smart bangladesh vision 2041 essay

• Recent Posts
• LSE South Asia Centre

Ratan Kumar Roy

March 20th, 2023, ‘smart bangladesh’: what about ‘smart politics’ and ‘smart thinking’.

0 comments | 14 shares

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

As the ruling Awami League pushes forth with its vision of a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041, focusing on increasing digitalisation and reliant on widespread subscription, Ratan Kumar Roy asks a crucial question: can a ‘smart’ policy alone bring about societal change, or does it require something more?   

A short video-clip of the dramatic collapse of a dais — where the General Secretary Obaidul Quader of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) was talking about visions of a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ on 6 January 2023 — went viral. Hundreds of GIFs were created and circulated, and social media users made hilarious Reels and TikTok videos mimicking the moment of embarrassment. The GIFs served the purpose of the political opposition because of a coincidence of the crumbling of the stage and the utterance of ‘Smart Bangladesh’, thus gaining a symbolic significance, if inadvertently.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina introduced the idea of ‘Smart Bangladesh’ on 12 December 2022, during her speech at Digital Bangladesh Day, unveiling her vision of making Bangladesh a developed nation by 2041. The project — ‘ Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041 ’ — is built on four pillars: smart citizen, smart economy, smart government, and smart society. No wonder the narratives on and around ‘Smart Bangladesh’ are essentially techno-centric. But it appears that a critical element that has gone missing in this, one that would facilitate holding these pillars together, is Smart Politics.

In December 2022, Sheikh Hasina instructed the Bangladesh Chhattra League ( BSL ), the student wing of the Awami League, to build Smart Bangladesh . A month on, in January 2023, the stage collapsed at the University of Dhaka whilst urging BCL leaders and activists to work for Smart Bangladesh. In the following months, complaints were filed against BCL leaders for torturing students at various university hostels. This series of incidents made it pertinent to seek a smart political culture, even if not in practice but at least in thinking. Can ‘smart thinking’ be the bottom line of this mega vision? Here, I review what is outlined in ‘Smart Bangladesh’, and its genealogy.

The Awami League came to power in 2009 with a ‘ Vision 2021 ’ centring around Digital Bangladesh which aspired to provide better services and governance through improved Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). To achieve a Digital Bangladesh by 2021, the government has since put tremendous effort into developing infrastructure and capacity in ICT. The vision was to connect citizens and accelerate service delivery, jobs, efficient governance, and an economy based on digitalisation. Expanding internet connectivity, increasing digital services and using ICT for economic sectors help conjure an image of a thriving development. Establishing around 40 HighTech parks, thousands of Digital Centres across the country providing hundreds of services and facilities, making a sizable export value for ICT, creating freelancers and 2 million ICT-based jobs, and installing Bangabandhu Satellite 1 are some of the visible successes of the Digital Bangladesh vision.

However, other aspects of the digital regime like  the Digital Security Act (DSA) 2018 evoke apprehension and frustration among citizens. Controls, contestations and conflicts at various levels reveal the pitfalls of digitalisation, and the DSA has been implicated in muzzling ‘ troubling ’ voices of the people by the state. Between the development discourse on one hand, and digital control on the other, the government has adopted ‘ Vision 2041 ’ as a continuation of ‘Vision 2021’ to provide impetus to the development dream of the nation, a strategy towards Smart Bangladesh while maximising the possibilities of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). The claim is to be inclusive, and imagine ‘Smart Bangladesh’ beyond mobile and internet technology. Therefore, the four pillars are crucial for this vision.

The ‘Smart Bangladesh’ project aims to make citizens capable of using technology to improve their quality of life. In an App-based life, they buy-sell or fill out forms, and have an enhanced civic participation online. Smart Government is a data-driven public administration system that will rely on technology at both ends: policy-making and policy implementation. Transparency, efficacy and effectiveness for service delivery to citizens will be ensured with the availability and dependence on Apps, data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart Economy will be built on the bedrock of 4IR, emphasising smart supply and production chain management, and the use of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Finally, the Smart Society will be a data-driven, inclusive society where access will be easier, participation will be more, and costs will be reduced. Such a ‘smart society’ will be sustainable and futuristic in that it will address socio-environmental challenges.

But in this moment of excitement about the inception of a digitally enabled ‘Smart Bangladesh’, less is being discussed about the cost of digital dependence. Moreover, it hardly creates a new imagination beyond the digital-centric production and institution. For example, it outlines a gradual implementation of digital skills development, e-commerce and market, e-agriculture, digital job platforms, smart and paperless administration, digital education and pedagogy, e-health, and medical services; what is missing is smart thinking for transforming the political culture often found responsible for making the system dysfunctional from within.

