ICT ICONS HONOURED

The Daily Star and the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) on 28 Ocotber honoured four individuals and as many information technology firms for their contribution to the country's ICT industry. The event was organised in association with BRAC Bank and the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a Silicon Valley-based firm, with Le Méridien as hospitality partner. Speaking at the ceremony, the finance minister thanked The Daily Star for taking the initiative and hoped the award would continue to take the society forward. The Daily Star ICT Awards, first of its kind in the country by a newspaper, aims to recognise individuals and IT firms and raise awareness about the role of ICT in nation-building, and to encourage innovation and excellence among ICT talents and enterprises. The individuals who won the inaugural awards are Mahboob Zaman, chairman of DataSoft, an internationally acclaimed software firm; late Abu Yousuf Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, founder of IBCS-PRIMAX Software (Bangladesh) Ltd, an IT firm focused on onshore and offshore software development and systems integration; Syed Farhad Ahmed, managing director of Aamra Group of Companies; and Ziaur Rahman, chief executive officer of TigerIT Bangladesh Ltd.