Information And Communication Technology For Good Governance

With E-Governance, government is now providing access to citizen, businessmen and other government stakeholders. Since 2009, Bangladesh Awami League led government has established a successful e-governance system. It has been possible because of the continuous effort of the government. Low price of internet, fast 3G network, more bandwidth, proper policy and relevant legal framework all these factors have played a key role in this achievement.

Good Governance and ICT

Good governance refers to participatory, consensus-oriented, equitable, effective and responsive governance system. ICT based governance is bringing the government nearer to stakeholders putting the needless bureaucratic interference aside. The extensive use of ICT in government system is enabling people to oversee the function of the government and responsible authorities. As the current government of Bangladesh has initiated a large number of ICT based services; transparency, efficiency, accountability and responsiveness of the public service governance has been improved. The opacity in government service process has been reduced by inter-ministry communication. Citizens are now aware of their rights to information. Service providers are now more efficient than ever. Access to communication has been enforced and services are being provided instantly. Bangladesh was lacking in keeping records of lands, births and etc. With the recently initiated services, these records are being digitalized. The contact between the service providers and recipients has been ensured and the oppression of red tapism has nearly come to an end.

Government to Citizen

To ensure availability of the public services like tax payment, land records delivery, driving license, birth certificate to people, government has initiated numerous online services.

E-Tax

The previous analog income tax registration system of Bangladesh was complicated generally for the citizens, especially the senior citizens. It was full of hassles. To address the problem National Board of Revenue (NBR) initiated E-TIN service from July, 2013. According to the revenue board, more than 600,000 tax payers  have registered in this service. From 30th June, 2014, tax payers won’t be able to pay their taxes without registering in E-TIN.

E-land record system (E-Porcha)

The age old land records system of Bangladesh was dwarfing the citizen’s rights to access to public service. Land offices were a place where a citizen never dreamt of getting any easy service. Maintaining analogue and paper-based land records encouraged ‘Red Tapism’ and made the service inaccessible without having proper channels. To change the scenario, government has initiated an electronic land record system which is developed by Access to Information (A2I) project. Through this system, citizens can apply SA, CS and BRS land records and porcha. People can receive land records now without any complications. Through this system, the inherited age-old family owned personal records related with land are being synchronized with the newly issued digitally accessible documents. The available land records in district record rooms are being digitized by the joint venture of A2I, land ministry and district administration. More than 6 million land records are delivered through online and Union Information and Service Centres.

Online Application for Driving License

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has initiated to collect applications for driving licenses through online. Previously, the entire process was thwarted by the ill practice of the opportunists who were working at the registration authority. The online application service brought clarity and speed in the whole process. Now interested citizens don’t have wait in the cue to collect and submit the applications.

Electronic Birth registration system

Government is delivering birth registration certificates through online from 2013. This service is available for every citizen at all the local government institutions like Union Parishad, Pourashava, City Corporation. Bangladeshi expatriates can also issue their birth certificates as the government has launched the service in Bangladesh embassies in 36 countries.

National E Service System (NESS)

National E-service System is a central platform for converting existing citizen services to e-services that are provided by various departments and government offices in districts and upazillas. Currently, the implementation of NESS is in progress and it has been established in 250 offices in Jessore district on pilot basis. Initially, 600 government staffs and officers have been trained for this system. Gradually, this will be implemented in various districts and upazillas of Bangladesh.

National E-Tathyakosh

National E Tathyakosh is the one-stop solution and online encyclopedia for providing and sharing livelihood-related information. This online repository is the largest pool of information in Bangla which contains more than 100,000 contents on 10,000 topics in audio, video, text and animation format. It has more than 1 million online users and 11,500 offline users.

Government to Business

Access of information technology in business and investment sector is the necessity of time. Online access in business and investment sector has been introduced through online procurement system, application for new business, trade license. Crimes in business are also being dealt through online.

E-Tendering for Government Procurement

E-tendering has shown that technology can wipe out corruption from the administration of the government. In 2011, Bangladesh Bank has initiated this widely praised initiative to launch a portal for online procurement system. The national E-GP portal has made the bidding process more secured. In 2012 there were 294 contractors affiliated with e-procurement system. By the end of 2013, this number exceeded 6000 and it depicts the orthodox yet widely controversial procurement system has seen its end. With e-tendering system, tenders can no longer be snatched and the bidders can no longer be threatened. More than 114 offices of 7 ministries and 21 organizations are using the national E-GP portal for procurement. 377 branches of 18 scheduled banks are completing security money collection and tender fees through the procurement portal.

E-Registration and License for New Business 

Starting a business will not remain a dream as government has launched several online services to encourage new business. To start a new business, it’s important to register the business company at the office of the Register of Joint Stock Companies and Farms. This process was full of hassles before the online service was initiated. It was full of long queues, dissatisfactions, confusion and harassment by the agents. To overcome the dreadful situation, delivering service through online was initiated. The processes can be completed within 4 hours instead of a month and traveling to office for the registration is no more needed instead of 6 times.

The first and foremost requirement for opening a new business is to collect the trade license without which any kind of trade is illegal. Government has stepped forward to make the procedure for trade license more accessible.

New Investors Portal

Business and investment is not out of the purview of the digital revolution. Government is providing information and forms for the new entrepreneurs and investors in the country and abroad. New investors can register through Board of Investment’s online service.

Combating Money Laundering in Banking Sector

United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC) and government have introduced a widely used intelligence system, goAML client application to combat money laundering. This application is to be used by Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, the central agency responsible for analyzing Suspicious Transaction Reports, information related to money laundering and financial terrorism.

Government to Government

Digitalization of the decision making process is the first and foremost demand for e-governance. To connect the ministries and government offices of every tiers, Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and ICT’s ICT division has initiated numerous projects. Among them Bangla Govnet and Info Sorkar have already been started.

Bangla Govnet

Development of National ICT Infra-network for Bangladesh Government or Bangla Govnet project is aimed to establish a public network backbone in every district and selected upazila, every ministry, governmental department, offices and bureaus. With this project, 130 websites for different ministries and offices have been launched.

Info Sorkar

Info Sorkar is the second phase of Development of National ICT Infra-network for Bangladesh Government. Its aim is to bring 18070 offices under the coverage of a secured network. This project is aimed for an uninterrupted communication with the government officials, to establish National Data Centre, establishing specialized labs in 12 public universities. Already establishing the national data centre is running in full throttle where as installing wifi service at secretariat is almost finished.

Digital Bangladesh and Good Governance

This is the promise that Bangladesh Awami League made to its countrymen in 2008. With continuous effort to strengthen the country’s ICT sector, Bangladesh is not so far behind. Information technology is enabling the participatory democratic practices in Bangladesh. In near future, we hope, Bangladesh will be able to govern every sphere of life through internet and its technologies. To fulfill its pledges, government is concentrating on preparing an IT friendly workforce. To do so, many IT capacity building initiatives have been launched. Fundamental training on ICT at Union Information and Service Centres (UISC), training for outsourcing, establishing Hi-tech Park, encouraging the IT entrepreneurs through subsidy, scholarships for IT students are the widely initiated approaches to build a nation who will shape the economy of Bangladesh.