Key Highlights of International Workshop on building telecentre family in Bangladesh

Held on 27-29 August, 2006 at RDRS , Rangpur

August 26, 2006

Press conference at Rangpur Chamber of Commerce, Rangpur held at 5 PM

The purpose of the event titled building telecentre family in Bangladesh : A workshop for the social entrepreneurs and practitioners was clarified to the local and national media. In addition, organizer D.Net and associating organization BNNRC and YPSA's profiles were introduced and the expectation of the event's support from telecentre.org and UNDP, Bangladesh was also informed. It was participated by substantial number of local correspondent of national dailies and weeklies and camera crew of few television networks. The press conference was ended with serving refreshments.

August 27, 2006

Session 1: Title Why Access to Information is Important?

Speakers: Dr Ananya Raihan, Executive Director, Development Research Network (D.Net) with presentation title Access to information and poverty alleviation

Mr. A. H. M. Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, BNNRC with presentation title ICT channels for access to information

The session was focused on leveraging ICTs to ensure Access to Information for improvement of livelihoods of rural poor and alleviating poverty. The participants wholeheartedly involved in the session by perusing answers to the given queries asked by them to the speakers. From this session, the organizers encouraged the participants to actively think of themselves individually as being member of the telecentre family in Bangladesh .

Session 2: Title Telecaster: How does it work?

Speakers: Mr. Debobrato Chakrobarti, Program Officer, ICT4D, YPSA with presentation titled Community Multimedia Centre

Mr. Sultanur Reza, Assistant General Manager, FOND, Grameen Phone with presentation titled Community Information Centre: a private sector approach in telecentre

Mr. Forhad Uddin, Senior Research Associate, D.Net with presentation titled Pallitathya Kendra: A Model in Practice

Mr. Badruddoza Swapan, Co-coordinator, IT Manager, Computer Division, Proshika with presentation titled PROSHIKA's Experience with ICT4D

Mr. Nafiz Khan, Program Officer, Dhaka Ahsania Mission with presentation tilted Framework of DAM's program,

Mr. K. A. M. Morshed, Program Manager, ICT4D, UNDP, Bangladesh with presentation titled Telecentre Sustainability: The need for Multi-stakeholder Partnership? and

Ms. Suparna Roy, Research Associate, D.Net with presentation titled Introduction of JEEON IKB, the local language content in Bangla.

From this session, the participants learnt a lot about different models of active telecentres in Bangladesh and their brief profiles with key highlights. This session was very inspiring and encouraging to those who were eager to gather information in building sustainable telecentres in Bangladesh within a short period of time.

August 28, 2006

Session 3: Title Global Telecentre Experiences

Speakers: Mr. Mark Surman, Managing Director, telecentre.org, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada Professor Subbiah Arunachalam, Distinguished Fellow, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, India,

Ms. Prianthi Daluwatte, Project Manager, Virtual Village Project, Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka and Dr. Basheerahmad Shadrach, Senior Program Officer, telecentre.org program, India.

These distinguished foreign guests shared their knowledgeable and valuable experiences in building telecentres in their respective countries and in south Asian region. Besides, the participants asked them relevant questions that would be helpful for them in building sustainable telecentres in Bangladesh . Although the session was focused on India and Sri Lanka .

Session 4: Title: Build Your Telecentre.

Mr.Mahmud Hasan, Program Director, D.Net was the facilitator of the session.

Guidelines for various types of telecentres, a film on telecentre operation, a telecentre cookbook and presentation of 10 groups of participants were the key highlights of the session. Creativity of the participants was reflected in the session through group activities and fun which was encouraged by the facilitator in a great deal.

Session 5: Sharing of experiences.

The session was facilitated by Mr. Mahmud Hasan, Program Director, D.Net

Mr. Shahiduddin Akbar, ICT Consultant, KATALYST shared his experience in building telecentres in Bangladesh, Presentation titled: Transforming rural livelihood through Rural ICT Center (RIC).

Session 6: Title Work plan for next 6 months.

The session was facilitated by Mr. A H M Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, BNNRC and Mr. Mahmud Hasan, Program Director, D.Net.

A remarkable work plan was developed where the participants and the speakers gave their thoughtful inputs in formulating it to make the enlightening pathway in alleviating poverty.

Session 7: Title Mission 2011: How to go about it?

In this session, the key theme of the Mission 2011 war introduced by Dr. Ananya Raihan, Executive Director, Development Research Network (D.Net).

Additional speakers included Dr. Shamsul Bari, Chaiman, Research Initiative, Bangladesh , Ms. Selina Hossain, renowned novelist and Executive Director, Faria Lara Foundation and Mr. Mark Surman, Managing Director, telecentre.org

This session focused on building national coalition for building telecentre in every village of Bangladesh

Session 8 or The Evening Session:

The session was mainly focused on re-launching ceremony of The Telecentre Times (the English versin) and launching ceremony of The Telecentre Times in Bangla version. The session was run by Ms. Fatema Begam Labony, Secretariat of The Telecentre Times in Bangla version for a year where Dr. Ananya Raihan gave an introductory welcoming speech focusing background of both versions.

Moreover, the whole event had several breaks for refreshments and lunches including various type of group activities. A fascinating cultural program with Pot music (a style of folk music of Bangladesh that evolves with pictures) and Gambhira music (another style of folk music originated from greater Rangpur area) were performed on stage by Dhoritri Shilpi Goshthi of Bagerhat in the evening of August 27 and SEPDA Folk Cultural Group on August 28 respectively.

August 29, 2006

The event ended with a memorable field visit to a telecentre run by D.Net which is known as Babrijhar Pallitathya Kendra at Nilfamari district (Presentation presented by :Protap Sarkar Bijoy, Center Manager). In their visit, the participants and local and national journalists went to the rural livelihood information centre by several arranged vehicles with lots of joy and cheerfulness. The visitors were received by the local inhabitants wholeheartedly and enjoyed a superb cultural show. Then they visited Babrijhar Pallitathya Kendra, nearby school that houses Computer Literacy Centre operated by D.Net and frankly questioned the operations of those to the staff and the villagers. After returning to Rangpur in the like manner, the event ended in a festive mood to begin the era of a newly formed telecentre family in Bangladesh .