MyGov Outage Disrupts Government Services

Applications, document submissions and other essential administrative tasks have been disrupted by the shutdown of MyGov, Bangladesh’s unified digital platform for government services. Around 5,000 to 6,000 people use the platform every day. The ongoing technical maintenance and security updates have left applicants uncertain about when they will be able to complete their pending tasks.

The website has been inaccessible since Sunday. As of 7am on Tuesday, October 27, users were still unable to access the platform. Attempts to visit the site display a “Web Server Down” message. The authorities have announced emergency maintenance on the platform’s Facebook page.

According to relevant sources, the website’s version and multiple domains are being updated to address a security vulnerability in the PHP programming language. The service may resume on Tuesday after several rounds of testing, although a confirmed restoration time has not been announced.

The outage has created uncertainty for applicants who need to submit or collect urgent documents. Shahriar Arnab, who submitted documents for an e-Apostille, said he needed the documents the following day. The website’s unavailability has left him uncertain whether he will be able to complete the process on time.

Technology expert Sumon Ahmed Sabir said a website might need to be temporarily taken offline to fix vulnerabilities for cybersecurity reasons. However, he stressed the importance of maintaining alternative service arrangements and extending deadlines where necessary to reduce inconvenience for applicants.

MyGov operates under the Aspire to Innovate (a2i) initiative and provides access to around 440 government services. These include e-Apostille, land-related services, various certificates, trade licences, and applications for permits and grants. The outage is therefore affecting access to a broad range of digital public services.

//DBTech/BTN/SME/MVNO//