“Digital” has become one of the most important trends in Bangladesh over the last decade. As the pioneer of the Digital brigade, Bangladesh has been able to achieve an inspiring level of success in bringing about a digital revolution within the country. The Digital Bangladesh Vision, declared on December 12, 2008, by the honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina brought significant improvements in the economic, educational, and social inequality factors that determine the digital divide, including income, access to digitized services, and socioeconomic factors.
Prime Minister announced in her election manifesto that Bangladesh would be a dignified middle-income Digital Bangladesh when the country completes 50 years of independence. The idea of Digital Bangladesh vision was to promote harmonized and sustainable digitization so that the society as a whole can benefit from digitization. It was her integrity, foresight, and courageous leadership, that helped us to identify as proud citizens of a prestigious middle-income technology-based Digital Bangladesh in a span of just 13 years. The initiatives led by the Architect of Digital Bangladesh and ICT Affairs Adviser to the Honorable Prime Minister, Mr. Sajeeb Wazed Joy made our technology industry an advanced and knowledge-based driving force for the country’s growth. He made the vision into a strategic roadmap to change the fates of common people using ICT as a driving force while creating knowledge, innovation, and efficiency throughout the economy. As per his guidance, we implemented the vision emphasizing – Human Resource Development, Digital Government, Connectivity and Infrastructure, and ICT Industry Promotion- the four pillars of the vision.
In a speech in 2016, Mr. Sajeeb Wazed Joy quoted an old proverb – “If you provide someone a fish, you provide him food for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, you provide him food for a lifetime.” Moving forward with this philosophy, we established Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centers. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman used to say that the wealth of Bengal is its soil and people. Mr. Sajeeb Wazed Joy made ICT compulsory from sixth to twelfth grade. On the other hand, in just 14 years, 13,000 Sheikh Russel Digital Labs have been set up across the country so that our children can be well aware of knowledge relevant to ICT.
We were able to curate and deliver timely and relevant programs, emphasizing the leadership, vision, and ideation of the youth for constructing a knowledge-driven economy and ensuring a leadership position for Bangladesh. There is a cultural belief that if you don’t pass your Bachelor’s or Master, you will not have any respect in your family or society. Mr. Sajeeb Wazed Joy said that only those who want to teach, do research, and want to take up higher education should do so. The rest who passes HSC can become proficient in technical skills such as web development, mobile app development, game development, image processing, digital marketing, etc. through short-term training, and take up jobs or become self-employed. This particular philosophy has changed the lifestyle of the youth in Bangladesh. With our initiatives, we have been able to groom around 6.5 lakh freelancers with technical knowledge who made Bangladesh the second-largest supplier of online laborers in the globe.
Bangladesh is now developing frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) and preparing to exploit the potential and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Specialized labs of high technology in IoT, robotics, cyber security have been set up in different universities. IT Business Incubators are being set up in the universities. Initiatives have been taken to set up Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centers in every district with the aim of building innovation and knowledge-based generation.
Startup Bangladesh Limited and iDEA were established with a fund of Tk. 500 crores, and so far, we have supported 382 startups. We invested in a few organizations, providing seed money and making equity investments to various seed and growth-stage startups. More than a thousand women entrepreneurs were provided with Tk. 50,000 seed money each through Startup Bangladesh initiative on behalf of the honorable Prime Minister. Today they are contributing to the country’s economy as e-commerce entrepreneurs and exporting to foreign markets as remittance warriors. Our main aim of such investment was to empower the youth to build courage and take the risk of doing innovative business.
We have been able to penetrate all around the country and even in places like the Kakorkandhi Union of Sherpur, where people from the Garo tribe live. Optical cables have been set up under the supervision of the Bangladesh Computer Council. People in that locality are now doing freelance work for clients in Australia, Europe, etc.
Subir Nokrek, a resident of Modhupur in Tangail, didn’t only become an entrepreneur himself but also motivated 500 others to be like him. And like him, people from different backgrounds, like Qawmi Madrashas from places like Bandarban, Mymensingh, etc., were able to make a mark for themselves by being an entrepreneur. This activity would not have been possible today if all the country’s people had not voted for the Boat in 2008, 2014, and 2018, irrespective of their party affiliation.
We have been able to create 20 lakh employments for youth in the software and hardware sector, and from the ICT sector, we have earned $1.4 billion from exports which was only $26 million 13 years ago. We have around 13 crore active internet users, and through 2000 digital portals for service, we are serving about one crore users per month.
One of the major success stories of Digital Bangladesh that have helped put the country on the map in many research circles is – resilience in the face of COVID-19. Had the Honorable Prime Minister not implemented Digital Bangladesh, it would not have been possible to deal with COVID successfully. If we imagine facing the COVID epidemic before 2008, how would 1 lac 70 thousand educational institutions which were physically closed for two years, run their educational programs; how would five crore students study; and how would 3 lakh women entrepreneurs conduct their e-commerce businesses? Without the successful initiatives of Digital Bangladesh, it would not have been possible to process over two crore e-files through mobile phones, proceedings of around 3 lakh 47 thousand hearings, and over 2 lakh bails.
Our honorable Prime Minister set a record for leading 1600 virtual meetings in a span of 2 years during the COVID, which included cabinet meetings, ECNEC, and political meetings. All these things were possible due to Mr. Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who set up the base of Digital Bangladesh in the last 14 years. In 2010, if we couldn’t get the bill passed after getting approval from the Honorable Prime Minister for the Digital Hi-tech Park from the National Parliament, the activities of 109 Hi-tech parks (both government and private) in the country wouldn’t have been possible.
During the pandemic, people availed the service of Police, Fire Service, and ambulance through 999. Through Shurokkha App, 15 crore people registered for corona services. On the other hand, the 333-call center inaugurated by Mr. Sajeeb Wazed Joy in 2018 assisted people suffering from no food. All these achievements were only possible because of the honest and courageous leadership of our Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Our next goal is to reach $5 Billion through exports and employment of 30 lakh youth by 2025. That said, for creating Bangabandhu’s Shonar Bangla by 2041, Mr. Sajeeb Wazed joy has advised us to focus on four sectors: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Microchip design, and Cybersecurity. The Prime Minister recently declared that we will transform the country to ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041. The four pillars of Smart Bangladesh Vision are- Smart Citizen, Smart Government, Smart Economy, and Smart Society which will be achieved under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Sajeeb Wazed joy. We are preparing our youth to lead the way to the fourth industrial revolution. Our goal is to ensure Bangladesh not only takes part in the next wave of innovation but also leads it.
Writer : Member of Parliament from Natore-3 and also State Minister for Information and Communication Technology from the age of 33. He was nominated as “Young Global Leader” in 2016 by the World Economic Forum. In 2018, he was appeared on the list of “World’s 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government” published by Apolitical, a London-based international organization.