The upcoming national budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, crafted under the slogan “Across the long journey of development, towards Smart Bangladesh,” will include 40 new mega projects.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal will illuminate the path toward the vision for Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041 in his budget speech on Thursday. He will also be underscoring the multifaceted challenges that lie ahead.
According to Finance Ministry sources, the deadlines for the execution of these 40 new mega projects will be 2025, 2031 and 2041. Short-, medium- and long-term projects are also being planned.
The blueprint for Smart Bangladesh will be tech-driven, aimed at building an inclusive digital society.
Self-employment training programs will be adopted to bring disadvantaged rural communities into the mainstream of development.
To ensure students' online activities, the “One Student, One Laptop, One Dream” initiative will continue providing laptop assistance to students.
The new budget will also emphasize the integration of technology in agriculture, with the traditional farmer now required to be proficient in the use of smartphones.
They will be educated on how to utilize Internet of Things (IoT) devices for efficient and profitable fish farming and agriculture at low costs.
The proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year amounts to Tk7,61,785 crore. It aims to shape the blueprint for Smart Bangladesh 2041, a strategic plan that incorporates four key areas: smart citizens, smart economy, smart government and smart society.
Furthermore, it will also prioritize advancements in smart education, smart healthcare, smart agriculture, smart commerce and smart transport systems.
Under the Smart Bangladesh masterplan, numerous initiatives will be launched by 2023, including boosting Bangla digital literacy, ICT policy, a national procurement e-market, digital employment platforms, smart public services, paperless administration, inclusive financial systems, and government cloud and data centres.
By 2024, the government plans to launch universal digital IDs, a digital curriculum, smart device access, a smart Bangla campaign, smart healthcare, smart taxes and a digital leadership academy.
Additionally, by 2025, there are plans to implement smart land management, smart postal services, a smart judiciary, smart borders, a smart social safety net, police modernization, an inclusive financial ecosystem, a fintech accelerator and an emerging technology-focused centre of excellence.
The national budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 is scheduled to be presented in parliament on Thursday.
This will be the fifth budget presented by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, the 24th under a government led by the Awami League and the 52nd in Bangladesh's history.