Huge spending in name of Digital Bangladesh brings little outcome: Nahid
“It is often observed that projects are not completed within the stipulated time, and after one or two extensions, there is still a need for further extension. Therefore, any further time extensions for the ongoing projects should be considered carefully,” said the adviser
Nahid Islam, an adviser to the interim government, has said since 2010, a lot of projects have been undertaken in the name of Digital Bangladesh by spending a large amount of money, but the people of the country have not received the expected benefits.
Adviser Nahid, who oversees the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, made the remarks at an annual development programme (ADP) implementation progress review meeting held at the Post and Telecommunication Division in Dhaka today (2 September).
"It is often observed that projects are not completed within the stipulated time, and after one or two extensions, there is still a need for further extension. Therefore, any further time extensions for the ongoing projects should be considered carefully," said the adviser.
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A total of Tk65,000 crore was invested in the telecommunications and ICT sectors, of which Tk25,000 crore was allocated to the ICT Division and Tk40,000 crore to the Post and Telecommunications Division, according to a ministry statement.
Despite this, Bangladesh scored poorly in some global rankings in ICT development, the statement said, mentioning some examples.
According to the ICT Development Index of the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations in June 2024, Bangladesh scored 62 out of 100, ranking behind Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Vietnam, and Bhutan.
In the Ookla Speedtest Global Index of May 2024, Bangladesh ranked 109th out of 147 countries in terms of internet speed, with Kenya ahead of Bangladesh.
Similarly, in the Broadband Internet Index, Bangladesh ranked 108th, with India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Rwanda, and Ghana all ahead of Bangladesh.
In the International Monetary Fund's Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index of June 2024, Bangladesh ranked 113th out of 174 countries, with India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Rwanda, and Ghana all ahead of Bangladesh.
According to the Surfshark Digital Quality of Life Index 2023, Bangladesh ranked 82nd out of 121 countries in terms of digital quality of life, a drop of five places from the previous year.
The index indicates that internet speed in Bangladesh is 5% below the global average. Bangladesh ranked 73rd in the e-Government Index, below the global average, 85th in the e-Security ranking, and 77th in internet affordability.
According to the April 2024 report by the US magazine CEO World, Bangladesh lags behind in freelancing as well, ranking 29th among the top 30 destinations, with India and Pakistan ahead of Bangladesh.
Considering all these indices, it is evident that the people of the country have not benefited from the true advantages of Digital Bangladesh; rather, there had been significant irregularities, said Adviser Nahid.
