Staff Correspondent 

An agreement has been signed between the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HIT) Project and the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BDREN) to increase access to international e-resources for teachers, researchers, and students of public and private universities in the country. 

The agreement on 'e-books for UGC Digital Library' was signed at the University Grants Commission (UGC) meeting room on Thursday. 

The agreement was signed by BDREN CEO Mohammad Taurit and HIT Project Director Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman in the presence of UGC Chairman Prof  Dr. Mamun Ahmed. 

At that time, World Bank Practice Manager Dr. Sherezad Jaya, Senior Education Specialist and Task Team Leader of the HIT Project TM Asaduzzaman, along with relevant officials of UGC, Bangladesh Accreditation Council, BDREN, HIT Project and the World Bank were present. 

Under the agreement, teachers, researchers, and students from 76 public and private universities in the country will have access to more than 30,000 e-books, e-journals, and various research materials from seven international institutions. 

Emphasizing the need to increase the use of e-resources, the UGC Chairman said that these e-resources are being purchased considering the needs of universities and the country's priority sectors. As a result, teachers and researchers will be able to easily use international e-books, e-journals and other research materials. 

He said, "To improve the quality of education and research, the use of e-resources should be increased in universities. The country's research sector should be promoted by utilizing this facility. The UGC is working on how to further increase the use of e-resources in research." 

Highlighting the initiative for digital transformation in universities, Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed said that under this, initiatives are being taken to expand high-speed WiFi and broadband internet services and develop an e-resource sharing system. 

The UGC Chairman said, "UGC is taking effective initiatives to develop the country's universities as complete digital campuses." 

HIT Project Director Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman and project officials highlighted the progress of the project and various challenges in its implementation.