First Meeting of the Steering Committee on the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS) 01-02 November 2017 Dhaka, Bangladesh Delegate Handbook ICT Division Department of ICT তথ্য ও য োগোয োগ প্র ুক্তি ক্তিভোগ তথ্য ও য োগোয োগ প্র ুক্তি অক্তিদপ্তর The People’s Republic of Bangladesh www.ictd.gov.bd CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1 2. About Bangladesh 1-3 3. Top Management of ICT Division, Bangladesh 4 4. Meeting Date & Venue 5 5. Local Secretariat Contact Persons 5 6. Accommodations & Meals 6 7. Internet Access 6 8. Transportation 6 9. Dress Code 6 10. General Information 6-11 a. Weather 6 b. Currency & Banking 6 c. Electricity 6 d. Local Time 7 e. Mobile operator 7 f. Tourist Attraction 7-8 g. Shopping 9 h. Tipping 10 i. Socialization 10 j. Bangladesh Tourist Map 11 1. Introduction: Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) & Department of Information and Communication Technology (DoICT), Bangladesh Government welcomes all delegates to the First Meeting of the Steering Committee on the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS). Delegates Handbook provides general information on administrative & logistical arrangements as well as other relevant information. Questions or requests for further quarries would be addressed by the local Secretariat. 2. About Bangladesh: Bangladesh is located in the north-eastern part of South Asia. The majestic Himalayas stand some distance to the north, while in the south lays the Bay of Bengal. West Bengal borders on the west and in the east, lies the hilly and forested region of Tripura, Mizoram (India) and Myanmar. These picturesque geographical boundaries frame a low lying plain of about 1,47,570 square kilometers, criss-crossed by innumerable rivers and streams. Mighty rivers of fluvial Bangladesh are Padma (Ganges), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), Meghna and Karnafuli. Bangladesh offers many tourist attractions, including archaeological sites, historical mosques and monuments, longest natural beach in the world, picturesque landscape, hill forests and wildlife, rolling tea gardens and tribes. The rich flora and fauna and colorful tribal life is very enchanting. Each part of the country offers distinctly different topography, flavors and delicacies. It is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, freshwater pink dolphins, historical temples made of red earth. Bangladesh-Fast Facts Administrative Units: Official Name: The People's Republic of Bangladesh 8 Divisions: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet, Nationality: Bangalees as a nation and Bangladeshi as citizen. Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Weekends: Friday & Saturday, 64 Districts, 491 Subdistricts/Upazillas some govt and non-govt offices remain open on Saturdays. International Dialing Code: +880 Capital City: Standard Time: BST (GMT +6 Hours) Dhaka Female Literacy Rate: 61.5% Life Expectancy: 71.7 years Demography Population: 16.17crores Economic Data Literacy Rate:71% GDP growth rate: 7.24% Per capita income: 1602 USD Language: Bangla (national language) spoken by 95% Geography English is widely understood and spoken. Area: 147,570 sq. km. (land: 133,910 sq km, water: 10,090 sq km) ICT Related information: Terrestrial Internet User: 62.248 Million Source: www.bangladesh.gov.bd Mobile Internet User: 68.85 Million Mobile Phone User: 135.982 Million Source: www.bbs.gov.bd ( Source : BTRC, Updated ) 1 e g Pa National Flag of Bangladesh: National Emblem of Bangladesh: Government logo of Bangladesh: National Web Portal: Map of Bangladesh 2 e g Pa Father of the Nation BANGABANDHU SHEIKH MUJIBUR RAHMAN Honourable President of Bangladesh Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh MR MD ABDUL HAMID SHEIKH HASINA 3 e g Pa 3. Top Management of Information and Communication Technology Division Mr. Sajeeb Wazed Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP Honourable ICT Affairs Adviser to Prime Honourable State Minister Minister Email: [email protected] Phone # +88-02-8181115 (Off) Mobile # +88-01711061051 Mr. Subir Kishore Choudhury Mr. Banamali Bhowmick Secretary Director General Email: [email protected] Department of ICT Phone # +88-02-8181547 (Off) [email protected] Phone # +880 2 8181100 4 e g Pa 4. Meeting Date & Venue: st Preparatory meeting 31 October, Surma hall, the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Time: 13:30-18:00 The meeting will be held on 01-02 November 2017 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The venue is: Day-1 (01 November 2017, Grand Ballroom, the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka) Time: 08:30 -17:15 Day-2 (02 November 2017, Surma hall, Balcony hall the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel) Time: 09:00 -17:45 Hotel Address The Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel 107, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh Tel: +880 2 9128008 Contact Person 1: Event Manager Mr. Yasin Hasan Assistant Catering Manager The Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel,Dhaka. Mobile No: 01730014177 Email: [email protected] Contact Person 2: Rooms Manager Sk. Sadequr Rahman Senior Sales Manager Mobile No: 01730014178 The Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka. 5. Local Secretariat