Speakers at an inception workshop on the e-Parliament Feasibility Study emphasized the need for digital transformation to ensure a more inclusive, transparent, and citizen-responsive Parliament in Bangladesh.
The workshop was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat (BPS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday at a hotel in Dhaka, with support from the Embassy of Switzerland.
As part of UNDP’s Strengthening Institutions, Policies, and Services (SIPS) project, this initiative aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG 5: Gender Equality.
Law Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul addressed the event as the chief guest.
Asif said: “For a Parliament to truly represent the people, it must be transparent, participatory, and accountable. The e-Parliament initiative offers a historic opportunity to rebuild public trust and restore parliamentary oversight—values that have long been missing from our political culture. But for this to succeed, we must also ensure free, fair, and inclusive elections that bring genuine representatives to the House.”
Stefan Liller, UNDP resident representative in Bangladesh, highlighted the initiative’s purpose: “Technology can expand access, reduce time and cost, and enable real-time policy analysis. But the ultimate goal is a more accountable, participatory, and responsive institution.”
“UNDP is proud to continue its work with the BPS as a partner, a knowledge broker, and a long-term ally in strengthening democratic governance,” he further added.
Corinne H Pignani, chargée d’affaires of the Embassy of Switzerland, also joined as special guest and noted: “The best way to serve the citizens is to enable citizen-centric management of parliamentary affairs.”
Md Mizanur Rahman, secretary of the BPS, gave the welcome remarks.
Other notable speakers included AKM Benjamin Riazi, additional secretary, BPS; and Anowarul Haq, assistant resident representative, UNDP Bangladesh.
Virtual presentations were also delivered by Agata Walczak, Democratic Institutions and Processes specialist, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP, and Avinash Bikha, Parliamentary Digital Transformation specialist, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), who shared global best practices from countries like Armenia, Bhutan, and Serbia, highlighting the impact of digital tools on parliamentary transparency and public engagement.
The event brought together over 80 participants, including officials from all wings of the BPS, representatives from relevant government departments, development partners, and UNDP experts.
Through collaborative group work and stakeholder dialogue, the workshop focused on identifying the specific e-service needs of members of Parliament and Secretariat staff, evaluating existing ICT infrastructure and capacity, and outlining a roadmap toward establishing a comprehensive e-Parliament system.
