Dreams of a digital Bangladesh are going to be materialized soon. The world is becoming a digital planet. Globalization and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have brought the nations closer. Digital Bangladesh will ensure the overall development of the country and the nations. It will prevent all types of corruptions and crimes. It will also save people’s time and money. At present, almost every state is running to become a knowledge-based society. Bangladesh cannot remain out of it and the Government has declared to turn Bangladesh into a digital one by 2021, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh. ‘Digital Bangladesh’ is a concept that will allow our country to be more efficient, transparent and commercially more productive. The elections manifesto of 2008 of Awami League promises that our country will be developed into Digital Bangladesh by 2021 through information technology in order to established good governance.
The word ‘Digital’ describes a system based on discontinuous data or events. And the term ‘Digital Bangladesh’ refers to a society based on knowledge. The object of establishing a “Digital Bangladesh” is to ensure an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) driven knowledge-based society where information. Will be readily available online and where all possible tasks of the government, semi-government and also private spheres will be processed using the state of the art technology. So, a digital Bangladesh must guarantee efficient and effective use of modern ICT in all spheres or .the society with a view to establishing governance.
However, in a broader sense, it encompasses something more than that. It refers to establishing a society where we will get a developed life free from crime, corruption, and misrule and finally where we will be able to face the challenges of 21st century boldly. In order to be more ambitious, its aim is to build a developed country full of possibilities and free of poverty, with easy access to health care and education. The motto of digital Bangladesh is to establish technology-based digital governance, e-commerce, e-agriculture, re-production, e-education, etc. emphasizing the overall development of the country and nation.
Bangladesh has already made significant progress on the way to a digital country. It was connected to worldwide Internet Super Highway through an under sea submarine cable in 2006. Yet in the field of ICT, our only grand success lies in Mobile Telecommunication which has brought about an abrupt change in communication.
The concept of Digital Bangladesh and 2021 vision is hoped to be a reality soon. But for success on the way we need to ensure democracy, transparency, and accountability. It is necessary for us all to work together to make Bangladesh a modern, technologically sophisticated and a digital, country. Digital Bangladesh will ensure the overall development of the country and the nations. It will prevent all types of corruptions and crimes. It will also save people’s time and money. If necessary, our national policies should be reformulated with the Millennium Development Goals so that Bangladesh can reap the fruits of a digital Bangladesh.
