LATEST
A turning point of Bangladesh football Bangladesh considers forming up to $2 billion sovereign fund: FinMin Teachers, students face punishment over AL links Delayed action on workers’ dues will deepen RMG crisis A year on, but reforms remain largely on paper DU tops Bangladesh 29 wards at high risk of dengue Dhaka works to secure wider regional trade access Trump trumped by Democrats Wage talks fail to calm RMG unrest
Skip to content

Saturday | November 07, 2026 | Dhaka

Digi transformation must focus on services, not tech: ICT Minister

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:08 AM, 07 November 2026

Bangladesh’s Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam has said digital transformation should focus on improving public services rather than simply introducing new technologies.

Putting a service online does not make it fully digital, he said, adding that success should be measured by how easily, quickly and transparently citizens can access services.

The minister made the remarks on Friday while participating in a Cross-Examination Dialogue titled “Challenging Conventional Approaches to Governance Innovation and Anticipatory Governance” at the eighth session of the UN Governance Innovation Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

He said technology alone could not transform public administration. While connectivity provided the foundation, institutional readiness was necessary to turn it into public benefit.

Before introducing new technology, governments should identify problems, review existing administrative processes, remove unnecessary steps, clarify institutional responsibilities and ensure coordination among agencies, he said.

During the discussion, Faqir Mahbub Anam identified three essential capacities for effective digital governance: capable institutions, a skilled workforce and public trust.

He said institutions needed clear accountability, interoperable data systems and effective coordination. Employees also needed the skills, confidence and mindset to work with new technologies.

Public trust, he added, depended on strong data governance, cybersecurity, privacy protection and accessible grievance-redress mechanisms.

“Technology will not force citizens to adapt to the government system; rather, the government system will adapt to citizens,” the minister said.

He added that technology could also help identify institutional barriers and speed up reforms, making it necessary to advance administrative reform alongside technological innovation.

Quoting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the minister said, “The use of AI, automation and digital technologies can make our administration more efficient, transparent and accountable.” He said the government was working towards that goal.

Bangladesh was moving away from simply transferring paper-based processes online and instead redesigning entire service procedures around citizens’ needs, he said.

The approach was intended to reduce unnecessary steps and make public services more responsive, efficient and accountable.

The session also featured Moeketsi Motsoane, a minister from Lesotho; Brahim Boulkheir from Mauritania; and Carolina Plata López from Mexico.

Jeyhun Salmanov, Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations (SAPSSI), moderated the discussion.

Representatives from different countries exchanged views at the conference on building future-ready institutions, administrative innovation and the effective use of technology in public services.