The government is set to begin work on establishing the country’s first Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) next month, aimed at streamlining government services under a unified framework.
Under the initiative titled “One Citizen, One Digital ID, One Digital Wallet,” citizens will be able to access various state services easily and without harassment through a single digital identity.
Rehan Asif Asad, adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, recently informed the media that preparations are underway to implement this plan.
According to officials from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division, the project is currently at the concept paper stage and will officially commence once approved.
A lifelong digital identity
The framework proposes the automatic creation of a “Unified Digital ID” at birth.
For children born in hospitals, information will be automatically added to the birth registration system and coordinated with the parents’ National Identity (NID) data to create a permanent digital ID. A separate system will be in place for children born at home.
This single ID will provide a lifelong platform for all government services and information, including health, education, NIDs, passports, land services, and BRTA data. As a result, citizens will no longer need to maintain multiple identity cards or repeatedly submit the same information to different government departments.
The plan also includes a smartphone-based digital wallet for every citizen. This wallet will store identity cards, necessary digital credentials, and government documents.
It can be utilised for logging into various government services, identity verification, and as an alternative to physical identity cards when required.
Data privacy and security
Addressing privacy concerns, officials clarified that although all information will be hosted on a single platform, no personal data will be shared with any other organisation without the explicit consent of the citizens.
The entire system will be operated in compliance with Personal Data Protection Act and National Data Governance Policy.
The initiative is planned under the World Bank-supported D-STAR (Digital Service Transformation for Access and Resilience) project.
Officials noted that the framework is being developed by reviewing the unified digital identity models of Estonia and Singapore to ensure it is suitable for Bangladesh.
