Public Money, Public Code: Bangladesh Charts a New Course in Digital Governance

Bangladesh has taken a major step toward officially declaring state-funded software as “national assets” for the first time. The recently published draft of the National Source Code Policy 2025 is not just a technical guideline—it signals the beginning of a new era of digital governance in the country. Its central principle, “Public Money, Public Code,” aligns with open-source policies in advanced nations such as the European Union, Estonia, India, and the United States. The message is clear: Bangladesh is preparing to strengthen its position in world-class digital governance frameworks.

Redefining ‘National Asset’

According to the draft, all software developed with public funds or under government supervision will be considered national assets. These will be stored in a central repository, and no software may go into production unless registered there. This policy aims to eliminate a long-standing problem in Bangladesh—“the project ends, the vendor disappears, and the source code vanishes.”

As a result, government software will no longer be just a file; it will become an essential part of national infrastructure.

Mandatory Reuse: Preventing Waste and Enhancing Efficiency

The “Reuse First” principle will introduce a new culture in government ICT projects—before writing new code, teams must check whether an existing solution is already available.

Benefits include:

• Reduced duplication of similar projects

• Faster development cycles

• Savings of public funds

Many developed countries have long adopted mandatory reuse policies. Bangladesh is now stepping into that ecosystem—a timely and strategic move.

Reducing Vendor Dependence: The State Is No Longer Hostage

Another major feature of the policy is breaking vendor lock-in. Going forward:

• Complete source code

• Full documentation

• All artifacts

must be submitted to the central repository. The intellectual property or permanent usage rights will remain with the government, preventing any private firm from exercising exclusive control.

A key safeguard is the escrow system, where source code is stored with a neutral third party. Even if a vendor shuts down or fails to provide service, the state will not lose access to its software.

Given Bangladesh’s reality—where many mission-critical systems have become overly dependent on specific vendors—this marks a strong step toward digital sovereignty.

Open Code: Transparency With Reasonable Exemptions

The policy states that government source code will be open by default. However, exemptions may apply for national security, privacy, or third-party intellectual property concerns.

Even exempted code must remain in the repository—“classified” no longer means “invisible.”
However, clearer definitions of national security and confidentiality are necessary to avoid over-interpretation that could undermine transparency.

Modern Software Engineering: The Strongest Feature of the Policy

This section demonstrates that the draft policy goes beyond open-source ideals and fully embraces international software engineering standards. It includes:

• Secure coding guideline committees

• Mandatory CI/CD pipelines with automated tests, security scans, and license verification

• SBOM (Software Bill of Materials)

• Role-Based Access Control

• Ethical and technical guidelines for machine learning datasets

In brief: CI/CD ensures secure development, while SBOM ensures transparency and accountability. The policy aligns with U.S. CISA requirements, Europe’s NIS-2 Directive, and India’s Digital Public Goods framework—evidence that Bangladesh is moving in step with global standards.

Legal Alignment: The Key to Success

The policy will be issued under the National Data Management and Interoperability Ordinance. However, alignment must be ensured with:

• The Personal Data Protection Ordinance

• Public Procurement regulations

• Other existing laws

Any failure in legal harmonization could compromise the balance of transparency, privacy, and security—ultimately obstructing the policy’s core objectives.

Who Benefits and Who Faces Discomfort?

Beneficiaries:

• The state

• Citizens

Discomfort:

• Vendors who previously treated government source code as private property

Within the government itself, a new culture must develop—checking “what already exists” before creating something new. This will set new standards for digital discipline and accountability.

Final Word: It’s Time for Implementation

The draft is modern, bold, and internationally aligned. But the real question is—will it remain on paper, or will it be implemented effectively? Will Bangladesh truly adopt the principle of “Public Money, Public Code,” or will certain systems remain in the hands of a few unseen actors?

If implemented, the policy will usher Bangladesh into a new era—not only in software management but in digital sovereignty itself.

Writer: Mohibbul Moqtadir Tanim — IT Specialist; General Secretary, Bangladesh System Administrators Forum (BdSAF)

Note: The full opinion published under “Opinion” reflects solely the author’s views. Digital Bangla Media has no affiliation with this perspective. As a reflection of pluralism, the article has been published without editorial intervention. Any discontent or agitation caused by the content is entirely personal to the individual concerned.