Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park faces acute losses due to slow internet

After 10 consecutive days of internet shutdown in Jashore, the speed of internet which has been resumed is still very slow. As a result, the investors of Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park in Jashore are facing huge losses.

According to the Jashore Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Parkor Investors Association, their 45 companies have incurred losses worth Tk 7 crore in the last 15 days.

Investors complain that after being shut down for so long, the speed of internet they are getting is only sufficient for Facebooking and browsing some websites. No files can be uploaded with this speed. If this continues, many enterprises will be closed within the next one month. Along with that, thousands of people will lose their jobs and unemployment will increase.

Investors and stakeholders said that the slow internet that is currently available in the country due to the agitation for quota reform is hampering all kinds of online activities. Now broadband and mobile internet is introduced but it is so slow that it is not giving any benefit to the IT entrepreneurs.

The wave of small entrepreneurs that was created during the corona situation from house to house, centered on online and social media, has completely stopped. Even entrepreneurs are isolated from the consumers as they cannot communicate normally online, said the investors.

They also said that freelancing activities which expanded in Jashore have experienced a major collapse. The amount of foreign exchange brought in by the freelancing youth of Bangladesh in the last decade has become a foundation for the country's economy. The sector is now on the brink of destruction due to the pathetic state of internet services.

In this regard Tushar, the admin officer of the global outsourcing company SEBPO of Jashore Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park, said that in the last 15 days, we have suffered a loss of about Tk 1 crore.

He said if this continues, we will not be able to run the businesses, due to which many people will lose their jobs.

In this regard, General Secretary of Jashore Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park Investor Association Engineer Shah Jalal said, “There are about 45 enterprises in our association. Many of these organizations had daily income of Tk 1 lakh. We are unable to do any work for the last 15 days. We are losing all our foreign customers.”

He requested people in IT sector to ensure uninterrupted internet connection to continue their business.

He expressed his fear and said that if the internet is not normalised very soon, many entities of Jashore IT Park will be closed. Many organizations will not be able to pay their employees' salaries and space rent during this month.