How far are we from a digitally smart Bangladesh?

The Awami League-led government has been tremendously working hard to take the country ahead towards a “Smart Bangladesh” within 2041, by implementing innovative projects, giving policy support and spreading and creating awareness on information and communication technology.

But how many projects and strategies have been implemented so far and how close the country is now to achieving the goal?

The evaluation reports so far from the concerned ministries and organisations sent to the Digital Bangladesh Taskforce executive committee, which is headed by the prime minister’s principal secretary, paint a good picture.

Based on these reports, The Business Post has found that the government is implementing multiple major initiatives to ensure a technically and technologically sound and skilled nation in the future.

With that in mind, the government has completed the registration of 30,000 freelancers to help make their activities more dynamic.

Currently, software or IT-enabled services exporters are enjoying a 4 per cent cash incentives against the export earnings. Bangladesh’s export earnings from computer-related services – which include software, IT enabled services, consultancy and equipment maintenance – nearly doubled to $592 million in FY22.

Talking to The Business Post, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, “The country has come far since 2008 but we are still lagging behind the developed countries.”

He said, “All government entities and concerned people are working together to make Bangladesh digital and smart within 2041 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”

“We believe more investment in the ICT sector and IT-oriented projects will take the country ahead in the long run. Accountability in project implementation and the expansion of knowledge and science are must to become a smart and digital country,” Mannan added.

Multimedia classrooms

So far, the government has set up 58,000 multimedia classrooms in educational institutions around the country and 41,000 more will be set up within FY2022-23. Along with them, the concerned ministries and divisions have also set up 509 digital/smart classrooms at 509 government primary schools in 509 upazilas.

Starting from 2009, some 33,285 multimedia classrooms have been installed in different secondary and higher educational institutes till August last year. Until 2018-19, the government also provided necessary ICT training to around 5 lakh teachers.

Meanwhile, some 6,541 multimedia classrooms have been set up in 9,305 madrasahs, 931 such classrooms in 154 government technical institutions and 3,611 in private technical institutions. More than 6 lakh teachers have trained in ICT so far across the country.

Wi-fi zones

The project “Extension of Broadband Wi-fi and Breaking Digital Divide” is currently underway to set up around 12,800 broadband wi-fi zones for the marginalised people living in the haors, islands and remote areas.

A project to install optical fibre connections and a Pont of Presence (POP) in each of 2,600 unions nationwide have seen 96.33 per cent progress till June this year.

Under the project, different VPNs and connections to 1,000 police stations through leased lines are also being set up. Revenue sharing, operation, internet infrastructure maintenance, high-speed internet connection and upgradation will be ensured in these unions under the project.

3rd submarine cable

In September 2021, Bangladesh signed an agreement with the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe-6 (SEA-ME-WE-6) Consortium for the construction and maintenance of the country’s third submarine cable.

The installation process has already started and the progress of the cable’s infrastructural development was at 27 per cent until July this year. The root survey will start soon.

The project is supposed to be completed within January 2025 as per the agreement.

To reduce discrimination in the selective services from the international internet gateways (IIG), nationwide telecommunication transmission network (NTTN) and all internet service providers, the government has introduced a “One Country One Rate” tariff for broadband connections that gives marginal customers access to quality internet services at a fixed price.

At the same time, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) exempted the advance tax in the Value Added Tax for NTTN service providers since June 1 this year for further expansion of Digital Bangladesh. The matter of multiple VAT on IIG service providers is yet to be resolved by NBR.

Internet connections

In another project, to ensure sustainable internet connection for everyone, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) directed its zonal directors and officers to take necessary steps to ensure optical fibre connection to every flat and floor in the design of a high-rise building before approving.

If the Dhaka Building Construction Rules 2008 is amended to include this requirement, the authorities will be able to ensure such internet connection and services to everyone.

At the same time, optical fibre cables will be installed by the side of the roads. The project will be overseen by the Posts and Telecommunications Division and Local Government Division, according to a decision of the 11th meeting of the Digital Bangladesh Taskforce executive committee.

Govt portals, sites

Under another project, the national web portal — bangladesh.gov.bd — and all portals of the ministries, divisions, directorates and field-level under it are undergoing regular upgradation.

A new version of the national portal with eight upgraded divisional clusters and updated information has been completed. The development process of the report portal, for monitoring the sites of the ministries and divisions/directorates, is also nearing the end.

The Public Administration Ministry has also taken an initiative to set up the Government Employee Management System, which will assess and evaluate the public servants and recommend transfers, promotions and stimulus for their outstanding work.

Apart from ensuring proper accountability of the government employees, it will also help the retired officials and their families get the pension and family pension easily.

The project started in March this year and the government has set aside Tk 10 crore (from FY2021-22 to FY2023-24) to have this system up and running.

Boithok

The ICT Division and the Bangladesh Computer Council are working together to build online platform “Boithok,” as well as have it strengthened and modernised, to make holding official meetings, webinars and other activities easier.

According to the project, Boithok — which works like Zoom — will have a cloud platform, a 200-participant limit, end-to-end encryption, file sharing feature and many other facilities, making it more user-friendly.

Since July 2021, 1,200 meetings of different ministries and divisions have been held using this platform. Sonali Bank Limited and the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh have also expressed interest to use it. Apart from all these ongoing initiatives, the government intends to implement hundreds of other projects in the upcoming days.

The third meeting of another Digital Bangladesh Taskforce, led by the prime minister herself, held on April 7 this year took decisions regarding at least 19 projects that will be implemented within a few months or years.