Citizen-Centric Connectivity: ‘Nagorik Seba’ Portal to Revolutionize Public Service Delivery
The Government of Bangladesh is developing a user-friendly Single Service Portal named "Nagorik Seba" to bring all public and private services under one digital roof. Under the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, this initiative aims to enable citizens across all cities, villages, and wards to access services directly from their own devices, without needing to visit Union Digital Centers.
In addition to government services, private service providers will also be integrated into the system. For this, kiosks are being set up on government premises. The outlet has been named “Nagorik Seba Bangladesh,” or simply “Nagorik Seba,” as announced by Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Principal Advisor on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Affairs. He said, “From May 1, individual entrepreneurs can apply to become service providers. Existing Union Digital Centers will also be incorporated into this system.”
Initially, around 100 services will be made available through this initiative. It is expected to accelerate digital transformation by establishing a National Interoperability Framework and a robust data governance structure. Through independent entrepreneurs, ‘Nagorik Seba’ centers will be established across all areas of the country.
A dedicated website and a “super app” will serve as the user interface of this single service portal. This platform will act as a unified gateway for services, including billing and payment gateways. Entrepreneurs managing these service centers will receive official branding, uniforms, ID cards, and government-issued certificates.
According to sources, two kiosks have already been set up in Lalmonirhat and Badda as part of a pilot project, with the Principal Advisor expected to inaugurate them next week. Training is underway for the first 100 service providers. A.F.M. Ashraf, who is working on the project concept, told Digibanglatech.news that implementation will occur in two phases. The first phase will involve enrolling service providers and finalizing a regulatory framework alongside web development. Once completed, access will be extended to service recipients.
A visit to the website shows that ‘Nagorik Seba’ is particularly designed for citizens without access to digital devices. The services to be included on the portal range from citizen identification, birth and death registration, identity correction and reprinting, land information and application through the Single Land Service Gateway, passport application and renewal, online general diary filing, tax and VAT-related applications, trade license and trademark registration, social welfare benefits and grants, utility services including electricity, water, and gas, to services in education, healthcare, and agriculture.
Discussions with stakeholders reveal that applicants will no longer need to carry printed papers to government or semi-government offices. Instead, submissions from ‘Nagorik Seba’ centers will directly reach relevant authorities via a secure and robust service bus infrastructure. This National Service Bus will ensure interoperability among ministries and integrate existing government service websites. Citizens will be able to access services through both app and web platforms. Even feature phone users will not be excluded, as the system is being designed to ensure digital inclusion.
Union Digital Center entrepreneurs will also be smoothly integrated into the common gateway. Internet service providers and MFS operators will be part of the platform. The government will direct internet providers to offer high-speed, quality broadband and mobile internet with a defined pricing plan. Negotiations are ongoing with financial institutions to offer low-interest financing for initial setup costs, including at least four computers, furniture, and branding-compliant shop decor for selected entrepreneurs. To encourage early adoption, co-working spaces may be provided at government, semi-government, post office, and BTCL facilities.
Sources indicate that due to political transition and administrative voids, citizen services at the local level have become largely inactive. Following the assumption of power by the interim government, controversial mayors and councillors from the previous administration have been dismissed, and district and sub-district councils dissolved. Though union chairpersons and members remain formally in place, many are absent or inactive, leaving routine services in a paralyzed state. The government has appointed administrative cadre officers with additional responsibilities, but citizen service delivery has largely stagnated.
The ‘Nagorik Seba’ initiative aims to automate and revitalize public service delivery. Not only will it simplify citizens’ access to essential services, but it will also generate new employment opportunities at the grassroots level and open avenues for sustainable, socially-driven entrepreneurship. Initially, services will be offered through physical stores or kiosks, but eventually, individuals will be able to offer digital services from their own homes by becoming licensed agents. This new model envisions a transformation of Professor Muhammad Yunus’s “Village Phone Lady” into a digitally empowered “Citizen Service Person” or “Citizen Service Lady.”
