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E-governance: Bangladesh Perspective

Now, e-governance is a very popular phrase in the development debates of Bangladesh. The term
e-governance is known to the people by different names, for example, to the mass it is computer, to
the academics it is e governance, to the specialist it is ICT, to the students it is a discipline of
computer sciences and to the politicians it is digital Bangladesh. The government realizes the
strategic importance of ICT sector and had declared ICT a ‘thrust sector’ (Alam et al, 2008). Since
the last national election of 2008, the term ‘Digital Bangladesh’ has become more popular in the
nation.

Bangladesh E-government initiatives in public sector

E-government initiatives taken and practiced by Bangladesh can be listed below but the list is
getting bigger day by day—

1. Automation of Internal Processes

2. Electronic Birth Registration Systems
3. Financial Management Systems
4. Government Forms –Online application
5. Hajj Web Site for the religious devotees
6. MIS for Project Management and Transparency
7. National Board of Revenue introduced e-taxation systems
8. Personnel Database of different offices
9. Railway, air and bus ticketing and booking
10. E-recruitment and staffing process
11. E-learning/ distance learning for the students

Issues that act as the hinder to implement the e-governance

Implementation of e-governance in Bangladesh is not out of challenges and debates. In the study,
the researchers have found the following problems which may act as the glitches to the
implementation of e-governance in Bangladesh.

• Low level of ICT literacy and inadequate ICT training, lack of coordination, wide-spread of
corruption, poor salary and unrecognized employees status are primarily act as the
hindrance of implementing e governance in Bangladesh.
• E-governance requires a significant amount of fund to be invested but as a developing
country it sometimes becomes difficult to supply sufficient fund for such ambitious projects.
• Use of ICT in governance is expected to bring a revolutionary change in the functioning of
government. But, it may be difficult to manage the change, if proper planning is not made in
advance.
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• Political stability is important for successful implementation of e-government in any country.

But in Bangladesh this is yet to be achieved. For this reason, implementation and
continuation of any e government project suffer (Bhuiyan 2011).
• The quality of e-governance heavily depends on the skill, training and performance of
human resources (Bhuiyan 2011). But in Bangladesh this is still in scarce state.
• Lack of uniform and consistent IT policy but it is essential for the proper implementation of
IT in the government sector. It is one of the impediments of increasing e-governance in
Bangladesh.
• Insufficient power supply, expensive internet connection and band width, social awareness
and improper education are also create problem to implement e-governance.

Present Scenario of E-Governance

E-Governance (electronic governance) refers to the use of information and communication
technology (ICT) to deliver government services, exchange information, and improve
interactions between government, citizens, and businesses.

Global Context:
• Digital Transformation: Many countries are digitizing public services to improve
efficiency, transparency, and citizen satisfaction.

• Smart Governance: Use of AI, blockchain, IoT, and big data in governance.

• Mobile Governance (m-Governance): Increasing use of mobile platforms to provide

services.

• Open Government Data: Public data is made available to increase transparency and
innovation.

Bangladesh Context (example of a developing country):

• Digital Bangladesh Vision: Focus on digitizing public services by 2041.

• Services Launched:
o Union Digital Centers (UDCs) for rural service delivery.

o E-filing (Nothi), e-passport, digital tax payments.

o Services like birth registration, land records, and online utility bill payments.

• Key Agencies: a2i (Aspire to Innovate), ICT Division, and Access to Information programs.
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• Progress:
o Thousands of services digitized.

o Improved access in rural areas.

o Faster processing times for government services.

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Failures and Challenges of E-Governance

Despite progress, several challenges hinder the full potential of e-governance:

1. Digital Divide:
• Limited access to technology among rural, elderly, and low-income populations.

• Unequal internet connectivity and lack of digital literacy.

2. Poor Infrastructure:
• Frequent power outages, slow internet, and lack of technical support in remote areas.

• Low-quality digital infrastructure can disrupt service delivery.

3. Resistance to Change:
• Bureaucratic inertia and reluctance from government employees to adopt
digital systems.

• Fear of transparency and accountability.

4. Cybersecurity Issues:
• Weak data protection and privacy laws.

• Risks of hacking, identity theft, and data breaches.

5. Low Public Trust:

• Concerns over data misuse and lack of transparency in how data is handled.

• In some regions, citizens still prefer face-to-face interactions due to distrust in

digital systems.

6. Interoperability and Integration Issues:

• Lack of integration between different government platforms and databases.
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• Fragmented systems make it hard to ensure smooth end-to-end service delivery.

