Alongside graduating from our LDC status and achieving the SDG goals, the full digitization of our national administration is one of the most coveted goals held by Bangladeshis.
When one looks at the ubiquity of technology and the rising indicators of the coming fourth industrial revolution, a goal like this makes sense. As such, the fact that Bangladesh has jumped 20 notches on the e-Participation Index and eight notches in the UN e-Government Development Index (EGDI) show we are on the right path.
What’s more is that Bangladesh is in the leading position this year with the highest EGDI values among least developed countries.
The EGDI survey in particular is important as it assesses online service delivery, legal and policy framework, status of e-participation, telecommunication infrastructure, and human capital. In terms of digital government services, what used to take hours of manual labour can be done with just a few clicks of a mouse now.
For example, e-Tin numbers can be generated in a matter of minutes as long as one has the necessary documentation. This ease of service expands to connectivity as well. While the e-ticketing system for trains and buses are still rough around the edges, it is still relatively easier than going to the station in person and buying tickets.
We need to keep riding this wave.
The issues that are still present in the system need to be ironed out, of course. The relevant authorities have to double down on what works while periodically accessing their progress, and making course corrections when necessary.
A digital utopia is just within our reach.
