The political landscape of Bangladesh has been marked by the ambitious vision put forth by the Awami League (AL) in its election manifesto for the 12th Jatiya Sangsad election. Central to this vision is the transformation of the nation into a “Smart Bangladesh” by the year 2041. This futuristic concept draws inspiration from the smart city concept popularized by IBM, aiming to create a high-tech, advanced country where digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are seamlessly integrated into various aspects of economic, political, and cultural life.
Read more: Assessing Awami League’s manifesto towards building a Smart Bangladesh
Assessing the Awami League manifesto and how Smart Bangladesh could be achieved
The Bangladesh Awami League (AL), the largest political party in the country, declared its election manifesto for the 12th Jatiya Sangsad election to win support from the people. This manifesto has encapsulated a vision for building a “Smart Bangladesh,” After reading the manifesto, the questions which popped up in my mind are: What is a smart Bangladesh? Is it achievable? How will it benefit the country and its citizens? I will try to find answers to these questions.
The idea of the smart country has been an extension of the concept called smart city popularized by IBM in the late 2000s. A smart city is “a high-tech, advanced city that connects people, information, and city elements using new technologies to create a sustainable, greener, competitive, innovative, and livable city”.
Equipped with IP cameras and GPS Tracker, 10 school buses start their journey on the city streets on Monday
Upon boarding a smart school bus, students will now need to tap their smart cards, which will instantly alert their parents of their whereabouts and boarding time. Similarly, as the students get down, another message will be sent, informing guardians of their children's drop-off location and time.
Read more: BD: Chattogram city enters ‘Smart School Bus’ era
On December 1, the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at Uttara University organised a day-long event titled "EEE DAY-2023" with the motto "Sustainable Development towards Smart Bangladesh." The event was held at the Central Auditorium of Uttara University's state-of-the-art permanent campus.
Prof. Dr Eaysmin Ara Lekha, the Vice-Chancellor of Uttara University, inaugurated the ceremony as the chief guest.
Read more: EEE DAY-2023: Sustainable Development towards Smart Bangladesh at Uttara University
Learning Globally, and Applying Locally In the Light of World Town Planning Day 2023
World Town Planning Day, also known as "World Urbanism Day," aims to encourage community planning to address diverse environmental and socio-economic factors involved in the development of a town. The 74th World Town Planning Day 2023 is being celebrated worldwide on November 08 with the theme 'Learn Globally, Apply Locally.'
According to the 2023 IMD Smart City Index, Singapore is ranked as the 7th smartest in the world, and topped among the smart cities in the Asian subcontinent.
Read more: BD: What Can Dhaka Learn from the Smart City Singapore