7. Inadequate Training and HR Capacity:

• Government staff often lack ICT skills and proper training.

• Low motivation or incentive to adopt e-governance tools.

8. Policy and Legal Barriers:

• Outdated or missing legal frameworks for digital governance.

• Slow implementation of supportive policies.

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New Public Management and post-New Public Management :

Introductions
New Public Management (NPM): Introduction

New Public Management emerged in the late 1970s and 1980s, especially in countries like the
UK, USA, New Zealand, and Australia, as a response to inefficiencies in traditional bureaucratic
public administration.

Key Features of NPM:

• Inspired by private sector practices.

• Focus on efficiency, performance, and results.

• Emphasis on decentralization, competition, and market mechanisms.

• Promotes outsourcing, public-private partnerships, and performance-based

management.

• Citizens are treated more like customers.

Main Goals:

• Reduce the size and cost of government.

• Make public services more responsive and accountable.

• Increase managerial autonomy and innovation.

Post-New Public Management (Post-NPM): Introduction

Post-NPM arose in the 2000s as a critique and evolution of NPM, due to its over-reliance on
market principles and fragmentation of public services.

Key Features of Post-NPM:

• Re-emphasizes integration, collaboration, and public value.

• Focus on governance, networks, and whole-of-government approaches.

• Seeks balance between efficiency and democratic accountability.

• Promotes citizen engagement, transparency, and cross-agency cooperation.

Main Goals:
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• Rebuild trust in public institutions.

• Deliver more holistic, coordinated, and inclusive services.

• Shift from market-driven logic to public interest-driven governance.

Main Features of Post-NPM Reforms

1. Whole-of-Government Approach

o Promotes coordination across departments and agencies.

o Moves away from the fragmented, siloed systems created under NPM.

2. Collaboration and Networks

o Encourages partnerships between public, private, and civil society sectors.

o Focus on governance through networks, not just top-down control.

3. Public Value Creation

o Shifts focus from efficiency to delivering public value.

o Considers social outcomes and long-term benefits for citizens.

4. Citizen Engagement and Co-production

o Citizens are seen as active participants, not just service users.

o Emphasis on co-designing and co-producing policies and services.

5. Restoration of Trust and Legitimacy

o Aims to rebuild public trust in government through transparency, ethics, and

accountability.

6. Digital Governance and Innovation

o Leverages technology not just for efficiency, but for inclusivity and transparency.

o Encourages adaptive, responsive government.

7. Re-centralization (in some cases)

o Some powers and responsibilities are brought back to the center for better
coordination and control.

o Focus on policy integration and strategic direction.

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8. Hybrid Governance Models

o Blends traditional public administration, NPM tools, and governance approaches.

o More flexible, context-sensitive reforms.

9. Emphasis on Outcomes over Outputs

o Focuses on the impact of services on citizens, not just performance indicators.

Why Did Post-NPM Emerge?

1. Fragmentation of Government Services

• NPM’s focus on decentralization and competition led to siloed departments and lack of
coordination.

• This made it hard to address complex, cross-cutting public problems (e.g., climate
change, poverty).

2. Overemphasis on Efficiency

• NPM prioritized cost-cutting and outputs, often at the expense of service quality and
equity.

• Citizens were treated more like customers than active participants in governance.

3. Weak Democratic Accountability

• Privatization and outsourcing under NPM reduced public control and transparency.

• Citizens and even politicians had less oversight of critical public services.

4. Loss of Public Trust

• Market-style reforms sometimes led to scandals, service failures, and public

dissatisfaction.

• People began to question whether government was acting in the public interest.

5. Complex Policy Challenges

• Modern governance problems (e.g., pandemics, digital security) require collaboration,

not competition.

• These issues exposed the limits of NPM’s market-based tools.

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6. Need for Integration and Coordination

• Post-NPM calls for a whole-of-government approach, breaking silos to achieve shared

goals.

• Encourages better policy coherence and inter-agency collaboration.

7. Rise of Governance Thinking

• Focus shifted from “managing like a business” to “governing effectively with multiple
actors.”

• Emphasis on network governance, citizen participation, and public value.

In Summary:

Post-NPM emerged because NPM failed to fully deliver effective, equitable, and democratic
governance. Post-NPM seeks to fix these gaps by reintegrating services, engaging citizens, and
rebuilding trust in the public sector.

Is Post-NPM Replacing or Supplementing NPM?

Mostly Supplementing (Not Completely Replacing)

Post-NPM does not fully reject NPM—instead, it builds on it, corrects its flaws, and adds new
governance tools and values.

