Digital Bangladesh - Part 2

As I had mentioned in my last post, for Digital Bangladesh to take place there has to be a transformation to a digital system in infrastructure, governance and education, the three most vital areas for the growth of a nation. The government has to be careful in taking steps to empower the citizens. All Bangladeshis must have access to ICT, and the skills to use it, in digital Bangladesh.

To transform the government, we have to have e-readiness. The issues impeding the growth of the hardware and software sectors must be resolved. Bangladeshi businesses, especially SMEs, need to be able to transact through credit card over the internet and/or mobile phone. New technologies such as WiMax can be integrated into the overall system. It is essential that the software and hardware industry of Bangladesh becomes a part of the global supply chain for ICT products and services, while serving as a platform for enabling the above goals in the digital age. A communication infrastructure that allows ICT-based services to be deployed equitably throughout the nation will make digital Bangladesh a reality.

Essentially, there has to be implementation of ICT in virtually every sector -- agriculture to government budgeting, port management to National Board of Revenue's tax management, and media to security management. In recent times, we have witnessed growing security threats in our country. Information technology can be a very useful tool in preventing a large catastrophe from taking place. A digital database containing fingerprints can be a tool for fighting possible threats.

In order to create digital Bangladesh, the present government can start by looking closely into all the previous ICT policies and take prudent steps. The ICT ministry and its subsidiary, Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), should be strengthened. Skilled manpower needs to be developed. We need to train our teachers. The government's promise for a better tomorrow though the promised 'dinbodol' can be fulfilled through an honest desire for the creation of a digital Bangladesh. All the relevant stakeholders must be brought to a common platform. A chief Information officer should be appointed for the proper and successful management of the project.

Making digital Bangladesh will take united effort. The private sector, NGOs and grassroots organizations need to be involved in this endeavor. Therefore we too must cooperate all-together and help the government. Only through joint effort can we create a truly digital nation.