Sylhet, The Next Digital City of Bangladesh

Sylhet is one of the largest, and most important cities, of Bangladesh. Located in the northeastern part of the country, Sylhet has traditionally been known for its historic tea plantations, religious shrines, beautiful scenic landscapes, and it’s huge diaspora in London. But recently, there has been a large digitization drive going on in the Sylhet Metropolitan Area, with the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) at the forefront of a mission towards a digital Sylhet. And in today’s article, we are going to explore the efforts that are being made to turn Sylhet into the next digital city of Bangladesh. 

Underground Electricity 

As a part of its ‘Power Distribution System Development Project, Sylhet Division’, the Power Development Board (PDB) has been replacing overhead electric wires with an underground electric wiring system throughout the city. Work at the Hazrat Shah Jalal Shrine area of Ward Number – 1 of SCC has been completed.  The pillars supporting the overhead wires were also uprooted from the streets. As a result, the whole neighborhood got a facelift, bringing back the charm of this historic part of the city. Overhead wires have become a common sight for the urban populace of Bangladesh. But that should not be the case. Overhead wires come with many safety hazards. Also, they’re a huge eyesore for the residents of any city. Other cities of Bangladesh should take note of what Sylhet is doing towards being a digital city, and implement its own underground electric wiring system. 

Free Wi-Fi Zones for a digital city

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr AK Abdul Momen, stated in Jan, 2019, that “Sylhet will be Bangladesh’s first digital city where the residents will have access to free WiFi at every corner of the city.” True to his words, the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, piloted the Public Wi-Fi Zone, an integral part of the ‘Digital Sylhet City’ project on the 23rd of June, 2019. 62 different locations saw the creation of free Wi-Fi zones, with 126 access points.  These zones would result in hundreds of thousands of people getting access to Wi-Fi connectivity on the road, which is a necessary step towards making Sylhet a truly digital city.

High-Tech Surveillance

The Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) has joined forces with Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, to install Automatic Number-Plate Recognition (ANPR) and Face Recognition cameras across Sylhet. As a result, the efficiency of the city’s security systems will increase. Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) will be in control of these systems. The SMP have already started operation of a monitoring room for controlling these IP cameras at the Kotwali Model Police Station. The camera will identify criminals and blacklisted vehicles, sending a feed to the control room. Important places in the city have seen the installation of 110 IP cameras. These IP cameras will surely increase the effectiveness of the SMP in its efforts to provide proper security to the citizens of Sylhet. Such efforts are bringing Sylhet one step closer to being a digital city.

Sylhet Electronic City

Although not located in the Sylhet Metropolitan Area, the Sylhet Electronic City project implemented by the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) will have a huge impact on the city. Located in Companiganj, 28km from the city, the Sylhet Electronic City is one of the flagship projects of the BHTPA. Built on 162 acres of land, the huge project is going to feature IT offices, Electronics Factories. Parks, Playgrounds, Residential Areas, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, Five Star Hotels, Shopping Malls, and a Golf Course will also be present. Sylhet Electronic City will provide employment to 50,000 locals, with many of the jobs being in IT. The creation of the Sylhet Electronic City would boost the development of the IT and Electronics Manufacturing sectors in Sylhet. Furthermore, the project provide numerous jobs in the IT sector for people living in the Sylhet Metropolitan Area. 

In conclusion, we can say that the digitization drive is changing the fabric of Sylhet. It is a major economic hub, being home to the largest tea plantations, numerous gas fields, and many other industries. With digitization in full force, a more well connected, more secure Sylhet is going to see further economic development. Consequently, there will be a boom in Real Estate across the Sylhet Metropolitan Area. And wherever there is development, there’s Bproperty. Already operating in Dhaka, and Chattogram, Bproperty is the largest Real Estate Marketplace in Bangladesh, offering complete Real Estate Solutions to its clients and customers. Let us know what you think of Sylhet’s new look in the comments below.