Netherlands committed to support Bangladesh: Dutch Queen

Dutch Queen Maxima on Wednesday expressed her country’s interest to help Bangladesh in digitisation of the retail payment system, reports UNB.

She expressed the interest while calling on prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban. PM's press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the call.

He said Queen Maxima visited 15 industries, ecommerce and ipay in Bangladesh and appreciated the growth of the country in the digital platform.

She also appreciated the growth of mobile phone use in Bangladesh and the country’s huge success in women empowerment.

Maxima said she is committed to support Bangladesh.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is a highly-populated country that needs development. She said all development programmes focus on the improvement of the grassroots and the women.

She said the country has digitised systems in many areas and emphasised ensuring the protection of this system.

The prime minister said the government is encouraging digitised system to which the country will gradually switch to.

In this connection, she mentioned that the government is providing stipend to 20.3 million students where some 10.3 million parents of primary school students are getting stipend through mobile phones.

The prime minister said the government has established 5,174 digital centres where women also receive various services.

Information and communication technology affairs advisor to the prime minister Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed mentioned that in recent times Bangladesh Bank introduced the electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) system.

Under this system, bank accounts can be opened without filling up any paper documents.

PM’s advisor Gowher Rizvi, state minister for public administration Farhad Hossain and principal secretary M Nojibur Rahman were present.