayata Dan'. The book will come out in the market in April.

'Change Initiatives' Coordinator Jhulan Ghosh told BDNEWS the book would be published in Bengali for easy access of those at grassroot level.

South Asian countries are now advancing well in ICT but Bangladesh is not being able to keep pace with them specially in the sectors like, e-learning, Community Multimedia Centre, MDG, bridging digital divide etc.

This was noted in a review meeting held in the BNNRC's (Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication) conference room Tuesday on the annual regional meeting of One World South Asia that took place at Agra in India on 22-23 January 2006.

The meeting was chaired by Md. Rafiqul Alam, Executive Director of DUS and moderated by Ahmed Swapan, Executive Director of VOICE.

In the meeting Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC, AHM Bazlur Rahman said, to ensure bridging digital divide, achieving MDG, PRSP and WSIS action plan, we need to establish Community Multimedia Centers in our rural areas.

He also mentioned that One World South Asia has already shown interest in helping Bangladesh in the ICT sector.

M. Kashem Ali of Development Gateway Foundation said the government websites are not updated regularly. To keep pace with the rest of the world, we must update all the government and NGOs websites on a regular basis, he added.

Expressing his frustration Grand jury of World Summit Award Md Akhteruzzaman informed that about 50 educational websites already produced in local languages of different South Asian countries, but Bangla language is absent.

A list of activities was identified in the meeting, which will take place in this year. These are: A list serve will introduce regarding ICT4D, Develop a resource directory on ICT4D in Bangladesh, Organize a national seminar on ICT and Development, Review Bangladesh Country Strategy paper of leading donor agencies, Organize a sensitization meeting on ICT4D with leading donor agencies, Sensitization meeting with corporate sector, Publish a monthly newsmagazine on ICT4D, Case study compilation on best practices and Organize a Annual General Meeting for reviewing Bangladesh ICT4D. It was decided in the meeting that BNNRC will provide all sorts of secretarial support and will facilitate the process.

Information of arrival of new books of 2006 and the everyday activities in Ekushey Book Fair will be available on Internet.

The website is www.ekusheymela.com, which will be updated everyday with news from the Fair.

An institute named ABC has built the website in association with Bangla Academy.

The site is ready for visit, on the right of the interface of which projects a column titled ‘new books’. Name of the newly arrived books at the Fair will be announced under the column everyday.

Different news about the Fair will be projected on the left corner of the interface. Besides, reports and pictures from the Fair will also be loaded there.

Designer of the website Md. Aktaruzzaman told, the interested persons have been requested to contact with the stall no 429 at the Fair to enlist the books. The website will be monitored from there.

He further said, no cost would be charged for attaching of any information.

Concerned sources said, a directory over the usage of Bengali language on Internet would also be added which might be available from February 21.

The website was created on the last half of the last year’s Fair. People from different parts of the world would get information frequently by this, said the concerned sources.

Dhaka, Jan 29 (BDNEWS) – Human rights are being violated by way of eavesdropping and the laws in other countries in this regard are not those of Bangladesh.

Speakers said this at a seminar titled ‘ICT and Human Righsts’ in the capital organised by the Development Research Network (D-Net) on the occasion of its fifth anniversary on Sunday.

A two-day Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Fair was also arranged at the BRAC Centre at Mohakhali from Saturday.

D-Net Research assistant Kamrunnahar told the seminar that according to the policy of national information and technology all districts and upazilas are supposed to have the internet facility but the policy has still remained in the shelf.

Justice Mohammad Habibur Rahman inaugurated the fifth founding anniversary of the D-Net on Saturday night.