DHAKA: Social networking website Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg updated his Facbook account on Tuesday posting a status with a picture on recently launched free internet services across Bangladesh.

Zuckerberg said “We just launched Internet.org in Bangladesh on the Robi network! It's another step towards connecting the world.”

‘Bangladesh has more than 170 million people, but fewer than 10% are connected to the internet.”

The Facebook co-founder went on saying “Research shows that for every 10 people who gain access to the internet, at least one person is lifted out of poverty. This is because the internet brings access to jobs, education and health information, and valuable communication tools.”

Zuckerberg also hopped that the service will help 10 million more people to bring them out of poverty in the country.

“We have the opportunity to lift up more than 10 million people in Bangladesh and hundreds of millions around the world.”

He also used a picture of a female journalist as an example on the use of mobile instead of internet using two hashtags --  ‪#‎connectbangladesh‬ and ‪#‎connecttheworld‬.

“Here's a photo of Joyeeta, a journalist in Bangladesh who uses her mobile phone to get updates on jobs and news assignments,” Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg’s status drew 53,449 likes, 4,615 comments and 4,255 shares till filing this report.

Robi subscribers of the country have been started free internet services under a project of Internet.org, jointly lunched by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, Facbook and Robi Axiata Limited here in the country.

Using Internet.org app, Robi users can browse 25 websites, including government job circular, E-commerce, online marketplace, education, health service for women, weather update, important phone numbers and media, at free of cost.

BDST: 1228 HRS, MAY 12, 2015
HB/SMS