e governance for development bangladesh perspectives

8/12/2019 e Governance for Development Bangladesh Perspectives

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eGOVERNANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT:BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVES

Iqbal MAHMOOD*- Ashfaqul I. BABOOL*

AbstractGlobally, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have emerged as a

way to address some of the issues of non-transparency in administration,inefficiency in service delivery and absence of wider public participation in policymaking. Indeed, eGovernance throughICTs such as mobile phones, TV and radio

which are already in the hands of millions, and computers and internet, the spread ofwhich is increasing rapidly, are ensuring citizens right to information, and bringingunprecedented efficiency, transparency and accountability to the governmentadministration in developing countries including Bangladesh.

The Government of Bangladesh has found ICTs as a cost effective way to bringchanges to administrative automation and public service delivery. In this country,mobile based utility bill payment system, phone and web assisted communication toascertain market prices, computer assisted primary teacher recruitment, emergenceof telemedicine, TV and radio call-in policy debates are but a few demonstrations inBangladesh of the ways that ICTs have started to change how service deliveryhappens in the country, how the government machinery makes decisions and howcitizens participate in policy making functions. The government offices are alsoincreasingly using computers, emails, audio and video conferencing to increase theiradministrative efficiency and reduce associated costs. ICTs are thus being positioned

as a non-threatening way to provoke reform in the government and many servicedelivery sectors.

As the financial barrier to ICTs is much lower than many other moderntechnologies, and as the future of human society is inextricably linked with ICTs, theGovernment of Bangladesh along with its private partners, NGOs as well asdevelopment agencies is coming to realize that Bangladesh as a country mustembrace ICTs as a matter of policy and set an aggressive strategy to make up for thecurrent lag and leapfrog into the ranks of top ICT-ready countries. There is also anobvious and visible shift in the countrys development strategies as a whole.

Keywords: eGoverence, ICT, Bangladesh.

* Ministry of Establishment, Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh

Dhaka/Bangladesh;[email protected];[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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1. INTRODUCTION

In Bangladesh, eGovernance is vital not only for establishing a democratic andtransparent government but also for fighting against poverty and acting as a cross-cutting enabler for interventions geared towards attainment of all of the millenniumgoals. It is also necessary for ensuring government accountability, decentralizationand providing effective and efficient service delivery to citizens. If bidirectionalinformation flow between citizens and government is effectively established,eGovernance provides the power of consensus building within a society, thusproviding a voice for the poor and disadvantaged groups to contribute to policybuilding and implementation.

Globally, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have emerged asa way to address some of the issues of non-transparency in administration,inefficiency in service delivery and absence of wider public participation in policymaking. Indeed, ICTs such as mobile phones, TV and radio which are already inthe hands of millions, and computers and internet, the spread of which isincreasing rapidly, are ensuring citizens right to information, and bringingunprecedented efficiency, transparency and accountability to the governmentadministration in all developing countries, Bangladesh being no exception.

The Government of Bangladesh has found ICTs as a cost-effective way tobring changes to administrative automation and public service delivery. In thiscountry, mobile based utility bill payment system, phone and web-assistedcommunication to ascertain market prices, computer-assisted primary teacher

recruitment, emergence of telemedicine, TV and radio call-in policy debates are buta few demonstrations in Bangladesh of the ways that ICTs have started to changehow service delivery happens in the country, how the government machinerymakes decisions and how citizens participate in policy making. The governmentoffices are also increasingly using computers, e-mails, audio and video conferencingto increase their administrative efficiency and reduce associated costs. ICTs arethus being positioned as a non-threatening way to provoke reform in thegovernment and many service delivery sectors.

2. CURRENT SCENARIO: SERVICE DELIVERY

Government exists to execute authority and function to make and the power toenforce laws, regulations, or rules with the ultimate objective is to serve the citizen.

The key objective of eGovernance/Services is to leverage technology to ensuredelivery of such services to those who are the least served.

Unlike most developed countries, government is the key provider of citizenservices and public information in Bangladesh. It is therefore the governmentsprime responsibility to ensure delivery of these services effectively and efficiently.Leverage of ICT enables government to do just that. Following are a few of therecent examples of public services which are being delivered using ICTs.


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eGovernance for Development: Bangladesh Perspectives 385

2.1. Secretaries' eGovernance Quick Wins

Towards the middle of 2008, through joint coordination of the Prime MinisterOffice (then Chief Advisers Office and the office of the head of government),Cabinet Division (the centre of bureaucracy) and the Ministry of Establishment(the ministry that is responsible for human resource management of theadministrative cadre of the government), each of the 53 Secretaries of theGovernment of Bangladesh identified one service to be delivered electronically.These initiatives, collectively called the eGovernanceQuick Wins', were meant toquickly showcase the impact of the newly engineered service delivery mechanism tothe citizens, receive their feedback and allow government the necessary preparationtime for nationwide implementation. 17 of these quick wins have already beenlaunched while the rest are in progress. Below are a few examples of those Quick-Wins.

A.Union Information and Service CentresUnion Parishads are the lowest unit of Local Government. The offices of

Union Parishad are where rural citizens go for any kind of information and advice.In order to provide livelihood information at the community level, the UISCs wereset up at the offices of Union Parishad. Following the successful model of a UNDPfunded pilot Community Electronic Centre (CeC) project, these UISCs are builtusing a PPPP (Public, Private, People Partnership) model.

