FE43DF93-13CD-493E-BEF2-A77A9E7D6926 Copenhagen Consensus Center Logo
Copenhagen Consensus Center

Top Ideas for Digital Bangladesh

Published by

In May of 2015, Bangladesh Priorities held a roundtable of sector experts to discuss different solutions for more effective implementation of the Digital Bangladesh – Vision 2021. Combined with in-depth interviews and review of the 26 background studies of the 7th Five Year Plan (7FYP) and the Plan itself, the most notable ideas focused on: digital processing of ongoing legal cases, establish reliable and secure internet across Bangladesh, – reduce tax on broadband, scale up e-Filing system to all offices of the government, increase financial support to Service Innovation Fund, universalize mobile broadband access and establish the Kaliakoir Hi-Tech Park. One of the prominent ideas was that Digital Bangladesh cuts across multiple sectors –agriculture, health, education, governance, land administration, industry and trade, etc. There is, therefore, a need to undertake a holistic approach in designing interventions which will also fit with the Vision 2021 objectives.

Proposed Ideas 

The prominent ideas arising from the roundtable are highlighted in the following presentation.

Roundtable Attendees 

Prominent discussants in the roundtable  and interviews were Ananya Raihan, Executive Director, D.Net, Anir Chowdhury, Policy Advisor, Prime Minister’s Office, Asif Saleh, Director of Communications and Head of Social Innovation Lab at BRAC and BRAC International, Hasan Sarwar, Professor, United International University, Fokhruz Zaman, Consultant, Leveraging ICT Project (World Bank), KAM Morshed, Assistant Country Director, UNDP Bangladesh, Nazrul Islam, Secretary (Coordination and Reforms), Cabinet Division, Radwan Siddiqi, Trustee, Center for Research and Information (CRI), Rokon Zaman, Professor, North South University, Sabbir Ahmed, Executive Director, Center for Research and Information (CRI), Sami Ahmed, Executive Director, BASIS, and S.M. Ashraful Islam, Executive Director, Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC).

In a hurry?

Click here to download a PDF list of all the proposed ideas for imporving Bangladesh's digitial reach.