Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day is celebrated in Dhaka on Tuesday. The High Commission of India in Dhaka organized a function in collaboration with the ITEC Alumni Association of Bangladesh (IAAB), to celebrate ITEC Day. Bangladesh’s Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaquegraced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Addressing the event, High Commissioner Pranay Verma said that as one of India’s closest development partners, Bangladesh occupies an important place in the ITEC programme. He noted that Bangladesh is a recipient of 500 dedicated slots for ITEC every year under the Suborno Jayanti Scholarships.
Verma said there are several tailor-made programmes for civil servants and private enterprises of Bangladesh which are being organised as per the requirement of the Government of Bangladesh. He further said that the ITEC alumni in Bangladesh showcased the strong bonds of friendship between India and Bangladesh.
ITEC, a flagship programme of the Government of India, was instituted in 1964 as part of India’s Development Assistance Programme. It has been offering the benefit of India’s development experience and technological progress to more than 160 countries across the globe. Every year, more than 10,000 training slots are offered to ITEC partner countries for training courses in premier Indian Institutes in various areas like Agriculture, Accounts, Audit, Good Governance Practices, Management, Small and Medium Enterprises, Rural Development, Public Health, Parliamentary Affairs, Judiciary, Election Management, IT, Data Analytics, Remote Sensing, Renewable Energy etc.
To date, more than 5,000 young Bangladeshi professionals have undergone such courses in India under the ITEC programmes.
Around 180 ITEC alumni from all walks of life, besides distinguished guests, attended the event. Some of the distinguished ITEC alumni also shared their training experiences with the audience. A small cultural event culminated in the programme.