Staff Reporter : Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced the goal of building Smart Bangladesh to deliver the benefits of freedom gained through the long struggle and bloody liberation war under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation and the greatest Bengali who ever lived.
To fulfill this goal, the ‘Smart Bangladesh Roadmap’ has been prepared to implement ‘Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041’ and build a better Bangladesh. It has four pillars: Smart Citizen, Smart Society, Smart Economy and Smart Governance.
According to a statement, it has been decided to implement 14 action plans to implement the government’s next vision ‘Smart Bangladesh-2041’. These decisions came from the third meeting of the Digital Bangladesh Task Force, where the Prime Minister outlined the future of Bangladesh after Digital Bangladesh. She has already signed the working papers of the meeting with 14 decisions to implement Smart Bangladesh.
Junaid Ahmed Palak, the State Minister for Information Technology, presented ‘Smart Bangladesh Vision-2041’ in the meeting. He said that as digital education, digital healthcare, digital agriculture etc. have been ensured under the concept of ‘Digital Bangladesh-2021’, the main parts of the concept of ‘Smart Bangladesh-2041’ will be smart education, smart health care, smart agriculture, smart trade, smart transportation etc. .
The decisions taken to implement ‘Smart Bangladesh Vision-2041’ are:
1. A ‘Smart Bangladesh Task Force’ will be formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to implement the Smart Bangladesh-2041 vision to establish a knowledge-based economy and an innovative nation in Bangladesh. It will be implemented by the Information Technology Department.
2. Undertake self-employment based training programs under the Digital Inclusion for Vulnerable Exceptions-DIVE initiative to build an inclusive digital society and bring backward marginalized communities into the mainstream of development. Implementation is the responsibility of the IT department.
3. To ensure the online activities of the students, the continuation of the laptop support program for the students under ‘One Student, One Laptop, One Dream’, which will be implemented by the Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Department of Madrasa and Technical Education, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and Department of Information Technology.
4. Setting up of Digital Leadership Academy to build a smart and ubiquitous government. It will be implemented by the Information Technology Department.
5. To prepare enterprise-based businesses as investment-friendly startups to increase the GDP contribution of micro, cottage, small and medium enterprises. The Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce and Department of Information Technology are involved in the implementation.
6. Establishment of Alternative School for Startup Educators of Tomorrow-Asset. Bangladesh Computer Council will implement it.
7. Construction and management of Bangladesh Knowledge Development Park. The Hi-Tech Park Authority is involved in the implementation.
8. Establishment of Center for Learning Innovation and Creation of Knowledge-Click. Bangladesh Computer Council will be involved in the implementation process.
9. Establishment of Agency for Knowledge on Aeronautical and Space Horizon-Sky. The IT department will implement this project.
10. Self-Employment and Entrepreneurship Development-Establishment of Seed Platform. The Hi-tech Park Authority will implement it.
11. Setting up of Content Engineering and Linkage Lab-Cell. The Directorate of Information Technology is involved in the implementation of this project.
12. Developing Government Service and Infrastructure Dependent Entrepreneurs on Service Aggregator Training-SAT Model. Bangladesh Computer Council will be involved in its implementation.
13. Bringing all digital services into a centrally integrated cloud. All ministries and departments will be working together to implement it.
14. Data Security Act, Digital Services Act, Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology-Shift Act, Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy-IDEA Act, Agency for Knowledge on Aeronautical and Space Horizon-Akash Act, Digital Leadership Academy Act and formulation of National Startup Policy will be implemented. The issues will be implemented by the Department of Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs and the Department of Information Technology.