Digital Bangladesh
The golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence would be observed in 2021. Taking the year as a vision, Bangladesh has already fixed her target of achieving Digital Bangladesh at that particular time. It is a time of expectation of the nation to see their country in a proper position among other hi-tech countries in the world. Digital Bangladesh is a political motto of the present government and it refers to a knowledge-based and ICT-integrated country system where people have access to information to get the desired public services in a swift and simple manner.
Meanings of digit and digital: The word digit is originated from the Latin word Icligitus' which means finger or toe. So the meaning of digit is a finger or any of the ten fingers 0 to 9. The word digital has come from the English word digit that denotes a process or a device that operates by processing information that is supplied or stored in the form of a series of binary digits. So digital means the regulation of all activities dependent upon high technology e.g. computer and internet. What is digital Bangladesh: Digital state means a state which would be governed by the government with the help of computers and the internet. Accordingly, digital Bangladesh means such a Bangladesh whose activities like governance, commerce, education, agriculture, etc. are controlled by computers and the internet. It should be noted that today the entire world is gradually becoming a digital planet. Almost every state is going towards a knowledge-based society. And as freedom-loving people, we cannot stay away from its advantages of it. Origin of digital Bangladesh: After the landslide victory in the recent election of December 29, 2008, Bangladesh Awami League assured to build a Digital Bangladesh where people will get a developed life, corruption, and misrule free society and will be able to face the challenges of the 21" century. The destination (51T-41) of the general election is correctly pointed toward a Digital Bangladesh and there is no disagreement on the issue among the people.
Objectives of Digital Bangladesh: Bangladesh has fixed her vision of achieving digital Bangladesh for ensuring misrule and a fully corruption-free society with a view to controlling all activities of this country by using computers and the Internet with an instant command. Its target is to make all people technologically skilled and efficient through ICT knowledge so that they might be able to overcome the strong challenges of the 21st century. Steps for implementing Digital Bangladesh: With a view to implementing Digital Bangladesh the first and foremost duty is to spread ICT education throughout the whole country. The present ruling party is committed to the nation implementing Digital Bangladesh. Regarding the issue, the government has projected various necessary steps. They are as follows: Education: Enrollment at the primary level will be increased to 100 percent by 2010. The elimination of illiteracy will be made by 2014. Education up to degree level will be made free by 2013. Higher salaries for the teachers will be ensured. Agriculture: The subsidy for agriculture inputs will be enhanced and the availability of inputs will be made easier. The amounts of agricultural loans will be increased.
Health care: Minimum daily intake of 2122 kilocalories of food will be ensured by 2021. The elimination of contagious diseases, primary health care, and sanitation for all will be ensured. Average longevity will be increased to seventy years and effort will be made for the reduction of child and maternal mortality. Communication and infrastructure: Appropriate measures will be taken to construct the Padma and Karnafuli Bridge-Tunnel; Dhaka-Chittagong Four Lane Express Way will be constructed. Measures will be taken for the expansion and modernization of the railway. Rail and road connections with the neighboring countries under the Trans Asian Railway schemes will be established. Employment guidelines: At present we have 28 million people unemployed. The number of unemployed people in the country will be reduced to 24 million by 2013 and further to 15 million by 2021 in Digital Bangladesh.
Commodity prices in Digital Bangladesh: price: Measure will be taken to reduce the unbearable burden of price hikes and to keep it within the limit of purchasing power of people. After giving the highest priority to the production of domestic commodities, arrangements will be made for timely import to ensure food security. Industry: A strong foundation for industrialization will be established by 2021. The contribution of the industrial sector to national GDP will be doubled. Food and Nutrition: The food deficit will be removed and self-reliance in food production will be achieved by 2021. It will enable to meet the nutritional needs of 85% of the population. Power and energy: Power production will be increased to 11500 megawatts by 2015 and it will be increased to 20000 megawatts by 2021. Basic needs: Gross domestic product will be raised to 8% by 2013 and 10% by 2017. This will be sustained thereafter. It should be noted that domestic products will be raised in order to provide food, clothing, shelter, education, and health care to the citizen following article 15 of our constitution. ICT sector: IT training will be made compulsory at the secondary level by 2013 and at the primary level by 2021.
Be raised in order to provide food, clothing, shelter7e; cation and health care domestic d project the citizen following the article 15 of our constitution. T sector: IT d at the primary level training by 2021 will be made compulsory at the secondary level by 2013. ICT and Digital Bangladesh: Having a 164 million population, Bangladesh has huge potential. But it has many problems. It is very mt to create skilled manpower educated in science and technology. At present, the people of Bangladesh are not completely familiar with using ICT. But the whole world is getting developed with the blessing of ICT. The people of the country face this discrimination only because of economic insolvency. Because of being poor and illiterate, our people cannot use ICT. Using ICT is still now beyond their imagination. It is unfortunate that some of us consider it nothing but mere a fashion. Though most of the people of the country have a lot of interest, they remain out of access on account of the high price of ICT tools. In the present era of globalization. ICT is a cross-cutting issue as well as an essential tool for economic development. It can play a remarkable role in creating employment, raising work efficiency, and standard production. The usage of ICT can bring a corruption-free, citizen-centric, and forward-looking governance to the country.
Barriers to building up Digital Bangladesh: There are so many bans-. easy to build up digital Bangladesh. The main obstacles are economic crisis, illiterate fundamentalism, the tyranny of muscular energy, corruption, terrorism, insulyficli3eonv: party's )r electricity and so on. Moreover, lacking noble intention, the tendency of centralism, and the absence of real patriotism are highly responsible for building up our visionary Digital Bangladesh. In spite of having a high-level technology, ICT seen proved uncomplicated to provide even at the root level of the country. According to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and the. Bureau of Statistics (BBS), E-services are leveraging on growing mobile access-80 million subscriptions in August 2011, a household penetration rate of 64% in 2010 compared to just 11% in 2005 (BRTC Report, 201 1). This situation has created some scope before planners to ensure optimum use of our limited resources and to balance between planning and development control. Key strategies for connecting the millions of Bangladeshi citizens through nationwide information networks need to address the challenges of equity, cost, regulations, relevance, and civic awareness. The government will also focus on providing integrated multimedia broadcasting services to reach the marginal section. The incorporation of the spatial impact of ICT into planning practices will not however occur without the purposeful actions of those who are responsible for practical planning or those who regulate and support planning.
The expectation of all civil citizens in the celebration of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence in 202 is that the government will take all necessary steps to build up Digital Bangladesh and knowledge-based society. Though it is very hard to materialize the dream if it is possible to take the realistic and contemporary steps to fulfill the expectation, the day is not so far while the government will capable to regulate the whole country by pressing one digit only.
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