a2i Caps 2025 with Citizen-Centric Digital Transformation Drive
Bangladesh’s Aspire to Innovate (a2i) programme concluded 2025 by reinforcing citizen-friendly digital services, strengthening public service delivery, fostering inclusive innovation, enhancing skills, and advancing a knowledge-based society.
With a legacy spanning more than two decades, the initiative began in 2004 as the ICT Capacity Building of the Prime Minister’s Office project. In 2006, with support from the Government of Bangladesh and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), it was restructured as Access to Information, and in 2020 it was renamed Aspire to Innovate (a2i). Over the years, a2i has worked closely with ministries and public agencies to simplify, accelerate, and humanise government services. These efforts continued throughout 2025, alongside intensified groundwork for long-term institutional transformation.
Under the leadership of Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, with guidance from his Special Assistant and technical support from a2i, the ‘Nagarik Seba Bangladesh’ initiative made notable progress this year. More than 1,000 entrepreneurs have been trained, and over 500 citizen service centres are now operational nationwide, extending government services from urban hubs to remote regions.
A major milestone in 2025 was the expansion of myGov as an integrated service gateway, with 168 new services added and existing ones further simplified. This increased citizen engagement and enabled more structured service processing from application to resolution. Digital myGov operations have also been launched in all 64 district administrations, currently offering 32 services through 111 digitised forms, with more services planned.
One of the most visible citizen-facing improvements has been e-Apostille, the online document authentication service. Following Bangladesh’s accession to the Hague Apostille Convention in July last year, the service was launched via the Integrated Online Attestation Management System. In 2025 alone, it processed over 1.8 million online applications, significantly reducing queues, repeated office visits, and broker dependence—while saving an estimated Tk 500–700 crore.
In tourism, myGov e-ticketing was introduced at Lalbagh Fort on June 30 and the National Botanical Garden on November 12. More than 300,000 tickets have already been issued, generating over Tk 10 crore in government revenue. The service is set to expand to other tourist destinations.
Through the integrated payment platform EkPay, nearly Tk 900 crore in transactions were processed this year for government fees and utility bills, with 18 new services from 322 institutions added.
To make government information more accessible, National Portal Framework 2.0 was launched. Over 36,000 websites across 52,000 government offices have been upgraded, with annual citizen engagement exceeding 3 billion visits. Meanwhile, the national helpline 333 handled over 2.6 million calls, providing service-related information.
a2i also supported judicial digitalisation through e-cause lists, judicial portals, e-courts, and mobile courts, reducing unnecessary travel and improving access to legal information. Internal government efficiency improved further with expanded use of D-Nothi and the Report Management System (RMS). More than 158,000 officials across 17,000 offices exchanged over 1.5 million files via D-Nothi, while 17,000+ reports were prepared through RMS.
Data-driven governance gained momentum through the National Dashboard, SDG Tracker, and health and sanitation data systems. This year, 33 real-time dashboards were developed, alongside leadership training, demand-based analytics, and enhanced data visualisation.
In education and skills development, a2i supported the introduction of mandatory ICT courses at National University-affiliated colleges. The Muktopaath e-learning platform digitised government training programmes, while She-STEM initiatives encouraged women’s participation in science and technology.
To further humanise services, KYC processes were completed for 15 key services, e-participation initiatives were expanded, and citizen-friendly service workbooks were prepared for ministries. Training on digital accessibility was also provided to ensure inclusive services for persons with disabilities.
Innovation culture expanded through the District Innovation Challenge, resulting in initiatives such as Cox’s Bazar’s ‘Bhramonika’ travel guide app. Meanwhile, the automated toll platform D-Toll was piloted at Padma Bridge from September 15, registering 3,000 vehicles, Tk 15 crore in transactions, and onboarding six financial institutions.
Looking ahead to 2026, a2i has outlined an ambitious roadmap, including mandatory D-Nothi adoption across government, 80 new myGov services, nationwide dashboards, expanded D-Toll coverage, accessible digital textbooks for visually impaired students, a National Innovation Repository, and the establishment of innovation hubs at universities.
Through integrated and inclusive innovation, a2i continues its drive to build a more citizen-centric and digitally empowered New Bangladesh.
DBTech/MRI/IHK/OR