B.SMS-Based Utility Bill PaymentThis has already enabled citizens to pay gas, electricity and land phone bills

through mobile phones. Customers can go to thousands of private sector outlets orbill-pay centres to pay their utility bills and receive SMS acknowledgement instantly.This reduces the cost, time and hassle for citizens and increases revenue for thepublic sector by ensuring timely bill payment.

C.Dhaka City Corporation Call CentreThe DCC Call Centre is not only able to answer citizens critical questions but

also take down their complaints. The call centre can be accessed by citizensthrough mobile phones, SMS, email and web sites.

The benefits for such a call centre for citizens will be:

a. more responsive, hassle-free information delivery to citizens on demand;b.cost-effective mechanism for both citizens and the government;c. increased transparency and accountability of the government to the citizens;

and

d.higher efficiency and more informed prioritization of redressing citizensgrievances.


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D.Personal Data SheetGovernment officers now use the software personal data sheet (PDS) to access

personnel information from anywhere in the country over the web established bythe Ministry of Establishment. This allows 90% of the officers who are not locatedin the capital city to access vital professional information. In future, this system willhave performance based information to which they currently have access onlythrough physical visits to concerned government departments. This system shouldsignify a marked change in the way confidential information is handled within thegovernment.

2.2. District Commissioners' Quick Wins

Similar to the Quick Wins identified by the Secretaries, the districtadministrators (called Deputy Commissioners or DCs) of all 64 districts of thecountry went through a participatory and collaborative process at the PrimeMinisters Office to identify one critical service delivery area to be improvedthrough the use of ICTs. They include vital services such as land administration,issuing and renewal of passports and gun licenses, tax collection, monitoring ofeducational institutions under the DCs jurisdiction, among many others. Thecompletion target for many of these district level Quick Wins is end 2009.

2.3. Web Based Services

A.National Web PortalThe National Web Portal (www.bangladesh.gov.bd)is a citizen-centric gateway

for all government information and services that can be accessed electronically. Thewebsite is positioned as the online one-stop shop for all government eServices andis providing information on the most popular citizen services, the basic informationof the structure of Bangladesh Government, current news, upcoming events andother important information and links to all government ministries, divisions anddepartments.

B.Single Website with Downloadable FormsThis website (www.forms.gov.bd)reduces time and cost to access forms from

many different organs of the government. Various government and non-government organizations are already using this site from around the country.

C.Web-enabled Personal Management SystemThis system, initially developed for the Ministry of Establishment, is gaining

momentum for adoption in several other ministries and directorates including theCabinet Division, Ministry of Education, Planning Commission, among other.
http://www.bangladesh.gov.bd/http://www.forms.gov.bd/http://www.forms.gov.bd/http://www.bangladesh.gov.bd/


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3. CURRENT SCENARIO: KEY SERVICE SECTORS

Agriculture, health and education are the three most citizen-centric sectors ofBangladesh. Enhancement of these sectors is vital for the economic and socialgrowth of the country. In the recent days, there have been quite a few ICT4Dinitiatives in these three sectors both by the government and the private sector. Afew examples of those initiatives are given below:

3.1. Agriculture

The Government of Bangladesh recognizes ICT as an indispensable tool in thefight against poverty. Consequently, it is also understood that ICT can enhance the

contribution to agriculture and rural development tremendously. eKrishi(eAgriculture) promotes a multi-stakeholder, people-centric, cross-sectoral platformthat will bring together all stakeholders, especially farmers and enable them toaccess timely and relevant information, exchange opinions, experiences, goodpractices and resources related to agriculture.

eKrishi focuses on leveraging easily accessible ICTs including mobile phones,radio, TV etc. for information dissemination. With the aim of improvingcommunication and learning processes between various actors, eKrishi promotesthe integration of technology with multimedia, knowledge and culture. Facilitation,support of standards and norms, technical assistance, capacity building, education,and extension are all key components of eKrishi. In addition to introducing newtechnologies, eKrishi tends to improve the effectiveness of traditional

communication channels and existing communication practices. Some of theeKrishi initiatives are below.

A.Agricultural Radio and TV ShowsThe government-owned Bangladesh Television has been telecasting an

agricultural TV show called Mati-o-Manush for over 30 years now. This is theoldest form of information dissemination through an electronic means. This is oneof the most watched shows by the rural farmers and has recently been replicated byprivate TV channels. Currently, there is a Radio show called Krishi Dibanishi inwhich the farmers call in to have their agriculture related questions answered. Thisshows has also gained a lot of popularity.

B.Department of Agriculture Marketing WebsiteThe Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM) website provides commodity

price information with the aim to involve all agriculture stakeholders, especiallyfarmers in the decision making process. The database provides wholesale and retailprices of around 200 commodities from 30 of the 64 districts. The priceinformation is collected daily and sent to the DAM headquarters in Dhaka throughemail.


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C.Soil and Land Resource Information SystemThe Soil and Land Resource Information System (SOLARIS) under Sugarcane

Research and Development Institute is a 2 GB data repository that stores soil datausing primary information from Upazila Nirdeshika from 460 districts. Acustomized GIS software SOLARIS-GIS maps soil data based on classification(SoilTexture, Landtype, Landform, Drainage, Slope, Surface Water Recession) andcondition (Crop Suitability, Land Zoning, Nutrient Status and FertilizerRecommendation).

D.Department of Agricultural Extension WebsiteIn order to develop and strengthen the ICT department of DAE, thegovernment has initiated a project called The ICT Development of DAE. The

DAE website is one of the key components of the project. This website stores anddisseminates field level information from and through extension workers.

