Bangladesh is shifting its digital-government strategy from putting individual services online to connecting government agencies through secure data exchange and shared infrastructure, as policymakers seek to reduce duplication and make public services faster and more accountable.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said on Tuesday that separate digital systems would not amount to a digital government unless government agencies could securely work together.
Speaking at a seminar in Dhaka on effective e-governance, he said citizens should not have to submit the same information repeatedly to different government agencies.
“Citizens see government as a single service system, not as separate ministries or databases,” Anam said, calling for stronger interoperability, common standards, accountability and institutional cooperation.
The seminar, organised by the Information and Communication Technology Division with support from the e-Governance Academy (eGA) and funding from the European Union’s Global Gateway Initiative, focused on national data governance, digital transformation and the National Responsible Data Exchange (NRDEX) Platform.
Anam said interoperability was not merely a technology issue. It also required governance, common standards and institutional coordination to prevent agencies from developing disconnected systems that duplicate infrastructure and data.
Five-year digital agenda
Prime Minister’s Adviser Rehan Asif Asad said the government’s five-year digital agenda would focus on policy reform, secure connectivity, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, skilled manpower and electronics manufacturing.
AI could become a major growth opportunity if Bangladesh develops the infrastructure, secure data-exchange systems and open application programming interfaces (APIs) needed to support it, he said.
The government also plans to allocate Tk500 crore annually for startups to support innovation and entrepreneurship.
Asad said Bangladesh could become a global electronics manufacturing hub by creating a supportive policy environment, developing skilled workers and attracting investment.
The seminar brought together government officials, international partners and digital-governance experts to discuss data responsibility, citizen trust and the future of Bangladesh’s digital transformation.
The broader challenge is to move beyond isolated technology projects towards a unified public-service network in which agencies can securely share information and citizens can access services without repeatedly providing the same data.
