As a mother, I am proud to see my son Joy being recognised for his work.

• Prime Minister Sheikih Hasina has thanked her son and ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy for his efforts to build a “Digital Bangladesh” as promised by the Awami League when it returned to power in 2008.

“I called Joy for that and thanked him. I told him that it would not have been possible for us to carry out these activities now if he had not introduced the digital systems. Everything would have stopped,”Due to the coronavirus outbreak, she added. 

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many to work from home on the internet while many students are also learning lessons online.
Joy, often dubbed the man who implemented Hasina’s ‘Digital Bangladesh’ dream, has been advising her on ICT affairs since 2009.

Sheikh Hasina said: “As a mother, I am indeed proud to see my son being recognised for his work. He is making his mark in realising ‘Sonar Bangla,’ the dream of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” She said, in Bangladesh, her government has made substantial investment in expanding IT infrastructure and building an IT-educated workforce. “We’ve seen a sea-change in broadband access and IT-enabled public services,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said ICT has thus become a critical enabler for the country’s inclusive growth, sustainable development and good governance. “It drives our aim to build a knowledge-based society for achieving our Vision 2021’ and Vision 2041,” she said. “Indeed, ICT holds for us a key to unlocking the full potentials of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” she added.

Joy was given the award in recognition of his tremendous contribution to the people of Bangladesh through the implementation of "Digital Bangladesh" initiative as well as his outstanding leadership and commitment towards ICT and competitiveness as a tool for sustainable development.

• The grandson of the nation’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman graduated in computer science from the University of Texas at Arlington in the US after studying at St Joseph’s College in India’s Nainital.
• He later received a post-graduate degree in public administration from Harvard University.