E.Agriculture Information and Communication CentreTen of the Agriculture Information and Communication Centres (AICCs) are

being set up leveraging the existing infrastructure of farmers field schools, farmersclubs and other community centres. These centres will be functioning as one-stopshops for farmers for all agriculture related information and services includingmarket information, soil testing, crop diagnostic services, etc.

F.Fisheries Information and Communication Centre

These centres will be very similar to the AICCs, but more focused on fulfillingthe farmers fisheries related information needs. The Department of Fisheries holdsa wealth of information related to fish culture, their diseases and remedies, etc. Theexisting field workers are hardly enough for disseminating the informationefficiently. The FICCs are hoped to mitigate this issue and improve the efficiencyof information delivery.

G.Krishi AlaponiKrishi alaponi is a call-in TV show for farmers in which they will be able to call

directly to have their agriculture related questions answered and/or participate inagricultural policy debates, budget discussions etc. This will be done in

collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture and a private mobile operator inBangladesh.

3.2. Health

The Government of Bangladesh has been pursuing for a health system thatensures provision of basic health services to the entire population. The use of ICTsin health sector will help in maximum utilization of communication channels and


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enhancing the existing services within the present resource allocation since it willreduce the waste in different fields. Data will be generated from all points ofservices to be available for use. Eventually people will have more access toinformation than ever before and an effective networking will be established. Thisflow of information will help to remove the misconceptions of health consumers,those who are now mostly in the dark due to the unavailability of adequateinformation and communication with the service providers. Some of the notableeHealth initiatives are below.

A.Oral Rehydration TherapyOral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) started a Labon gur Sharbat(a home

remedy for diarrhea) campaign through mass media, which was carried outextensively by BRAC, the largest NGO in Bangladesh. Mass media campaign alsoplayed a crucial role in popularizing this cheap and effective home remedy. Specialinitiatives like School ORT program was also carried out.

B.Tele CounselingSocial Marketing Company (SMC) initiated a tele-counseling program named

Tele-Jiggasha on reproductive health, family planning and STI/HIV/AIDS inthe year 2001. It started with a mission of increasing access to information andpersonal counseling through telephone hotline with assurance of confidentiality.Separate numbers were dedicated for male and female callers. Male and femalecounselors replied to the queries of the callers. There also existed a mechanism for

referral for required health care services.

C.Electronic Immunization RegistryIn 2001, a new computerised information system to register, schedule and track

immunisation of children was introduced by the Department of Public Health inRajshahi City Corporation, Bangladesh. On a daily basis, the system uploads newentries from Rajshahi City Corporation's electronic birth registration system. Foreach new-born, a schedule of immunisation is created and printed, then given tothe parents after registration of their baby's birth, attached to the child's birthregistration ticket.

D.Health Line and TelemedicineHealth Line, the medical advice and consultation service of GrameenPhone was

launched in October, 2007. Apart from the core medical consultation services, thecaller of789 through GrameenPhone are also able to get additional medicalinformation services; they can avail doctor and medical facility information, druginformation, interpretation of laboratory test reports and data, and emergencysupport information as supplementary services. Currently, there are other mobileoperators who have also started offering telemedicine services.


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E.Internet Connectivity at Upazilla Health ComplexAll upazilla health complexes of Bangladesh have recently been connected to

the internet. This enables them to communicate with the central offices at ease andprovide services to the patients more efficiently. The physicians of these upazillahealth complexes are also equipped with cell phones for remote consultations.Some of these centres also have tele-conferencing facility with which, they are ableto communicate with the highest authorities of the Ministry of Health.

F.Health Alert through ICTThe government of Bangladesh has effectively used ICT during the outbreak of

Bird flue in the recent times. People were informed about the situation and advisedwhat to do. Steps taken by the Government to prevent the spread were shown onthe electronic media. This is an excellent example of handling emergency efficientlythrough the use of ICT.

Other seasonal health alerts and messages on preventive measures are also sentto customers of mobile phones through SMS. Some of these messages are sent inBangla for the non-English speaking customers.

3.3. Education

To address the challenges of the 21st century where a labourer from Bangladeshcompetes with one from Sri Lanka for a job in Malaysia, our countrys educationsystem must re-invent itself to produce 21st century skills and 21st century

confidence. The curriculum must incorporate material to develop the requisiteskills; the teaching methods must embrace collaboration and creative problemsolving for the locality; the system of assessment must measure whether thechildren are growing up to be good citizens and how much they can reallycontribute to nation building; and, most importantly, the educational governancemust make sure the curriculum, teaching, and assessment deliver results that movethe nation forward.

Not only the developed countries, but also the developing nations includingBangladesh are making increasing use of ICT to offer better services to the peopleand to ensure accountability and transparency. The use of ICT in all of itsconceivable and readily available forms can enable us to achieve successes in thearea of education.

A.Electronic Publication of Exam ResultsThe two major state certification exam results (SSC and HSC) are now

published electronically. Previously, the procedure of viewing a students result wasrather cumbersome which involved standing in long lines and flocking at theschools. With the new system, the students can receive their exam results throughemail or can view it via web or mobile.


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G.GIS-Based Education PlanningThis Geographic Information System (GIS) map-based software by BANBEIS

is a powerful planning tool for the policy makers. It quickly helps identify areas forintervention based on priority criteria such as underserved status, poor teachertraining, lacking or disaster-affected infrastructure, and other critical educationalissues.

