BASIS SoftExpo 2023, one of the largest IT events in Bangladesh, kicked off on February 23 with a wide range of activities and events that spanned four days. The event brought together IT enthusiasts, industry experts, government officials, and entrepreneurs to discuss and showcase the latest trends and developments in the IT industry.

The first day of the event started with the inauguration ceremony, followed by a series of seminars that covered various topics such as game publishing, the inclusion of women in the national IT sector, and policy dialogue on how the ICT sector can save foreign currencies and support new entrepreneurs in building investments and businesses in IT.

One of the highlights of the first day was the Freelancers Conference, which had three distinct sessions. The conference focused on global skill demand trends for freelancers, discovering new markets as well as expansion of innovations and strategies, as well as a discussion on how to build million-dollar freelancing agencies. Additionally, there was a roundtable on software testing and outsourcing and a seminar on the development targets to be achieved by 2023 under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Esports Championship 2023 was arguably the biggest attraction on the first day, attracting younger audiences and gaming enthusiasts. After a three-day long competition, Team Celestials became the champion of the first-ever women-only Esports Championship in Bangladesh, while Team Red Viperz won the CS:GO championship and Team Exceeli Esports became the winners in Valorant.

Day 2 featured the Startup Conference, which included founders from prominent startups and industry experts. The startup founders took part in lively debates and discussions and spoke about how to raise funds in global and local settings. The highlight of the conference was BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover, who participated in a fireside chat with 10 Minute School’s Ayman Sadiq for an exciting conversation.

Other events on Day 2 included the Prospects of Data Science, Maritime Education: Towards SMART Bangladesh, a roundtable on Finding your purpose in Work and Life, the ICT sector at the post-LDC time: The Way Forward, Ministerial Conference and the Cybersecurity posture and policy guidelines in Bangladesh.