The present government took office with the vision of creating digital Bangladesh. There seems to be genuine interest for implementing the commitment made by the ruling party in its manifesto. Surely, it is an encouraging sign. In the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), it was decided that a knowledge-based society would be developed throughout the world by 2015, which is in line with the government's decision of building a digital Bangladesh by 2021.
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 prudent 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.
In digital Bangladesh, we envision that the government will have the capacity to deliver services to citizens through the Internet, radio and TV, and also to make its internal operations more efficient and transparent through the use of ICTs. In the health sector, we hope that ICTs will be used for connecting relevant healthcare service providers and for connecting doctors with patients in remote areas.
In the education sector, utilisation of information technologies and communication networks for dissemination and exchange of knowledge must be present. The agriculture sector can grow phenomenally with proper implementation of IT. Land management can be properly done through IT as well.
In digital Bangladesh, we hope a transformation will occur in the realm of commerce and industry. ICT can be used for marketing and promotion of products, for increasing internal efficiency, and for communication and transaction between businesses.
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. We need to look at the best practices around the world when it comes to using ICT for development to better understand how we can incorporate those in to our system. Estonia is a great example, which we can follow in terms of ICT usage in different aspects of government and social life.
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 organisations need to be involved in this endeavour. Only through joint effort can we create a truly digital nation. Public-private partnership must be present.
The Millennium Development Goal of the UN suggests the making of an IT village. In accordance with this goal, we have to be a strong member of the global society. For that, we must synchronise our plans with global initiatives and work hard. Our actions plans need to be time bound and specific, and strong and accountable program management has to be present. The future awaits us with all its wonderful opportunities; the onus is on us to take the right step.
The author is the former Senior Vice-President of BASIS and CEO of Spinnovision.
E-mail: timnurulkabir@hotmail.com
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