BNP Calls for People-Centric ICT Reform, Highlights Corruption and Cybersecurity Needs
Dr. Abdul Moin Khan, a member of the National Standing Committee of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has called for ICT to be directed toward public welfare, citing extreme corruption in the sector in recent years.
He made the appeal in his keynote speech at a meeting titled “Role and Responsibilities of the ICT Sector in Building a Future Bangladesh”, held on Saturday, January 31, at Banani Club in Dhaka. The event was organized by the BNP Nationalist ICT Forum.
Illustrating personal difficulties with digital services, he recounted his ordeal while paying vehicle taxes, which was delayed due to server issues. A one-day task took seven days and required visits to seven offices. “If technology complicates life rather than easing it, then what is the point of introducing ICT?” he questioned.
Dr. Moin Khan noted that BNP had completed land acquisition for a Hi-Tech Park in Kaliakoir, yet despite a Tk 30,000 crore project, no tangible ICT city emerged. He highlighted that rampant corruption had marred the sector, and even if services had reached the people, real development would still be absent.
He stressed the importance of providing internet access to all citizens to simplify everyday life, asserting that Bangladeshis themselves are capable and experienced. Reflecting on initiatives started 25 years ago, he criticized the misuse of ICT by governments over the past 15 years, which prioritized revenue generation over public welfare. “If computers, apps, data centers, and technology fail to make life easier in practice, they are of no use,” he said.
Dr. Moin Khan added that no significant technological innovation or application had taken place under ICT in the past 15 years; instead, corruption prevailed. He warned that failing to safeguard ICT from such mismanagement would be a disservice to future generations. He expressed confidence in the abilities of Bangladeshis to harness technology for public benefit, citing proven expertise and intelligence in ICT.
The event was chaired by Mohammad Rawshan Kamal James, President of the BNP Nationalist ICT Forum, and facilitated by Shamim Azad, Director of Affix Bangladesh Ltd. AKM Wahiduzzaman Apollo, BNP’s Science and Technology Secretary, delivered the main paper virtually from the United States.
Special guest Mahdi Amin, Advisor to the BNP Chairman, highlighted a seven-point plan for the ICT sector, including ensuring nationwide internet access and creating employment opportunities ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.
Before the main discussions, a panel discussion featured participation from Prof. Hosain Uddin Shekhar, Vice-Chancellor of Gopalganj University of Science & Technology; ICT entrepreneur Mamunur Rahman; BASIS leader Rokmunur Jaman Rony; and technology writer and political analyst Maruf Mallik.
In his address, Mahdi Amin elaborated on the BNP Chairman’s “I Have a Plan” initiative, including Farmer Cards, Family Cards, AI-based health records for improved healthcare, AI-driven connected schools and learning systems to enhance education, instant emergency ambulance and healthcare services, and automated police and security response systems.
He also spoke on AI-powered immigration systems, automated land and tax administration, and one-stop technology-based service delivery across public and private institutions. To strengthen Bangladesh’s software, hardware, and BPO industries, he announced the introduction of a “Made, Assembled, or Serviced in Bangladesh” tag. Discussing AI-driven data centers, he emphasized the need for multiple modern Tier-3 and Tier-4 centers to safeguard critical citizen and state data. “In 2023 alone, major national websites faced 63 million cyberattacks, and over 50 million citizens’ personal data were sold online. This poses a severe threat to our cyber sovereignty,” he said. He added that, if BNP forms the government, a Cloud-First strategy will be used to establish the country’s first AI-driven data center campus.
DBTech/MU/EK/OR
