Local services need digital overhaul
Speakers at a dialogue called for a more citizen-centric, accessible, inclusive and accountable e-governance system at local government institutions, backed by end-to-end digitalisation, stronger ICT infrastructure, improved digital literacy and effective grievance-redress mechanisms.
They made the recommendations at a dialogue titled “E-Governance at the Local Government Institutions: Current State and Way Forward”, organised on Monday under Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) in partnership with Switzerland and Canada and co-funded by the European Union.
Dr Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), chaired the dialogue, while Katharina König, Deputy Team Leader of Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF), delivered the introductory remarks.
Dr Ananya Raihan, Chairperson of iSocial; Aminul Mohaimen, MIS Expert in Public Finance Management; Fazlul Zayed Pavel, Senior Consultant at Aspire to Innovate (a2i); and Mohammad Nur Ullah, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Administration at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), took part as discussants.
CPD Research Fellow Tamim Ahmed and Research Associate Sabina Sharmin made keynote presentations.
The speakers said Bangladesh’s digital transformation at the grassroots level should go beyond simply placing forms and government information online.
Instead, local government services should be redesigned to allow citizens to complete as many steps as possible digitally, reducing repeated visits to government offices and the need to submit physical documents.
Digital access for all
The CPD study recommended strengthening digital literacy, particularly in underserved areas, through training on e-services, digital payments, online applications, data privacy and grievance mechanisms.
It proposed a “One Digital Member per Household” initiative to ensure that at least one member of every household can access essential government e-services.
The study also called for greater public awareness of Union Digital Centres (UDCs), targeted community campaigns and digital literacy programmes focused on women.
To address concerns about misuse of personal information, online fraud and unauthorised access, the study recommended privacy-protective mechanisms and stronger safeguards for citizens’ data.
Speakers also called for accessible grievance-redress systems through which citizens can report service failures, delays, technical problems, unofficial fees and data-related concerns and track the progress of their complaints.
Regular social audits should be conducted to assess whether women, young people, persons with disabilities and marginalised communities are meaningfully participating in local decision-making, they said.
The study further recommended making e-service information accessible to persons with disabilities and marginalised groups through screen-reader compatibility, simple language, audio assistance and other accessible formats.
‘No Wrong Door’ for citizens
The CPD proposed adopting a “No Wrong Door” principle, under which citizens would not need to know which government agency is responsible for a particular service. Instead, the digital system would direct them to the appropriate authority.
On the supply side, the study recommended strategically expanding UDCs and rural digital centres in underserved areas, prioritising poorly rated government services for redesign and end-to-end digitalisation, and mapping major e-service processes to eliminate unnecessary physical visits and paperwork.
It proposed an “End-to-End Digital Service” standard under which applications, verification, payments, processing, communication and final delivery should be completed digitally wherever the nature of the service permits.
Stronger grassroots digital infrastructure
The CPD study recommended ensuring at least one functional computer and essential ICT equipment in every Union Parishad office.
It also proposed designating an ICT focal point in every local government office and establishing a tiered ICT support system linking Union-level officials with technical teams at Upazila and district levels.
The study called for stronger interoperability among government databases, a single mechanism for tracking applications, and clear service-level standards specifying official fees and processing times.
An e-governance performance dashboard was also proposed to monitor service availability, citizen satisfaction, grievance resolution and inclusion.
The CPD further recommended introducing a Local Government Digital Readiness Index to assess Union and Upazila offices on connectivity, equipment, staff capacity, service availability, cybersecurity, accessibility and citizen usage.
It also called for cybersecurity and data-protection training to be incorporated into frontline government training programmes.
The dialogue concluded with an emphasis on ensuring that Bangladesh’s digital transformation reaches citizens at the grassroots and that e-governance becomes a practical tool for improving transparency, accountability, service delivery and inclusion at the local level.
Speakers said effective digitalisation of local government could help make public services more accessible, reduce administrative burdens and strengthen citizen participation, contributing to more responsive and development-oriented local governance.
