"I was very committed to my mother that I will do something from my own. Every members of our family requested me to go to London. But I was not mentally ready to go there. I was searching ways to carry out something from my own, but failed; and frustration grasped me. At last entrepreneurs training changed my mindset, my life, and I have created my own destiny. Now I feel courage to do something, and can take any challenge. I’m very pleased to A2I Programme of UNDP as well as NILG", says Md. Borhan Uddin, Entrepreneur of Union Information and Service Center (UISC) of Dhakadaskhin Union Parishad, Golapgonj, Sylhet.

Mr. Borhan took entrepreneurs training in Dhaka on January, 2010, and started UISC at Dhakadaskhin, Golapgonj, Sylhet. He provides two types of services for the local people; one is necessary information services related to livelihood, and the other is commercial services using ICTs. He is earning mostly from commercial services, like computer and internet training. Now he earns BDT 20,000 per month from training services. Day by day interests are growing among people, and it becomes a crowd place. Now UNO & UP Chairman has given another room for UISC, especially for the training purpose. It’s a matter of pleasure that at present there are twelve desktop computers and a laptop at UISC; he bought seven desktops from my own, Laptop is given by NILG, and the rest five is provided by UP Office. Among those two are used for providing information services, and other desktops are used for training purpose.

Now nobody requests him to go to London as he is a success entrepreneur. He is very cheerful with his current position. It is clear that if he didn’t get training from A2I, It would take time to make his life happy. He appointed two local unemployed youths with his activity, and provides them BDT 5000 per month. They are conducting the training very smoothly. He goes to schools-colleges, haat-bazars and clubs regularly with multimedia projector to show them digital contents, and discuss about the importance of ICTs in livelihood. It creates extra demands for the service and training. As a result, not only students and youths but also NGO activists and teachers are coming to take service and training.

From starting time to till now 250 persons took training from UISC. Most of them are students and youths. It’s a matter of pleasure that among them 32 persons went to abroad, and doing jobs related to computers, and 18 persons have started cyber café or computer training centre and earning money. Research shows, now 102 people of Dhakadaskhin Union are using email which was zero six months ago.

"I feel proud when the local people come to me to take advice, information services, and they also use my success point as an example. Now I have a good intimacy with UNO, ADC and DC, and they told me to phone them anytime in any problem. I was highly delighted when I was invited for a PowerPoint presentation on Digital Bangladesh in a program of Honorable Education Minister in last August. After completion of the program, Honorable Education Minister thanked me and requested to provide more education related information services from the UISC to students and teachers. It’s was really exciting for me", said Borhan Uddin.

In this way UISC has created a new value for the rural people. Recently Income Tax authority gave a circular to take income tax forms, photography from UISC, also submit their pay orders there. Income tax authority comes here regularly to take forms and pay orders, and inform when finally he will come to give TIN Certificate. Already 52 persons take this service this year.

Now he has only one challenge in future, how he could invite and engage more women with UISC to take information as well as training services. Actually rural women have eagerness to come and take services, but they are unable for religious superstitions. If he could provide computer training to the rural women, who are going abroad, definitely they would do better in their professional life, and also able to earn more. He has a dream to overcome this challenge as well.


Manik Mahmud
Consultant, Capacity Development Unit
Access to Information (A2I) Prgramme
Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Oct 9th 2010

manikmahmud@a2i.pmo.gov.bd, manik.undp@gmail.com

Cell : 01731-928297