H.Digital Content for EducationMany of the NGOs of the country including BRAC, which has an extensive

network of schools in the country, have started producing audio-visual content for

teacher training and students. Although in its infancy at the moment, the digitalcontent for education is being planned as a significant thrust area of the country atthe moment with many public-private partnership efforts developing. Thousandsof schools are being equipped with modest computers laboratories, internetconnection is spreading quickly to secondary educational institutions and digitalcontent is increasingly being used to improve the quality of science, mathematicsand English education in secondary schools.

3.4. ICT as Business Sector

A.Bangladesh Software and IT IndustryThough the current size of Bangladesh IT Industry and software/ITES industry

in particular is still lot smaller compared to the overall economy and the number of

population (over 140 million), over the last few years the industry has grownconsiderably and is expected to grow at that rate for some time. It is estimated thatduring the last five years the average yearly growth rate of software & ITESindustry has been over 40%. The growth has been driven by both good exporttrends in recent years as well as the growing IT automation demand in domesticmarket (local demand has been led by large automation projects by telecom,banking and export oriented garments/textile industry). Currently there are overfour hundred (400+) registered software and IT-enabled services (ITES)companies in the country employing over 12,000 ICT professionals. Software andITES account for around 39% of the total IT market (excluding telecom) that isestimated to be over 300 million US dollars.


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(Source: BASIS Survey)

Figure 1. Total IT Market in Bangladesh (Excluding Telecom Service)

B.Current International Market and its PotentialOver hundred (100+) among the four hundred software/ITES companies in

the country are exporting to over 30 countries worldwide. Though a majority of thecompanies are exporting in the North American Market (mainly USA), during therecent times there have been encouraging performance by a good number of

companies in European and East Asian (mainly Japan) market. Among thehundred export focused companies, at least 30 companies have been set up eitheras joint venture (between foreign and local entrepreneur) or as ODC (offshoredevelopment centre) with hundred percent foreign investment. Most of these jointventure/ODCs have actually been set up during last couple of years. During lastfive years, the average export growth rate of software and ITES service has been61.2 %.


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(Source: Export Promotion Bureau)

Figure 2. Export of Software and ITES From Bangladesh During Last 5 Years(Mill US Dollar)

To meet the high quality standard of offshore jobs and to comply with theexpectation of overseas clients, the companies in Bangladesh are rightly focusingon putting in place global standard practices and processes. Over twenty companieshave already got ISO certification. A number of companies are in the process ofacquitting CMMi certification and by 2008 at least six companies are going to get toLevel 3 in CMMi.

a. European Union has recently identified Bangladesh as one of the best 20outsourcing countries for EU market;

b. In 2006, Goldman Sachs Group has included it in a list of 11 developingcountries that, according to its analysts, have the greatest potential toemulate the long-term economic success expected from China, India, Braziland Russia.

C.Environment and Capacity of ICT in BangladeshBangladesh is a country of over 140 million people. A significant portion of the

population belongs to the young age group (16-35). The people are intrinsicallycreative, hard working, willing to learn and passionate about their job. Over 10million professionals and migrant workers working outside the country is atestimony for that. So, human resource is considered to be the main resource ofBangladesh.


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For a country to excel in a knowledge based service industry like software andITES, this people strength is the cornerstone of Bangladesh ICT capacity. Duringrecent years, considering the importance of availability of good quality ofinstitutional capacity for training the human resources, both the government andprivate sector have invested in building the required education infrastructure fortraining in ICT related programs. Currently, there are over one hundredUniversities, Colleges and Institutes offering graduate/engineering degree (4 yearprogram) and post-graduate degrees. These are producing over 5,500graduates/engineers every year in ICT subjects. Out of that number, around 2,500are computer science graduates or software engineers. Apart from theUniversities/Colleges/ Institutes offering graduate level program in ICT, there are

several hundred centers across the country offering shorter duration courses(two/one year/six month diploma or certificate courses) in different IT skills.These centres play important roles in producing large numbers of IT workforcewho are mainly employed in different ITES sectors (e.g. graphic design, DTP,engineering drawing, web design/publishing, network maintenance etc.)

a. Number of Universities (Public & Private) offering IT Programs: 60+b. Number of Colleges/Institutes offering Graduate/Engineering program in

IT: 40+

c. Number of Institutes/Centres offering Diploma or vocational programs inIT: 300+

Table 1: Number of ICT Graduate/ Engineers

Graduates/ EngineersTotal number available in

the countryYearly Production ofGraduates/Engineers

Computer Science Graduates/Software Engineers

15,000 2,500

ICT Graduates/ ICT RelatedEngineers

40,000 5,500

Source: BASIS Survey

Table 2: Number of ITES Workforce in the Country in Selected ITES Areas

Graphics (2D&3D) & Animation, Web Design 12,000+

New Media: Prepress DTP, Web publishing 8,000+

CAD (Architecture, Mechanical, Construction) 5,000+


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D.Human Resource Development ActivitiesThe key issue for the software industry in any country in order to successfully

cater to the growing outsourcing requirement of international clients from all overthe world is the availability of high quality software professionals at different stages(software engineers, project managers, technical leaders, etc.). BASIS gives highimportance on theHuman Resource aspect for the industry. BASIS, with thepartnership of academia and government agencies has taken a strategic approach toaddress the issue in the best possible way. The objective of this approach is tomake high quality software HR pool available in the country that can support thesustainable growth of the industry, particularly with respect to offshore softwareoutsourcing jobs.

