The United Nations’ 2024 E-Government Survey places Denmark, Estonia and Singapore among the world’s leading digital governments. Bangladesh has made considerable progress, but it remains some distance behind the global leaders and even behind the strongest South Asian performers. The central challenge is no longer simply to put government services online. Bangladesh must now build an integrated digital ecosystem that improves public services, education, healthcare and agriculture while transferring technology into productive sectors of the economy.
Bangladesh’s progress should not be underestimated. Its E-Government Development Index (EGDI) rose from 148 in 2014 to 100 among 193 countries in 2024, placing the country in the UN’s ‘high EGDI’ group. Its 2024 EGDI score was 0.6570, compared with the global average of 0.6382. Yet the comparison with the leaders is revealing: Denmark’s score was above 0.98, while Bangladesh remained substantially below the level of the world’s most advanced digital states.
In Asia, Singapore was the highest-ranked country in the 2024 UN assessment, followed by the Republic of Korea and other advanced digital economies. Among South Asian countries, India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are important comparators. Bangladesh’s position is improving, but it has yet to develop the level of integration, interoperability and digital infrastructure found in the region’s stronger performers.
The difference is particularly important because the leading countries do not define digitalisation simply as having websites and mobile applications. Denmark, Estonia and Singapore have built systems in which digital identity, government databases, online payments, data exchange and public services operate through interconnected infrastructure. Estonia is internationally recognised for its integrated digital government model, while Singapore has combined digital government with advanced infrastructure, artificial intelligence and digital business services.
Bangladesh has established many of the necessary building blocks. The national portal, digital centres, electronic government procurement, national identification system, mobile financial services and sector-specific digital platforms have changed how citizens interact with the state. Bangladesh Computer Council’s BanglaGovNet project, for example, connected ministries, government offices, district administrations and upazila administrations through a national ICT infrastructure. The project cost Tk 281.48 crore.
However, Bangladesh’s major weakness is fragmentation. Different ministries and agencies often operate separate databases and applications. Information is not always exchanged automatically between systems. As a result, digitalisation sometimes reproduces the old bureaucracy in electronic form. Citizens may still have to provide the same information to different agencies even when the government already possesses it.
The scale of investment makes this issue particularly important. Government reviews have indicated that approximately Tk 65,000 crore was invested in ICT and telecommunications-related sectors between 2010 and 2024. This is a substantial public investment. The question, therefore, is no longer simply whether Bangladesh has spent enough, but whether the money has been invested in the right infrastructure and whether projects have produced sustainable and interoperable systems.
The next stage should be much more strategic. Public services need to move from individual online services to a unified citizen-centred system. A secure digital identity should allow citizens to access government services without repeatedly submitting documents. Tax, land, birth registration, social protection, licensing, education and health information should be capable of secure data exchange, subject to privacy safeguards.
Education requires more than computers and online classes. Schools need reliable broadband, electricity, affordable devices, trained teachers and high-quality digital content. Universities should also become centres of research and technology development rather than primarily consumers of imported technologies. Artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, robotics and advanced engineering should become a part of higher education and vocational training. Healthcare presents another enormous opportunity. Digital medical records, telemedicine, electronic prescriptions, diagnostic support and disease surveillance could substantially improve access, particularly in rural areas. But health databases need common standards and strong privacy protection. A patient should not have to start from zero every time he or she visits a different public facility.
Agriculture could benefit even more directly. Bangladesh should build an integrated digital farmer platform linking farmer identity with land information, weather forecasts, crop advice, agricultural subsidies, credit, crop insurance and market prices. Digital agriculture should help farmers make better decisions, reduce production costs and obtain better prices, rather than simply providing another mobile application.
The most important weakness, however, is technology transfer. Bangladesh has become an extensive user of imported digital technologies, but it needs to become a stronger producer and innovator. Universities, research institutions, technology companies and industries should jointly develop technologies suited to Bangladesh’s needs in agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, climate adaptation and public administration.
This requires substantial investment. There is no credible single international figure establishing exactly how much Bangladesh must spend to become a digitally advanced country. Such a figure would depend on whether broadband, data centres, artificial intelligence, digital government, education, health, cybersecurity, research and private investment are all included.
A reasonable policy benchmark would nevertheless be to mobilise around 1 percent of GDP annually for comprehensive digital transformation, combining public expenditure, development financing and private investment. For Bangladesh, this would represent several billion dollars annually across the economy. It should not be interpreted as an official financing requirement, but as a possible national investment target. The emphasis should be on long-term infrastructure and capability rather than short-lived projects.
Bangladesh should also establish a five- to ten-year National Digital Transformation Investment Plan. Every major project should be assessed for interoperability, cybersecurity, cost-effectiveness, maintenance and measurable public benefit before approval. Projects should not be judged by how much money they spend or how many applications they produce, but by how many citizens use them and how much time, cost and inconvenience they eliminate. The government should also encourage private investment in cloud infrastructure, data centres, fibre networks, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital services. Public procurement can be used to create markets for Bangladeshi technology companies and encourage domestic innovation.
Digital inclusion must remain central. A digital Bangladesh cannot mean only a digitally connected Dhaka. Rural communities, women, low-income households, persons with disabilities and people with limited digital literacy must be able to access affordable and reliable services.
Bangladesh has already demonstrated that rapid digital progress is possible. Moving from 148th in the UN ranking in 2014 to 100th in 2024 is significant. But the next decade requires a different ambition.
The objective should no longer be ‘more digital services.’ It should be better government, better education, better healthcare, more productive agriculture, stronger industries and greater economic opportunity through technology.
Bangladesh has invested heavily in digitalisation. The challenge now is to ensure that the next generation of investment creates an interconnected, secure and innovation-driven digital economy. Only then can the country move from being a consumer of digital technology to becoming a competitive participant in the global digital economy.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author
The writer is the Editor and CEO, News Network
