The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division spent billions of taka in the last 15 years during the Awami League government to build ‘Digital Bangladesh’, but the country still lags behind neighboring countries in critical technology and digital infrastructure indicators.
Despite a huge investment of over Tk 65,000 crore in telecommunications and ICT projects since 2009, the country is experiencing significant gaps in digital services, human resource development, and ICT export growth.
Sources at the ICT Division say that 53 projects and 34 programmes involving around Tk 25,000 crore were undertaken between 2009 and 2024 and 22 of them are still ongoing. Additional investments of Tk 40,000 crore has been made by the Post and Telecommunications Division.
However, despite the massive investments, people of the country is yet to reap real benefits of ‘Digital Bangladesh’.
On September 3, ICT Advisor Nahid Islam said although the ICT sector received a substantial investment under the Awami League government, key indicators show that the digital transformation remains incomplete. The real benefits of Digital Bangladesh have not reached the people.
Construction of ‘High-tech and Software Parks’ across the country were among the major initiatives under taken by the past AL government to attract both local and foreign investment. The government also set up incubation centers to foster skills development.
Of the 92 planned installations, only three high-tech parks, three software parks, and four incubation centers have been built at a total cost of Tk 8,186 crore. Many of the high-tech and software parks is still under construction.
The high-tech parks which have been built, however, have failed to attract expected foreign investment, and most incubation centers remain underutilized. The Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park in Jashore, built at a cost of Tk 305 crore is struggling to generate sufficient revenue. The facility now hosts wedding ceremonies.
Similarly, the ambitious goal of earning $5 billion from ICT exports has fallen flat. As of now, the sector has barely crossed the $1 billion mark.
Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), a key ICT division body, implemented three major projects—Info Government 1, 2, and 3—between 2010 and December 2023 at a total cost of Tk 3,756 crore, aimed at providing broadband access to rural areas. After their implantation, , a fourth project, Digital Connectivity (EDC) worth Tk 5,923 crore, was launched to extend broadband connections to rural areas. However, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the earlier projects, as the country is still lagging behind in broadband internet usage.
An analysis of ICT division projects reveals that 11 projects and 15 programmes were taken to impart training to people and nearly Tk 2,000 crore have been spent since 2009. Despite years of initiatives in freelancing, language, cyber security, and digital literacy training, the results remain unimpressive.
Additionally, a mobile game and app development project from 2013 to 2017, costing Tk 24 crore, was followed by another project with a budget of Tk 330 crore, set to run until December 2024. Of the 600 apps developed under these programmes, none have seen significant use.
On September 18, the Anti-Discrimination IT Entrepreneurs’ Council and the Anti-Discrimination Engineers’ Association submitted a letter to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT, demanding the dissolution of company boards under the ICT division and the removal of corrupt officials. They also called for the recovery of funds allegedly laundered by these individuals.
The letter specifically accused top officials, including former Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and ICT advisor Sajeeb Wazed Joy, of massive corruption within the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), Bangladesh Data Center Company Limited (BDCCL) and other ICT departments. Projects such as A2I, BGD e-Gov CIRT, and EDGE were highlighted as examples of problematic initiatives.
The BDCCL’s contract with Meghna Cloud (GenNext Technologies Limited) also faced criticism. Under the agreement, the government funded the construction of digital infrastructure, but Meghna Cloud receives 76 percent of revenue while the state-owned BDCCL gets only 24 percent. Allegations of inflated fees for consultants and misappropriation of funds through collaboration with private companies have been raised.