The three-tier approach by BASIS to ensure high quality HR available for thesoftware outsourcing industry is the following:

a. IT career awareness building with the objective of attracting higher numberof young talents from across the country to ICT fields. This is targeted toincrease the number of enrollment in different ICT subjects offered by theUniversities and ICT institutes.

b. Programs targeted for fresh IT graduates to make themsoftware industryready. These programs have the objective of bridging the gap between theacquired skills of fresh IT graduates and expected skill in the real industry.Some of the programs and initiatives that are currently coordinated byBASIS are:

i.

Working closely with the University and other IT institutes for academiccurriculum update/modification according to recent industry needs;

ii. Working with the Universities and related government agencies fordevelopment of a common skill assessment framework of the fresh ITgraduates;

iii. Conducting focused skill enhancement programs for the fresh graduatesandentry level software professionals working in the industry;

iv. Internship programs participated by BASIS member companies andsupported by Ministry of Science, Information and CommunicationTechnology

c. Higher Excellence Program for senior level software professionals of BASISmember companies. As a part of these programs BASIS has been organizing

series of training programs (workshops, seminars etc.) conducted by localand international industry experts in areas like software project management,software architecture & design, testing & QA, CMMi etc. The mainobjective of these programs are to orient the existing professionals with themost advanced global industry trends, standards and practices so that theycan be introduced in the local companies with the goal of achievingexcellence and becoming internationally competitive.


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E.ICT InfrastructureOne of the very important factors for the significant growth in the overall IT

sector during the recent time has been the phenomenal investment (both from thegovernment and private sector) in the telecom and related ICT infrastructure in thecountry over recent years.

Bangladesh is currently hooked up with SEA-ME-WEA 4 submarine cable forinternational connectivity (with 10 Gb capacity- expandable to 80 Gb) throughInternet (All the Internet Service Providers have VSAT backup for redundancy).Currently, all the major cities within the country are connected through high speedfiber optic backbone. All parts of the country are accessible though Internet

provided by thelast mile connectivity through wireless (GPRS/Edge or Wi-Maxtechnology). Thanks to over 100% yearly growth in mobile penetration for last fiveyears, the country has currently nearly 50 million mobile phone users (93 coveragein terms of geographical area and 33% of the total population).

F.Government Policy SupportThe Government of Bangladesh provides good policy support for growth of

software and ITES sector, particularly with a view to promote the export of theservices. In the recent National Export Policy (2006-9), the Government hasdeclared Software as one of the sixhigh priority export sectors for the economy.Here are some of the government policy supports for the industry.

a. Tax Holiday: The corporate income tax for the software business has beenkept completely tax free.

b. Investment & Financing Support: In the 2009-2010 budget, the governmenthas allocated Tk. 200 crore as equity financing support for the local softwareand ITES companies. The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) also providesworking capital loan to software exporting companies against export ordersat a very concessional rate. To attract foreign investment in the sector, thegovernment has allowed 100% ownership in the sector and full profitrepatriation for the investors.

c. Low or Zero Tariff for Capital Goods/Computers for the SoftwareIndustry: Since 1996, Government has been allowing zero/low tariff forcomputers and other capital goods required for software industry.

d. ICT Internship: Government provides financial support (60% of thesalary/allowance cost) for recruiting interns (fresh graduates) by anysoftware companies. For this program which started in 2005, Governmenthas allocated budget for 1,000 interns for every year.

e. ICT Park and ICT Incubator: Government has recently started a megaproject for establishing a high tech park (IT Park) right outside the capitalcity. When completed, it is expected to provide world class facilities


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(available in any reputed IT park in other countries) to the local and foreignIT companies. Government is also providing incubation support to smallercompanies by providing infrastructural facilities.

4. CURRENT SCENARIO: LEGAL AND POLICY ENVIRONMENT

Several legal and policy developments have established a platform foreGovernance in Bangladesh to move forward. The National ICT Policy 2009, theICT Act 2009, the Right to Information Act all these were major milestones forBangladesh to cross to take the country to the next phase of eGovernance andeService delivery.

4.1. National ICT Policy 2009

The revised ICT Policy 2009 has incorporated new policy directions in line withthe ever changing technological advancements in this area. The most remarkablechanges that have been made in the revised National ICT Policy 2009 are (1) amethodical framework of the policy document and (2) inclusion of planned actionitems in conformity with policies and strategies. There is also 306 action items

under the below 10 objectives: Social Equity, Productivity, Integrity,

Education and Research, Employment Generation, Strengthening of Exports,

Healthcare,Universal Access, Environment, Climate & Disaster Management,

and Supports to ICTs.

The 306 action items included in the policy have been divided as short-term (18months), medium-term (5 years) and long-term (10 years) actions to be taken bythe government, academia, private sector and the NGO sector of the country.These action items are providing clear directions for all ministries, division anddirectorates of the government to embark on specific tasks to implement thepolicy.

4.2. ICT Act 2009

The ICT Act 2009, passed in the Parliament, will allow online financialtransactions, digital signatures, dispute resolution for electronic transactions, andlaw against cyber crime, among others. The passing of this act was made possiblethrough facilitating the legal and logistical issues among the Ministry of Law, Justice

and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Science and ICT and Bangladesh ComputerCouncil to establish the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) within analready existing organization thereby accelerating the pace of operationalizing theAct greatly.


