In a major push to digitize public services and curb corruption, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus announced on Friday that the government will roll out a central online ticketing platform for all modes of transport and establish citizen service centers — branded as Nagorik Seba Bangladesh — to deliver government services directly to the public.
During his televised address to the nation, Dr Yunus emphasized that travel irregularities around Eid underscored the need for a unified system.
“Not just during Eid, but to ensure that there are no irregularities in bus, train, or air travel at any time in the future, the government is introducing a central online ticketing platform,” he said.
Through this portal, passengers will be able to purchase tickets for inter-city buses, long-distance trains, and flights from a single source, reducing the risk of overbooking, price gouging, and fraudulent agents.
“We anticipate this system will bring transparency, convenience, and accountability to Bangladesh’s transport sector,” Yunus added.
To complement the ticketing initiative, the government is launching Nagorik Seba Bangladesh, a network of Citizen Service Centers managed by trained young entrepreneurs.
These centers, already piloted in Dhaka markets and towns, aim to deliver government-to-citizen services with zero budget by leveraging existing infrastructure and human resources.
“Trained local young entrepreneurs will provide various government digital services from these centers — including National ID registration, passport renewal, driver’s licenses, filing general diaries with the police, and tax filings,” Yunus explained.
By decentralizing services, the initiative seeks to eliminate middlemen, reduce harassment, and streamline processes.
Yunus noted that, eventually, every ministry’s frontline services would be available under the Nagorik Seba umbrella.
“Our goal is to ensure a child receives their birth certificate immediately upon birth, marking their formal entry into citizenship. From that point onward, they will receive all necessary certificates with dignity as their citizen rights,” he said.
Acknowledging the plight of expatriate Bangladeshis, Dr Yunus revealed plans to establish Citizen Service Centers in major foreign cities.
“When we travel abroad, expatriate Bangladeshis often tell us about the hardships they face in accessing government services. We are now taking steps to establish these centers through private initiatives — for passport renewals, NID issuance, and more,” he said.
Rather than allocating new funds, the government will repurpose underutilized physical spaces.
“We are trying to demonstrate that it is possible to move forward using the country’s existing unused resources,” Yunus stated.