Dhaka, July 30 -- Long regarded as a supporting sector rather than a primary growth engine, Bangladesh's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and telecommunications industry is now being positioned at the centre of the country's economic transformation.

With the government setting a target to increase the sector's contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the current 1-2 percent to 10 percent within the next five years, the latest budget outlines an ambitious roadmap built around digital infrastructure, high-speed connectivity, investment-friendly policies and a unified digital public service platform.

If achieved, the target would represent one of the most significant structural shifts in Bangladesh's economy, moving ...