Robust Internet for Digital Inclusion

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has stressed the need for robust internet infrastructure, a digital wallet for every citizen and the integration of the rural economy into digital systems to bring marginalised communities into the mainstream economy.

“Sustainable development is possible through robust digital infrastructure and effective implementation of artificial intelligence,” he said, while warning that security must not be overlooked amid rapid technological change.

The finance minister made the remarks on Saturday, September 19, at a group dialogue titled ‘Financial Inclusion 2.0’, organised by the private research organisation Power and Participation Research Centre at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka.

Amir Khosru said digital inclusion and financial inclusion are complementary to each other. Continuous, high-speed internet connectivity is essential for maintaining the momentum of the digital economy, he said, adding that the benefits of digital finance cannot be fully realised without strong internet infrastructure.

Emphasising the need to connect marginalised communities with formal financial and digital systems, he said the rural economy must be brought under digital systems. He also called for moving towards the concept of providing one digital wallet for every citizen.

The finance minister said initiatives are being taken under the ‘One Village, One Product’ programme to identify marginal producers and artisans and bring them under digital payments and banking services. This would create opportunities for rural producers to connect directly with the formal financial system.

He also said affordable smartphones are now being produced in Bangladesh. Smartphones priced at Tk 4,000–5,000 could make technology more accessible to farmers and ordinary citizens, enabling them to obtain information on weather, fertiliser requirements and market prices for agricultural products more easily.

Amir Khosru also referred to initiatives to provide Family Cards, Farmer Cards and allowances for imams and priests through banking channels. Such measures, he said, are contributing to financial inclusion through digital and formal banking systems.

He stressed that cybersecurity and policy safeguards must be ensured so that technological change does not slow innovation. Effective regulatory mechanisms are also necessary to keep digital financial systems secure, he said.

Economist Hossain Zillur Rahman moderated the dialogue, which was attended by heads of various banks, insurance companies and financial institutions.

//DBTech/BDNTR/SME/MIST//