For all of the government's ambitions for a “smart Bangladesh” it appears we have some ways to go still.
According to a Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics report, Bangladeshis who use the internet only make up around 38.9% of the entire populace, less than half of the approximately 16 crore people living here. Bangladesh has grand ambitions for the next two decades, ambitions where the adaptation of technology and the internet combined with the benefits of demographic dividend provide the fuel for a massive leap into the future. As the survey shows, however, if we are serious about achieving these ambitions, we need to do some major course corrections.
According to the survey, while around 90% of the population uses phones, only 30.9% use smartphones. Furthermore, the percentage of the population that uses computers is just above 7%, and 63% from there are not interested in using the internet.
While a thorough survey is needed to figure out the underlying causes of this phenomena, the lack of ownership of smart devices is a clear indication of the high cost of entry when it comes to the internet.
Earlier reports have come to the similar conclusion, with the digital learning initiative during lockdowns shedding a light on the bridge of affordability that exists between the rich and the poor when it comes to managing access to the internet.
As such, this is where the authorities must focus.
The price of electronics has to be further subsidized with infrastructural support from schools and community centres, while community leaders can focus on outreach programs to figure out how to bring more people into the fold.
The digital divide is not just an issue that directly feeds into our ambitions of achieving a digital Bangladesh but one that can jeopardize our middle income aspirations as well.
Failure is not an option.