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4.3. Right to Information

Right to Information Act 2009 has been effected in Bangladesh on April, 2009.According to the act, the government and other institutions using public funds willhave to provide people with necessary information within 20 days of applying forit. If any official refuses to provide information, anybody can file appeals with theNational Information Commission. The official concerned, if found guilty, may bepenalized from 50 Taka for every day of delay, but the total sum shall not exceed5,000 Taka.

Enactment of the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) is a landmark movetowards ensuring peoples access to information and it can also be ut ilized as a tool

of reducing poverty. Utilization of RTI law as a development tool can make surethat people know all information about the development projects. They shouldknow about the funds and how the money is being spent during projectimplementation.

The government is committed to implementing the Right to Information (RTI)law, however challenging the task may be. A National Information Commissionwith three commissioners has been formed to implement the act.

4.4. eGovernance Interoperability Framework

The government agencies must have interoperability standards to follow whendeveloping their databases, Management Information Systems (MIS), Websites and

Information Portals. The eGovernance Interoperability framework will help thegovernment agencies avoid situations where systems developed within thegovernment are mutually incompatible and hence inherently wasteful.

National Identities Registration Department (NIRD) has already startedworking on formalizing several recommendations of the framework as part of itswork to establish the foundation for nation-wide eCitizen Services.

The Bangladesh eGovernance Interoperability Framework (BD-eGIF)developed by the Prime Ministers Office specifies some technology standards thatshould be used to achieve interoperability across government. The majorcomponents of the BD-eGIF process are the following:

a. Policy & Scope: covers both the top level government policies and detailtechnical policies with pragmatic scoping definitions.

b. Management Processes: covers Implementation support, working groups,standards evolution process, change management, and similar issues.

c. Compliance Management: covers the verification and validation process forthe eGovernance Interoperability issues.


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4.5. National ID Database

The national voters database by the Election Commission Secretariat is one ofthe largest personnel databases in the world containing over 80 million votersinformation. This database will now be used to provide over 20 public servicesincluding issuance of drivers license, passport, education certificate and delivery ofhealth services and other social safety network programs. This platform is alsoforming one of the foundation elements for driving database and serviceinteroperability amongst the service delivery agencies of the government.

5. IN CHARGE OF eGOVERNANCE

Although currently there is no one institutional framework in place, the belowentities and organizations have been coordinating the countrys eGovernanceplanning, strategy and activities.

5.1. National ICT Taskforce

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Task Force had beenconstituted with the Honorable Prime Minister as its convener and Secretary,Planning Division as its member secretary to make decision on ICT relatedactivities. In the election manifesto Awami League affirmed to revive the ICT TaskForce formed during their last term and it is in the process of being reconstitutedas of August, 2009. The ICT taskforce may initiate the process of making thenational ICT roadmap. The first work of the revived task force would be to prepare

an eReadiness plan to asses the current ICT resources and skilled human resourcesof Bangladesh. This may include assessing the current infrastructure, internetaccessibility, available skilled ICT professional, digitization level of the country andothers. After a good assessment, the job will be to identify the projects andprograms that need to be focused and consolidated at the national level, and all thesectors, including public and private that need enhancement and development.

5.2. eGovernance Cell at Prime Minister's Office

In the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), it was decided that aknowledge-based society would be developed throughout the world by 2015, whichis in line with the government's decision of building a digital Bangladesh by 2021.The government is now more prudent in taking steps towards their vision ofachieving a digital Bangladesh.

To transform the current government into an eGovernment, a separate bodyhad been established for policy formulation and coordination of the eGovernanceactivities. Accordingly, the Government of Bangladesh had established aneGovernance cell at the Prime Minister's Office in 2006. The cell is in charge of thefollowing activities:


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a. Preparation and implementation of eGovernance Vision, Strategic Goalsand Flagship Projects through a consultative process;

b. Development of an infrastructure strategy;c. Development of a conducive, legal and regulatory framework;d. Coordination and implementation of a Human Resource PlanLaunched in 2007, the Access to Information Programme (A2I), a UNDP-funded

umbrella initiative undertaken by the Government of Bangladesh at the eGovernanceCell, Prime Ministers Office, is aimed at ensuring the appropriateness of newinitiatives and programmes for ICT for Development within the context of national

priorities. It assists the government to plan and coordinate the ongoing and futureactivities across various ministries, divisions and agencies of the government to utilizeICTs as a tool to a) make government services hassle-free, faster, cheaper, moreinclusive andat citizens doorsteps' and b) bring efficiency, effectiveness, transparencyand accountability to the administration.

5.3. Focal Point

Each ministry has an eGovernance Focal Point at the level of Joint orAdditional Secretary to coordinate their respective ministrys eGovernance relatedactivities. The Access to Information programme of the Prime Ministers Officeholds regular workshops and meetings with them for the purpose of sharing newideas, progress or addressing challenges. These interactions also induce healthy

competition amongst ministries and innovations.

5.4. Ministry of Science and ICT and Bangladesh Computer Council

The Ministry of Science and Information & Communication Technology(MoSICT) is promoting Science and Technology as stewardship of positive changein society and for balanced socio-economic enhancement and national well-being.The main function of MoSICT is to support attainment of overall socio-economicdevelopment of the country through research, development, extension andsuccessful utilization of science and technology including information andcommunication technology.

Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) is one of the key organizations underMoSICT. The main objective of establishing BCC is to ensure the effectiveapplication and expansion of the use of information technology. In view of thisBCC has been formulating appropriate policies and implementing them since itsinception.