Contact Persons-DoICT: Contact Person 1 Contact Person 2 Contact Person 3 Mr. Mohammad Abul Hashem Mr. Mustain Billah Mr. Mohammad Naeem Hasan Deputy Director (Deputy Secretary) Assistant Programmer and Desk AP-IS Focal Point, Department Deputy Director(Administration) Officer, AP-IS, Department of ICT. of ICT. Department of ICT Mobile: +880 1558 749990 Mobile: +8801716223442 Mobile: +88-01752039572 Telephone: +880 2 9117242 Telephone: +880 2 55006809 Telephone: +880 2 8181265 Fax: +880 2 8181099 Fax: +880 2 8181102 Fax: +880 2 8181102 email: [email protected] email:[email protected] email:[email protected] At ICT Division Ms. Mahbooba Panna Deputy Secretary (International Affairs Section) ICT Division. Mobile: +88-01556329193 Telephone: +88-02-8181056(Off) email: [email protected] 6. Accommodation & Meals: ESCAP in collaboration with local secretariat will contact you with details of your booked hotel 5 e accommodation at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel. g Pa The room rates for the purpose of this meeting are as follows: Hotel Room Type Special Rate (USD) The Pan Pacific Sonargaon Deluxe Single Bed $195.00 Hotel Deluxe Twin Bed $220.00 Room rates include applicable taxes and charges with complimentary breakfast. In addition, Bangladesh will arrange and bear the costs of all meals (dinner, lunch, coffee-tea breaks) from 31st October (welcome dinner) up to the closing ceremony on 2nd November. Any meals beyond the 2nd of November must be settled by Delegates. 7. Internet Access: Wireless internet access will be available at the meeting areas and guest rooms. 8. Airport Pick-up, Drop-off transportation: Bangladesh will arrange Airport pick-up and drop off from the hotel to the Airport at the end of the meeting. Any other transportation requirements will have to be paid by Delegates. Hotel authority will assist with arrangement of transportation facility upon payment. 9. Dress Code: Dress code for the meeting will be official and cultural event will be casual or traditional cultural event. 10. General Information: a. Weather: The climate usually is usually dry in November in Dhaka; it does not rain often. A cool, dry winter. The high seasonal norm is 28°C on average. Thus, the mean temperature average is 23°C. b. Currency and Banking: Bangladesh’s official currency is Taka (BDT). It has a floating exchange rate, which means its value goes up and down depending on market forces. Local money exchange shops are active till 9.00-20.00hr. Shops are available very near to the hotels. The exchange rate as far 23 August 2017 is USD1 = BDT 81.16 The normal banking hour in Bangladesh is10.00-16.00 hr on Sunday-Thursday. VISA, MasterCard and AmEx are accepted at many shopping centres, hotels, restaurants and other tourist spots. However, you should always carry some cash with you just in case of need. c. Electricity: The standard electricity supply in Bangladesh is 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Delegates are advised to bring along converters or adaptor for compatibility with the as shown below. d. Local Time: The Local Time in Bangladesh is GMT+6 hours e. Mobile Operator: There are couple of mobile service operator in Bangladesh like Grameenphone, Banglalink, Airtel, Robi, Teletalk etc. They are currently providing GSM/WCDMA Services. Delegates are advised to contact with their local operator for international roaming service. f. Tourists Attractions: Bangladesh has many islands and a coral reef. The longest sea beach, Cox's Bazar Beach is located here. It is home to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. The country's biodiversity includes a vast array of plant and wildlife, including critically endangered Bengal tigers, the national animal. Delegates may visit nearby tourist place inside Dhaka like Bangabandhu Museum, Bangabandhu Novo Theatre, National Parliament Building, Lalbagh Fort, Ahsan Manjil, Shaheed Minar, National Memorial etc. Delegates may contact the local Secretariat for arranging the visit totourist places. (http://www.tourismboard.gov.bd/),(http://www.bangladeshtouristsm.com),(http://tourtobangladesh.com (parjatan.portal,gov.bd) Some important Tourist Attraction as National Parliament, Dhaka. National Monument At Savar, Dhaka Shahid Minar, Dhaka Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, Dhaka 7 e g Pa Bangabavan, Dhaka Baitul Makarram national Mosque,Dhaka Ahsan Manjil, Dhaka Novo Theatre, Dhaka Cox’s Bazar, The longest unbroken Sea Beach in the World Sunderban Mangrove Forest, Largest Mangrove Forest in the World. 8 e g Pa Tea Garden at Sylhet, Bangladesh Somapura Mahavihara, Dhaka g. Shopping: Bangladeshi shopping malls are not fixed prices. Mostly shopping is done through bargaining. Jamuna Future Park, Bashundhara City, Mouchak Market, New Market, Banga Bazar, Dhaka etc. Bangladesh has some of the largest shopping malls in South Asia. Jamuna Future park, largest Shopping Mall of Bangladesh, Dhaka Distance from Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel is 13.7 km. Web: www.jamunafuturepark.com 9 e g Bashundhara Shopping Mall, Dhaka Pa Distance from Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel is 500 meter. Web: www.bashundhara-city.com Aarong Shopping mall, Dhaka Distance from Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel is 2.1 km.