Digital Governance in the Spotlight Ahead of 13th National Election

Ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, the Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) organized a roundtable discussion to examine how much importance political parties are giving to digital governance–related commitments in their election manifestos. The discussion, titled “Digital Governance Commitments in Party Manifestos,” was held on Monday night, 2 February, at Hotel Sarina in Banani, Dhaka.

The roundtable highlighted key issues concerning Bangladesh’s digital future, citizens’ rights, post-election policy priorities, and the formulation of practical, implementable recommendations. The primary objective of the discussion was to develop a shared understanding of Bangladesh’s major digital governance priorities, stimulate public debate on how these issues should be reflected in party manifestos, and present consensus-based recommendations to support policymaking.

Key themes discussed included digital rights and inclusion, affordable and meaningful internet access, data protection and privacy, cybersecurity, information integrity, digital public infrastructure, innovation and responsible artificial intelligence, as well as transparency and accountability in digital governance.

The roundtable was organized with the support of Amber IT Limited and brought together teachers, policymakers, politicians, researchers, journalists, lawyers, and representatives from various institutions and communities.

The keynote paper was presented by Saimum Reza Talukdar, Prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal and Vice Chairperson of BIGF. Moderated by BIGF Executive Member Sharmin Khan, the event was attended by BIGF Chairperson Aminul Hakim, Secretary General Mohammad Abdul Haque, Chairman of the Department of Management Information Systems at the University of Dhaka Professor Dr. Md. Rokibul Haque, political analyst and writer Maruf Mallik, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of Contact Center and Outsourcing (BACCO) Faisal Alim, Executive Director of the Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) T.I.M. Nurul Kabir, Editor of Views Bangladesh Rashed Mehedi, Chairperson of the Bangladesh Women Internet Governance Forum Shamima Akter, Chairperson of the Bangladesh Youth Internet Governance Forum Saeeda Kamrun Jahan Ripa, Chief Information Officer of Genius Farms Limited Mohammad Irad Ali, cybersecurity expert Parvez Alam, Chief of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Fiber@Home Limited Abbas Faruk, BIGF Executive Member Dr. Jamil Ahmed, among others.

Speaking at the discussion, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Information Technology Affairs Secretary Wahiduzzaman said that if BNP comes to power, a clear 180-day action plan will be adopted. During this period, audits will be conducted on budget allocations and expenditures in the ICT sector under the previous government, and existing laws and policies will be reviewed. He also indicated that new legislation may be enacted if necessary, emphasizing the importance of engaging relevant stakeholders in the lawmaking process. On internet usage, he suggested considering the provision of certain digital services free of charge in the public interest and highlighted the need to establish a central data center.

BACCO Secretary General Faisal Alim said that the ICT sector has been severely damaged over the past 16 years and called for transferring the state-owned mobile operator Teletalk to the private sector.

AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), raised questions about transparency in the use of the Social Obligation Fund (SOF). He noted that although the fund is intended for disadvantaged and remote communities, it remains unclear where and how the funds are actually being spent.

Professor Dr. Khandaker A. Mamun of the Department of Computer Science at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), said that the country urgently needs a comprehensive AI policy, strategy, and regulatory framework. Without such a framework, he warned, the benefits of artificial intelligence cannot be fully realized.

Abbas Faruk, Chief of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Fiber@Home Limited, emphasized the importance of future investments and innovation in green technology.

In his closing remarks, BIGF Chairperson Aminul Hakim said that due to the absence of appropriate policies, global technology companies such as Facebook, Google, and YouTube are not showing interest in making direct investments in Bangladesh. He stressed that without sufficient redundancy and submarine cable infrastructure in the internet sector, large-scale investments will not materialize. For a country like Bangladesh, he noted, at least five to ten submarine cables are necessary, urging both the current and future governments to pay close attention to these issues. He concluded by thanking all participants for their contributions to the roundtable discussion.

DBTech/HAH/AM/OR