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6. WAY FORWARD: DIGITAL BANGLADESH 2021

The current government of Bangladesh, which took office in January, 2009following an unprecedented popular support in the December 2008 election, hadmade eGovernance and eService delivery a central focus in its election manifestotermedA Charter for Change'. In this charter, Digital Bangladesh is a centralfeature of the vision 2021. The charter specifically mentionsAdministrative reform,right to information and eGovernance will be introduced' thus linkingeGovernance to administrative reform, government accountability andtransparency, and efficient delivery of services and information to citizens. Of themany priorities of Digital Bangladesh, computerization of land records, humanresource development for increased remittance, nurturing of the ICT sector formassive increase in foreign earnings and employment are of particular note.

In the first 100 days of office, the government promulgated the ICT Act 2009and Right to Information Act, passed the revised ICT Policy 2009 in the Cabinet.However, translating many of the mandates of the current government intopractice requires setting up of strategies to ensure that service delivery is enhancedand that people at large get the maximum benefits from Digital Bangladesh.Discussions have been continuing with the senior policy makers and law makers toensure better service delivery at all levels.

In many ways,Digital Bangladesh is a reincarnation of the vision ofSonarBangla (Golden Bengal). Hence, it may be wise to keep it as an overarchingobjective rather than a conclusive target. From this viewpoint, where it makes

sense, ICTs and new technologies need to be leveraged in all aspect of nationalprogress of a Digital Bangladesh. Some of the key areas in which ICT can beleveraged immediately are outlined below.

6.1. Human Resource Development

Digital Bangladesh needs people who can take it forward and thrive in such acountry. This component is about the future of Digital Bangladesh and is aprecondition to propel the agenda to its final destination. Clearly, a student whoused ICT to learn will find it easier to use ICT to apply whatever s/he learned inthe Digital Bangladesh.

The key objective here is to make the best use of new technologies to buildworld-class skills in all areas of study especially mathematics, science, and Englishlanguage. Taking advantage of newer and less costly delivery tools and digitallearning contents the aim will be to build the competencies needed to compete inthe globalized 21stcentury world.

6.2. Connecting to Citizens

Ensuring access to the Digital Bangladesh for all citizens, poor or rich, literateor illiterate, urban or rural is another foundation stone of Digital Bangladesh. The


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key objective of this component is to find a sustainable channel so that people canbenefit from all that the Digital Bangladesh would offer in a manner that s/hecould easily use and afford.

More specifically, this component will deal with i) building awareness andcapacity of the communities to access public services leveraging ICTs, ii) issuesassociated with local language content and locally relevant content, iii) innovativeaccess channels and platforms for common men/women, etc.

This component will also deal with establishing two-way channels to promoteparticipation of grassroots in policy discourse and provide feedbacks to the policymakers on particular policy adjustments.

6.3. Digital Government for Pro-poor Services

The key objective of the eCitizen service sub-component is to ensure anytime,anywhere services to anyone in need of such services at a cost that he/she canafford and in a way that is transparent to all. The key outcome of this component isto make sure that people, especially the poor and marginalized, get the most out ofpublic provisions of information and services.

Hence, the key deliverables of eCitizen Service initiative is innovative servicedesign and delivery channels that suits citizens lifestyle. In terms of specificindicators, this would mean i) reduced number of interaction, especially face-to-face interactions, between the service provider and recipient, ii) delivery in a speedyand cost effective manner, iii) extended service availability (where possible 24x7

window), etc.

6.4. ICT in Business

This component will deal with three broad issues of Digital Bangladesh namelyi) access to market, ii) promotion of ICT business to support Digital Bangladeshand iii) ICT as an export oriented sector.

Leveraging ICTs to promote access to markets by the disadvantaged producersand businesses would be a prime objective of this component. By extension, thisalso includes the issue of leveraging ICTs to maintain a socially responsible andequitable market for all. The second sub-component would be the issue ofpromotion of the ICT business. The basic objective would be to support the

industry so that it may provide the services and technology needed to sustain thethree other components of Digital Bangladesh. Fially, the third sub-componentinvolves promoting the ICT business sector to boost its potential for ICT exportand earn foreign currency. This may also involve providing the right springboardrequired for the local companies to access the global market.


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7. CHALLENGES

7.1. Challenges in Public Service Delivery

Delivery of services to the citizens by the government is fraught withinefficiencies and lack of transparency in a developing country like Bangladesh.Other significant challenges that the Government of Bangladesh faces in deliveringservices to the public include the following:

a. The current government service delivery channels find it very difficult toreach transportation facilities.

b. Extreme poverty of the target population often makes them unable to reachthe government service centres.

c. Typical service delivery channels of the government are largely unable tocater to the needs of persons with disabilities thereby leaving them outsideof the service delivery facilities.

d. As more and more government functions become decentralized, it becomesincreasingly difficult to monitor progress and guide implementation.

e. The government officials do not have enough incentives to excel in servicedelivery. The accountability to citizens is largely absent in the currentstructure of the Government of Bangladesh.

f. Through the traditional approaches, it is almost impossible to get feedbackfrom citizens on government's performance in service delivery.

7.2. Rewards for Service Delivery Innovation and Every Risk

It is clear from experiences in other similar countries and in Bangladesh that thegovernment needs to spur innovations in public service delivery to address theproblems mentioned above. However, in reality, the Government of Bangladeshhas no built-in mechanism to reward innovation in this regard. Innovations, if any,have been typically driven by personal heroic efforts, many of which bring risks tothe harbinger of the change. This has deterred and discouraged many reform-minded government officials to take initiative to improve the citizens' experience inreceiving services from the government.

