ICT Syndicate Remains Unchanged Despite Power Shift: Is the New Center of Power Trapped in the Political Net of the Hasina-Joy and Palak-Sami Axis?

Although the government of Sheikh Hasina fell following the historic student-people mass uprising of July-August, the roots of the sinister force occupying the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and startup sectors have not yet been uprooted. The former Minister of State for ICT, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, and the controversial former Managing Director (MD) of Startup Bangladesh Limited, Sami Ahmed, were the main implementers of the “Smart Bangladesh” agenda of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her former ICT advisor, Sajeeb Wazed Joy. There are allegations that under the direct patronage of this Joy-Palak-Sami political triangle, state funds worth hundreds of crores of Taka, project tenders, and international exposure within the ICT sector were funneled into the pockets of a specific beneficiary syndicate. At the center of this beneficiary axis were a few platforms like ShareTrip, Anchorless Bangladesh, Agroshift, Chaldal, ShopUp, and GoZayaan. The primary objective of the “Digital and Smart Bangladesh” created by Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Palak was to polish their political image and build a personal venture network. Sami Ahmed was placed in the top position of Startup Bangladesh primarily due to his personal closeness to Joy and Palak. Despite managing public funds, he focused on protecting the political interests of the Awami government and granting funds to specific companies instead of remaining neutral. A chilling picture emerges when analyzing how the large startups sheltered under this sphere swallowed the entire ecosystem. ShareTrip was showcased at almost every national and international ICT event, alongside receiving crores of Taka in government equity investment. Chaldal received follow-on funding multiple times despite already dominating the market. ShopUp and GoZayaan secured an almost exclusive presence in Palak’s policy-making forums. Agroshift and Anchorless Bangladesh received special privileges in state grants and international roadshows. Policy advantages and prized tenders always went to this syndicate. As a result, promising independent startups were pushed out of funding and market competition. Even during the bloody student-people movement, Palak and Sami Ahmed tried to save the government’s image by organizing a “Startup Summit.” Although Palak and Sami Ahmed were removed after Sheikh Hasina fled, the core funding platforms of the sphere they built are now attempting to shed their skins in the new political reality. Crowding around the new centers of power, they are seeking to cover up their past misdeeds and scheming to grab state benefits once again. The tech community says that if this “ICT crony capitalism” created by the Hasina-Joy-Palak axis is not completely uprooted, merit will not be evaluated in the new Bangladesh achieved through the blood of the youth. Demands are immediately arising to publicly release audit reports of all venture investments, ICT tenders, and events conducted over the past 15 years.

How Artificial Intelligence Changed the Way I Learn

We live in a world where everything is moving fast. As a student, I always felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of syllabi, assignments, and exams. I used to spend hours reading pages after pages, yet I struggled to remember things during exams. It felt like I was working hard, but not working smart. Then, everything changed when I started using AI for my studies. Honestly, at first, I thought AI was just for tech geniuses or computer scientists. But once I actually gave it a try, I realized it is the ultimate tool for “smart study.” It completely transformed my daily learning routine. Here is how AI helped me study smarter, not harder, and how it can help you too. My Personal, 24/7 Home Tutor In the past, whenever I got stuck on a difficult math problem or a confusing science concept late at night, I had to wait until the next day to ask a teacher or a friend. Sometimes, I even forgot what my doubt was! With AI, that problem is gone. Now, I can just type my question into an AI tool, and it explains the topic to me instantly. The best part? I can say to it, “Explain this to me like I am a ten-year-old.” It breaks down complex topics into simple sentences without using any hard vocabulary. It never gets tired or annoyed, no matter how many times I ask the same question. No More Boring Summaries Reading a 50-page chapter just to understand one core concept used to take me hours. Now, I use AI to get the main points. I upload the text or paste the article and ask the AI to give me a bullet-point summary of the most important ideas. This saves me a huge amount of time. Instead of wasting energy on reading fluff, I can focus my energy on understanding and memorizing the core information. Making Custom Quizzes We all know that just reading a book is not enough to pass an exam. You need to test yourself. Before AI, I had to look for old question papers or buy extra practice books. Now, I just tell the AI, “Create a 10-question multiple-choice quiz based on this chapter.” Boom! In five seconds, I have a personalized test ready. It helps me find out exactly which parts of the chapter I am weak in, so I can study those parts again. Planning My Day I used to be terrible at time management. I would make a study routine, but it was always too unrealistic to follow. Now, I tell the AI my schedule. For example, I say, “I have an exam in two weeks, and I can study for two hours every day. Create a simple study plan for me.” The AI creates a perfect daily schedule that breaks down my syllabus into small, achievable tasks. It takes away all the stress of planning. A Important Lesson I Learned While AI is amazing, I learned one big lesson from my own experience: AI is a helper, not a replacement for your brain. In the beginning, I made the mistake of letting AI write an entire assignment for me. When my teacher asked me questions about it the next day, I had no answers. I felt so embarrassed. That is when I realized that copying and pasting is not “Smart Study.” Smart study means using AI to understand the topic, and then writing it down in your own words. Use AI to generate ideas, to brainstorm, and to clear your doubts. Don’t let it do all your thinking for you. AI has made studying feel less like a burden and more like a game. It helped me save time, reduce my exam stress, and actually enjoy learning new things. If you are still studying the old-fashioned way, you are missing out. Give AI a try today, change your habits, and start studying smart!