IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The very idea of a Digital Bangladesh started as part of the election manifesto of Bangladesh Awami League for the 9th Parliamentary elections held in 2008. After the landslide victory of Awami League and formation of the government, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared to transform the country into "Digital Bangladesh by 2021" and the idea captured the imagination of the whole nation even without understanding the depth or scope of the issue by the mass people. It generated enormous enthusiasm among the people and they started to think it as a magic wand that will transform the country into a developed country.

"Digital Bangladesh" is an all-encompassing idea. It is not just e-commerce, e-education, or e-banking or e-governance. But among all the components e-governance is the most important for the initiative of "Digital Bangladesh."

Weiterlesen: BD: E-governance as a tool of good governance

The government is working sincerely to introduce e-governance in public sectors to speed up development works, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

“We want to use the information communication technology to speed up development works,” she said at the inauguration of the first reunion of National Defence College at Mirpur Cantonment in the capital.

The prime minister said the government has been working to build a “digital” and prosperous Bangladesh by 2021.

Weiterlesen: Bangladesh: Prime Minister pledges e-governance to speed up development

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader last evening said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has correctly envisioned Vision-2021 to advance the nation by adapting with the competitive global scenario.

There is no alternative to learn and utilize the information and communication technologies (ICT) by ensuring easier access of the mass people to information, computers, internet and other digital devices to achieve the development goals, he said.

The PM's Vision-2021 in the present context of globalization will achieve goals of the government's pre-election pledges of Charter of Changes to turn Bangladesh into a corruption-free medium income nation by the year 2021, he said.

Weiterlesen: 'Vision-2021 will build corruption-free digital Bangladesh'

The previous Awami League government in 1999 acquired 230 acres of land at Kaliakair near Dhaka to set up an information technology (IT) park. It was to give this sector a big leap forward in all respects. The park was said to be built with uninterrupted power supply and continuous high speed Internet connectivity round the clock -- among other indispensables for such an establishment. Although a decade has passed since the acquisition of land, actual activities to get the park going in every sense of the term has been very little.

The government itself could give a boost to this sector by taking strong initiatives to spread e-governance. The ministries and different organizations could be adequately brought under computer networks to preserve information and discharge different services to people. In the process, the use of locally made software and support services could increase, giving a stimulus to about 400 companies that have sprung up in the private sector.

Weiterlesen: Realizing the vision of digital Bangladesh