Since innovations have often depended on personal interventions by seniorofficials without full buy-in from the service delivery organizations, it has

traditionally been difficult to manage the process change necessary to sustain theinnovation. Thus, the innovations have not seen proper institutionalization andhave resulted in only temporary improvements.

7.3. Citizens' Demand for Improvement

Citizens in Bangladesh have become used to poor service quality after centuriesof facing poor quality. By and large, they are not aware that receiving services from


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the government in a timely fashion, with quality and at their doorsteps is aconstitutional right. Rather, most citizens are under the impression that servicesfrom the government are a privilege delivered through patronage of theestablishment. This gives rise torent-seeking' behaviour within the governmentservice delivery machinery and creates otherwise unnecessary intermediaries.

7.4. Capacity of Government Officials for Quality Service Delivery

The other side of the coin is that government officials in most cases do not feelaccountability to the citizens. Citizen-centric governance is merely rhetoric in theirday to day functions. The government as a whole lacks adequate capacity to ensurethat services are delivered equitably, on time and with quality. The trainingprogrammes emphasize rule-based operations of the government rather thancitizen-centric service delivery.

7.5. Difficulty in Changing Mindset

The biggest barrier to leveraging ICTs for public service delivery is thegovernment officials' willingness to consider alternatives to current service deliveryoptions. As there is little incentive to bringing true innovation to service delivery,combined with the reality that officials may be penalized for breaching status quo,large-scale change will still be difficult. However, the Quick Wins' push has createdwidespread enthusiasm to experiment with alternative service delivery channels. Itis expected that the momentum created will see a fair amount of sustainability and

permanence in this direction.

7.6. Legal Barriers

There are still some legal barriers to using digital documents as legal paper. Withthe enactment of the ICT Act 2009, digital signatures now have legal status in thecountry resulting in the government's ability to accept electronic documents. Thiswill basically mean that the government can then accept electronic documents aspart of numerous types of applications from the citizens. The government can alsoprovide certificates, awards of tenders, notifications of various kinds to the citizenswithout having the citizens physically visit a government office multiple times. Thiswill greatly reducerent-seeking' and wastage of time and money on parts of boththe government and citizens. However, the country is yet to establish the

Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) to operationalize the ICT Act andenable the government institutions and the citizens to take advantage of digitalsignatures.

7.7. Legislation for Electronic Fund Transfers

Legislation is necessary for small electronic fund transfers through mobilephones to set up a truly legal basis for this mechanism. The absence of an


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electronic payment gateway today creates islands of payment mechanism withineach mobile phone operator.

8. CONCLUSION

Bangladesh has not been able to harness the power of ICTs for economic andsocial gains to the extent that other countries of the world have. The promise ofICTs has only become stronger with time and a future without ICTs in any part ofthe world is unthinkable. As the financial barrier to ICTs is much lower than manyother modern technologies, and as the future of human society is inextricablylinked with ICTs, the Government of Bangladesh along with its private partners,NGOs as well as development agencies is coming to realize that Bangladesh as acountry must embrace ICTs as a matter of policy and set an aggressive strategy tomake up for the current lag and leapfrog into the ranks of top ICT-ready countries.There is also an obvious and visible shift in the countrys development strategies asa whole.

Optimal resource utilization, certified skills development, efficientcommunication and quality education delivery are some of the ways in which theabove goals can be realized within the specified timeframe by pushing the growthrate to above 7.5% through extensive use of ICTs. By sustaining this level ofgrowth, the countrys GNP can beincreased twenty-fold from the present level andhigh-income status can be achieved within 30 years.

9. REFERENCES

[1] Election Manifesto of Bangladesh Awami League: A Charter for Change, December, 2008

[2] Digital Bangladesh: Draft Concept Note prepared by KAM Morshed (UNDP), EnamulKabir (BCC), Reza Selim (Amader Gram), Monirul Alam (ex-BTCL), May 11, 2009

[3] Digital Bangladesh Priorities presentation by Anir Chowdhury (A2I), KAM Morshed(UNDP) to Renata Lok Dessallien and Sazeeb Wazed, April 12, 2009

[4] Digital Bangladesh Possibilities presentation by Anir Chowdhury (A2I), KAM Morshed(UNDP) to UNDP Senior Management, January 12, 2009

[5] e-Vision 2021 Documents for e-Krishi, e-Shasthyo, e-Shikkha, e-Sthaniyo Sarkar and e-Administration, developed by Access to Information Programme, Prime Ministers Office,2008

[6] National ICT Policy 2009

[7] Broadband Policy 2008

[8] 50 Most Important Services and 50 Most Important Information Needs of Citizens: An e-

Government Assessment of Bangladesh, prepared by Development Research Network(D.Net) with sponsorship from the World Bank, 2006

[9] Access to Information Quarterly Progress Reports 2007-2009, developed by Access toInformation Programme of the Prime Ministers Office

[10] E-Gif Interoperability Framework, developed by Access to Information Programme of thePrime Ministers Office

[11] E-Citizen Services by Mobile Operators developed by Access to Information Programme ofthe Prime Ministers Office


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[12] Public Service Delivery for Media developed by Access to Information Programme of thePrime Ministers Office

[13] ICT Industry in Bangladesh, Developed by Fahim Mashroor, Bangladesh Association forSoftware Information and Services (BASIS)

[14] A Strategy for Developing the Information Technology Enabled Services, developed byInternational Trade Centre (ITC) and published by the European Commission (EC),October 2008


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