FB alternative ‘Jogajog’ to be launched soon: Minister

Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak has said the ICT department is building its own alternative social media platform “Jogajog” to make the country self-reliant with its own digital platform.

Speaking at a virtual conference as the chief guest at the inaugural function of “Entrepreneurship Masterclass Series 2” organised by Women and e-Commerce Forum on Saturday, the state minister said through this social media platform, the country’s entrepreneurs would be able to create their online marketplace and group for information, data and communication without depending on foreign digital platforms.

Palak said the ICT department has already created “Baithak” — an alternative to zoom online platform — and coronavirus vaccination management app “Surokkha”.

He added that another platform called “Alapan” is also being created as an alternative to WhatsApp. He elaborated on the initiatives of the ICT division to create various digital platforms, including streaming platforms.

“Now there are various streaming platforms, including YouTube, which are making huge amounts of money each year through advertisements of Bangladeshi companies, without paying the government any revenue. That’s why we have taken the initiative to create a streaming platform. Hopefully, we can make that happen in a short time,” he further said.

Mentioning the Digital E-Commerce Policy formulated in 2018, the state minister said that the government is providing policy support to the innovative youths so that they can help to create millions of entrepreneurs in the country.