How It Supplements NPM:

Aspect NPM Post-NPM Relation

Efficiency, performance, Coordination, trust, public Post-NPM adds broader

Focus
markets value goals

Citizens Customers Co-producers, partners Expands citizen role

Management Decentralized,
Integrated, collaborative Rebalances structure
Style managerial
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Aspect NPM Post-NPM Relation

Through results and Through networks and Complements with new

Accountability
contracts transparency forms

Performance metrics, Cross-agency Uses both market and

Tools
outsourcing collaboration, digital tools network tools

Why It’s Not a Full Replacement:

• Many NPM practices are still useful, especially in improving efficiency and results.

• In reality, most governments today use a hybrid model, combining elements of

Traditional Public Administration, NPM, and Post-NPM depending on context.

E-governance Outcomes/Results: Best Practices

If any nation can perfectly run e-governance surely it will be benefited by the following ways-

1. It increased accountability and transparency;

2. Ensure quick and smooth services with expected quality;
3. Higher availability of public domain information;
4. Higher dissemination due to automation;
5. Increased both efficiency and effectiveness;
6. Process Re-engineering– technology only a tool not panacea (solution/ remedy);
7. E-governance create awareness among public servants;
8. Facilitate public-private partnership model to work together;
9. Enhanced access to ICT tools for citizens and mass people;

Crisis of New Public Management (NPM)

1. Overemphasis on Efficiency

• NPM prioritized cost-cutting and performance targets over social equity and service
quality.

• Led to neglect of long-term outcomes and public welfare.

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2. Fragmentation of Public Services

• Created silos within government through decentralization and outsourcing.

• Reduced coordination among agencies, making it hard to deal with complex or cross-
sector issues.

3. Loss of Public Accountability

• Shift from public to private management practices weakened democratic oversight.

• Outsourcing and contracting made it difficult to hold service providers accountable to

citizens.

4. Undermining of Public Values

• Treated citizens as customers, not as participants in democracy.

• Focused more on profit-like performance than on fairness, justice, and inclusion.

5. Short-termism

• Managers often prioritized quick wins to meet performance targets.

• Ignored deeper reforms, sustainability, and institutional development.

6. Low Morale in Public Sector

• Performance pressures, rigid targets, and comparison with private sector caused low
motivation and job dissatisfaction among public servants.

7. Failed Privatization and Market Failures

• In some sectors, privatization led to inefficiencies, rising costs, or poor service delivery.

• NPM underestimated the complexity of public goods and market limitations.

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8. Increased Inequality

• Market-based reforms often benefited urban and educated groups, while the poor or
rural areas were left out.

• Access to services became unequal.

Conclusion:

The crisis of NPM arose because its market-oriented approach couldn’t fully address public
needs, democratic values, or complex governance challenges. This crisis led to the
development of Post-NPM reforms, which aim to restore trust, cooperation, and holistic
governance.

Why Did DEG Emerge?

1. Crisis of NPM

• NPM caused fragmentation, reduced coordination, and treated citizens as customers,

not partners.

2. Technological Advancements

• Rapid growth in ICT, internet, mobile technology, AI, and big data created new tools for
governance.

3. Need for Re-centralization and Integration

• Governments needed unified systems to handle complex, interconnected public issues.

4. Demand for Transparency and Participation

• Citizens increasingly demanded open data, real-time information, and involvement in

decision-making.

Key Features of Digital-Era Governance

Feature Description

Reverses NPM-style fragmentation by re-centralizing digital systems

Reintegration
across government.
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Feature Description

Needs-Based Public services are designed around citizen needs, not government
Services departments.

Full use of digital platforms, AI, cloud computing, and automation in

Digitalization
governance.

Proactive Services are provided before citizens ask, using predictive data (e.g.,
Government auto-renewal, reminders).

Open and Emphasis on open government, e-participation, and real-time data

Transparent sharing.

Platform Use of common digital platforms to deliver a range of services from one
Governance portal or app.

Benefits of DEG

• Improved service delivery (faster, 24/7 access).

• Increased citizen engagement through digital participation.

• Greater transparency and accountability.

• Cost efficiency in the long term through automation.

• Data-driven decision-making.

Challenges

• Cybersecurity and data privacy concerns.

• Digital divide (especially in developing countries).

• Need for institutional reform and capacity building.

• Change resistance from public employees.

Conclusion
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Digital-Era Governance marks a shift from both traditional bureaucracy and NPM, using digital
technology not just for efficiency, but for transformation of government itself. It focuses on
integration, innovation, and inclusion—making governance more citizen-centered and future-
ready.

