Online income tax returns filing launched

Source: http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=172508&cid=4

Dhaka, Sep 5 (bdnews24.com) – The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has launched an online income tax returns submission.

The facility was launched with the finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith filing his own income tax returns on the internet at a programme at the finance ministry around 10.45am on Sunday.

Initially, the facility will be available to tax payers of Income Tax Zone–8 only.

Terming the facility a ‘revolutionary’ step towards a ‘digital Bangladesh’, the minister said residents of all tax zones will be able to avail this facility within a year.

Following the inauguration, Muhith told journalists: “The facility will make filing income tax returns easier, simpler and hassle-free.”

He also said that presently there are 2.7 million Tax Identification Number (TIN) holders around the country. However, only 800,000 pay income taxes.

Pointing out that the number of tax payers should be raised, he said, “Even if only 10 percent of our citizens pay income taxes, the number of taxpayers would stand at 16 million. So, our target is to increase the number up to 10 million.”

However, the minister did not clarify how long they will take to meet the target.

NBR chief Nasiruddin Ahmed said, “More than 30,000 tax payers reside in Tax Zone-8. So we picked this zone first.”

The zone includes a large section of the capital including Gulshan, Banani and Korail.

To avail the facility, the tax payers will have to collect a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the tax office and use the number and his TIN and log on to http://www.txzone-8.org.

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Digital Content Development Workshop held for Secondary Teachers

Source: http://digitalbangladesh.gov.bd

Under the quick win initiative `ICT-enabled Teacher Training Programme’ of Access to Information (A2I) Programme (implemented by Ministry of Education) a training workshop on digital content development and for secondary school teachers was arranged on 11-15 May 2010 at Agrani Girls’ School and College, Dhaka. Total twenty three teachers participated in the workshop from seven secondary schools ofDhaka city.

In the workshop the participants were trained about how to integrate ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in classroom for improving teaching-learning process. It was a hands-on training workshop on developing digital education contents (using PowerPoint and Internet) and how these contents can be used in classroom to make students’ learning easier, enjoyable and effective. The participant teachers developed some digital contents and presented at the last day of the workshop. Mr. M. Nazrul Islam Khan, the National Project Director of A2I Programme, Mr. Nazrul Islam, Project Director of Teaching Quality Improvement (TQI) Programme of Ministry of Education and Mr. Shahidul Islam Biswas, Principal, Agrani School and College, Dhaka were present at the simulation sessions.

They have provided some valuable feedback which the participants may incorporate in developing contents and using the contents in real classroom. The participants were very excited and motivated that the experience of developing digital contents was a new learning for them and they will develop these kinds of contents for their own classroom. The purpose of developing and using the contents is to make learning easy, enjoyable and effective. All the selected schools have computer lab and four of them have multimedia projectors. So the participants can use the developed digital contents in the multimedia classroom environment and in the computer lab.

 

HSC result via SMS and Online

Life is more easier than that of before. No matter where you are, you can receive HSC, Alim, Fazil and HSC (vocational) results 2010 in real-timethrough your cell phone or internet at home.

To get result online:

www.educationboard.gov.bd is the official website to get HSC, Alim, Fazil and HSC (vocational) results 2010 via online. One can also get his result via e-mail in realt-ime by registering. One can register easily on education board site.

To get result via sms:

The examinees have to type the first three letters of their respective boards, give space and then type their roll numbers and send the SMS to 16222 to get results via sms.

Source: Access to Information Project, Bangladesh

Bangladesh Bank to setup 10,000 digital centres in upazilas

Source: The New Nation

Bangladesh Bank (BB) is going to set up 10,000 digital centres across the country to bring the grassroots level people under the digital facilities so that the citizens can avail essential digital services.

The objectives of the centres are to provide service like payment of different bills, e-top up, e-ticketing, e-commerce, online share trading and lottery, etc.

This was disclosed at a seminar on ‘Setting up Digital Centers under SME’ at Bangladesh Bank Training Academy (BBTA) at Mirpur which was jointly organised by Bangladesh Bank and SME Foundation on Saturday.

Addressing as the chief guest in the seminar, the BB governor Dr Atiur Rahman said the people will be easily acquainted with the digital technology by the centres and they would be able to take its opportunity by paying a nominal charge.

The governor urged the bankers to come forward to set up the centres to bring its service in the door step of rural people through electronic system.

Bangladesh Bank has initially planned to set up 10 digital centers in each thana under Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), he said adding that a group of five educated youths would be given Taka five lakh loan from SME fund to establish a center.

However, the Governor said proper implementation of the plan depends on the good intension of banking and financial institutions. This technology based project will reach the banking service to the door step of people, he noted.

Chairman of SME Foundation Aftab-ul Islam, Managing Director Syed Rezwanul Islam, General Manager of SME Special Programme of the central bank Sukomol Singh Chowdhury, among others, addressed the occasion.

Executive Director of BBTA Ebadul Islam was in the chair while Chief Executive of Digital Technology Ltd. Mozammel Haque presented a concept paper.

Central bank takes step to rev up ICT business

Source: The Financial Express

The central bank has allowed online transactions for the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) firms aiming to expedite ICT related businesses, officials said on September 02, 2010.

Under the new provisions, banks are allowed to remit up to US$ 10,000 on behalf of ICT or software firms in a calendar year for the purposes of international alliances like software registration fee, domain registration and hosting fees and server maintenance fee without prior approval of the Bangladesh Bank (BB).

ICT businessmen welcomed the BB’s latest move, saying that it would facilitate their businesses through allowing internet transactions.

“Bangladesh opens a new chapter of e-business allowing internet transactions,” Chairman of the committee on international marketing of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Shameem Ahsan told the FE.

He also said it would help to create new employment opportunity through boosting ICT related businesses including software exporting across the world.

Within the limit of $10,000 in foreign exchange authorised dealer banks, officially known as ADs, may issue international card (IC) favoring a nominated official of ICT or software firm for US$1000 with the recommendation of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), the central bank said in a circular, issued Thursday.

“As a part of ongoing liberalisation of BB, We’ve incorporated internet/ online transactions particularly for ICT firms into our regulations. We hope that it would be a milestone for digital transaction of the country’s banking industry,” a BB senior official told the FE.

The IC may be refilled for another $1000 subject to production of documents showing the fact that the previous transactions were carried out for the purposes.

“The ADs shall ensure that the aggregate amount of refills of IC and outward payment through other means do not exceed $10,000 in a calendar year,” the circular added.

In the context of web based trade, the foreign buyer settles the payment through international credit cards (ICC) using internet/web.

To accommodate such internet/web generated payment to beneficiary account, it has been decided to allow ADs to work as ‘Acquiring Banks’ for realisation of internet/web generated payment favouring BASIS member ICT/software firms registered and operating in Bangladesh.

“…ADs shall have to comply with the applicable regulation of foreign exchange transactions, AML/CFT, payment and settlement systems and other relevant laws/regulations in force and report the transactions with monthly returns to Bangladesh Bank in the relevant schedules/statements,” it noted.