Bangladesh–Gambia Boost Digital Governance Bonds

Bangladesh’s ICT Division–run Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Programme and two Gambian institutions—the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery, and the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy—have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand cooperation in information technology and e-governance. The agreement builds on a partnership initiated last year when The Gambia adopted Bangladesh’s myGov platform.

The MoU signing ceremony was held on Thursday, January 29, at a hotel in Dhaka. The chief guest was Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser with responsibility for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology. ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury attended the event as a special guest.

Also present were a2i Project Director (Additional Secretary) Md. Abdur Rafiq, Head of Program Management Abdullah Al Fahim, along with senior officials of the a2i programme.

The Gambian delegation was led by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Pateh Jah. Senior officials from the Office of the President, the Ministry of Public Service, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the National Records Service, the Gambia ICT Agency, the Accountant General’s Department, the Central Bank of The Gambia, and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority were also part of the delegation.

Speaking at the event, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb said the initiative would serve as an effective example of mutual cooperation among countries of the “Global South.” He noted that both countries are moving toward developing citizen-centric public service solutions, an effort that deserves recognition.

ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury emphasized prioritizing citizen experience, saying, “Digital systems matter only when they make service delivery easier. What citizens receive at the end of the process—how fast, how easily, and how fairly services are delivered—must be our key focus.”

Md. Abdur Rafiq said the collaboration has already demonstrated that digital solutions developed in Bangladesh can be effectively applied in other national contexts. “The successful implementation of myGov in The Gambia last year clearly showed the global adaptability of our e-governance services. This new MoU aims to go beyond a single platform and incorporate more Bangladeshi solutions and methodologies to further strengthen service delivery,” he added.

Abdullah Al Fahim said a2i is working to make Bangladesh’s citizen-centric digital services more effective and beneficial for other countries. “Through this partnership with The Gambia, we hope that the people of both countries will benefit from each other’s experiences,” he said.

Gambian Permanent Secretary Pateh Jah said their visit aimed to learn directly from Bangladesh’s experience. “We came to Bangladesh to see how work is done—how e-governance systems are built, managed, and how they benefit people. This MoU will structure our learning process and help translate it into tangible development when we return home,” he said.

Officials noted that while the MoU considers the differing priorities of the two countries, its core focus remains public service delivery. For Bangladesh, the agreement will further strengthen efforts to take domestically developed public service technologies and implementation experience to the international stage through government-to-government cooperation. For The Gambia, the goal is to reduce paper dependency, minimize bureaucratic delays and unnecessary office visits, and streamline routine application and approval processes through digital transformation.

DBTech/JUN/GN/OR