Evolution of E-Government in Bangladesh

1. Early Stage (1990s – early 2000s): Basic ICT Adoption

• Government began using computers and basic office automation in ministries.

• No clear policy or strategic vision for ICT in governance.

• ICT infrastructure was very limited.

2. Policy Foundation (2002 – 2009): Vision and Strategy

• 2002: First ICT Policy adopted, promoting use of ICT in public service.

• 2008: Launch of Digital Bangladesh Vision 2021 under the Awami League government.

• The goal was to build a knowledge-based society using ICT.

• Key institutions established:

o Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC)

o Access to Information (a2i) program under the Prime Minister’s Office.

3. Expansion Phase (2010 – 2018): Service Delivery and Digitization

• Major push for digitizing public services.

• Establishment of Union Digital Centers (UDCs) in 4,500+ unions for rural access.

• Introduction of:

o E-filing system (Nothi)

o Online birth registration

o Online passport, utility bill, and exam result services

o E-procurement (e-GP)
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• Launch of the National Data Center and Govt Cloud services.

4. Integration and Innovation Phase (2019 – Present): Towards Smart Governance

• Focus shifted to integrated platforms, mobile governance, and data-driven services.

• Key developments:

o E-Passport and biometric verification systems

o MyGov app for one-stop digital services

o National Digital Architecture (NDA) for system interoperability

o Use of AI, IoT, and blockchain pilots

• Introduction of Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041—focus on smart governance, smart

citizens, and smart economy.

Key Achievements:

• Over 2,800+ services digitized (source: a2i).

• Over 10 million transactions monthly through UDCs.

• Growth of mobile apps and SMS-based services.

• Rise in digital literacy and ICT capacity in public administration.

Ongoing Challenges:

• Digital divide (urban–rural gap, low ICT skills in some areas).

• Cybersecurity and data privacy issues.

• Lack of interoperability between systems.

• Resistance to change within bureaucracy.

• Infrastructure limitations in remote areas.

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Conclusion:

Bangladesh’s e-Government journey has evolved from basic digitization to a citizen-centered

digital ecosystem, with strong policy backing and political will. The country now aims to
transition from “Digital Bangladesh” to a “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041, focusing on innovation,
integration, and inclusivity.

Selected E-Government Initiatives in Bangladesh

1. Union Digital Centers (UDCs)

Launched: 2010
Purpose: Provide government services at the doorstep of rural citizens.
Features:

• Over 4,500+ UDCs nationwide.

• Services include birth registration, land records, utility bill payment, online
applications.

• Key tool for bridging the digital divide.

2. Nothi (e-Filing System)

Launched: 2015
Purpose: Digitize government file movement and decision-making.
Features:

• Paperless office environment.

• Reduces time, cost, and corruption.

• Over 65,000+ offices connected (as of 2023).

3. E-Government Procurement (e-GP)

Launched: 2011
Managed by: CPTU (Central Procurement Technical Unit)
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Purpose: Ensure transparency and accountability in public procurement.

Features:

• Reduces corruption.

• Faster and more efficient tender process.

• Widely used by ministries and agencies.

4. MyGov Platform

Launched: 2019
Purpose: One-stop digital service delivery platform.
Features:

• Web and mobile app based.

• Access to services like grievance submission, certificates, appointments, etc.

• Personalized dashboards for citizens.

5. E-Passport System

Launched: 2020
Purpose: Introduce biometric, machine-readable passports.
Features:

• Modernized border control and identity security.

• Integrated with NID and police verification systems.

6. Bangladesh National Digital Architecture (BNDA)

Purpose: Ensure interoperability among government systems.

Features:

• Enables secure data exchange between ministries.

• Helps avoid duplication of services and databases.

7. Online Birth and Death Registration

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Purpose: Simplify civil registration process.

Features:

• Citizens can apply and download birth/death certificates online.

• Integrated with other services like passport and NID.

8. A2i (Aspire to Innovate) Program

Purpose: The main driver of innovation and digital transformation in government.

Key Roles:

• Policy support, training, research, digital tools.

• Promotes user-centric design of e-services.

9. Surokkha App & Portal

Launched: During COVID-19

Purpose: Manage national vaccine registration and digital vaccine certificates.
Impact: Key example of responsive digital health governance.

10. Digital Land Services

Includes: Online Khatiyan, Mouza Maps, Land Mutation, and e-Namjari.

Purpose: Reduce corruption and delay in land services.

Conclusion:

These initiatives show Bangladesh’s strong progress in building a citizen-centric, transparent,

and digital government. The move toward a “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041 is built on these
foundations.