With the increasing prevalence of the internet and internet-enabled digital services in our daily lives, the need for Bangladeshis to become more digitally literate will become that much more important in the near future.
To that end, it is unfortunate that despite Bangladesh undergoing increasing levels of internet penetration, a large segment of the population still lags behind when it comes to digital literacy, older groups in particular find it a lot harder to learn the intricacies involved in effectively using new technology.
We hope the recent call for higher commitment towards bridging the digital divide, enhancing digital literacy, and ensuring robust cyber security frameworks at the Bimstec Regional Consultation Meeting on the Global Digital Compact is going to result in the desired outcome, as Bangladesh stands at a crucial junction in its development trajectory wherein to become digitally literate is going to be required for all citizens.
Bridging the digital divide is, of course, not simply about improving access to the internet or even devices which enable that access, the digital divide is a great inequity which both highlights and worsens existing social, economic, and educational disparities in Bangladesh. To keep the majority of our population uneducated on all matters digital is tantamount to leaving them behind, especially as education, employment, and even civic participation are all pivoting towards digital platforms.