The questions ahead for the people and policy-makers are: will there be any mechanism to reduce corruption and bureaucratic red-tapism in the system? Can ordinary citizens be assured that a handful of people will not find a smart way to launder money from the country to various foreign destinations? Will the country have a peaceful atmosphere ahead of its elections, where confronting political groups will not spread violence on the street?

Current evidence in the everyday socio-political landscape of Bangladesh does not provide a positive view on these questions. Opposition parties are stuck with old versions of political activism and practices. BCL leaders are often involved in rape, highjack, torture, ragging students and extortion from businesses and others. The media’s narrowcasting lens focus on creating hype about political clashes and conflicts ahead of elections. The political party in power is getting tired of controlling the numbers of aspiring leaders; the General Secretary of the AL had to urge that they need more smart workers but not leaders for achieving ‘Smart Bangladesh’.

Uncertainty and volatility in the political climate cannot be convenient for the realisation of a ‘Smart Bangladesh’. It requires making politics smarter with smart thinking at various levels. Beyond the political culture, achieving a Smart Bangladesh would be possible if citizens themselves also become smart: for instance, even after  20 years of setting up automated traffic lights in Dhaka city, people in the city have hardly gotten used to following traffic signals . Air pollution level in Dhaka is 14+ times higher than WHO-recommended Air Quality Index value; people often litter and throw rubbish randomly with no effort to keep public places clean. All these are real-life scenarios of a capital city where use of smartphones and internet penetration is relatively high. Therefore, it is not far-fetched to argue that without penetrating ‘smart thinking’ amongst the people, and ‘smart imagination’ in the thinking of the new generation, a digital-centric vision of smart Bangladesh may not succeed.

In a country where the idea of digital connectivity is borrowed from the West and improvised for a nation dependent on technology produced in China, a digitally-oriented, techno-centric, data-driven ‘Smart Bangladesh’ must foster originality of ideas and imagination for meaningful innovation for a better future. At heart is the need for ‘smart politics’ to be inserted in this scheme, with smart thinking disseminated into the social psyche.

Effective ‘smart politics’ can be achieved by curbing partisan nepotism at various levels of bureaucracy and politics, and ending political control over rule of law. Political parties in power should not have undue control over the administrative and executive organs of the state to crack down the political oppositions . At the other end, those not in power should not rely on to violence, unrest and unconstitutional ways to oust governments. ‘Smart politics’ should enable party leaders and activists to move beyond the violent politics that has till now undermined the establishment of a stable, steady and robust democracy. Such a ‘smart politics’ would enable smart governance where there is transparent correspondence between the legislation, judiciary and executive, citizens are served by a corruption-free administration and judiciary, enhancing accountability. It will also lead to a truer decentralisation of power where better healthcare and education facilities are not urban-centric considering more than 60 per cent people live in rural areas in Bangladesh.

The genuine pursuit of ‘smart thinking’ for citizens is essential for making sure that technology is not outsmarting the people. ‘Smartness’ should not be imposed from above on people — it should align with varying levels of tech-savviness, digital literacy and access to technology. It is how smartly the government address the challenges of everyday life, defying digital divides and new kinds of inequalities. With a smart mindset that makes people responsible about self-conduct, passionate towards national development and motivated towards national values and human well-being, a vision of ‘Smart Bangladesh’ may thrive.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent the views of the ‘South Asia @ LSE’ blog, the LSE South Asia Centre or the London School of Economics and Political Science.

This blogpost may not be reposted by anyone without prior written consent of LSE South Asia Centre; please e-mail [email protected] for permission.

Banner image © Anne Nygård, 2022, Unsplash .

• Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

About the author

Dr Ratan Kumar Roy is Charles Wallace Bangladesh Trust Visiting Fellow (2022–23) at the LSE South Asia Centre, and Assistant Professor at the School of General Education, BRAC University, Dhaka. He is author of ‘Television in Bangladesh: News and Audiences’ (2020).

Related Posts

Leading by Example: Bangladesh’s Response to Humanitarian Crises in South Asia and Beyond

November 21st, 2022.

Brick Lane, Curry and Covid-19

August 16th, 2021.

What does Social Distancing and Stay at Home mean to those on low incomes in Bangladesh?

May 29th, 2020.

Access to justice for marginalised rural victims across South Asia: Issues and challenges

June 8th, 2020.

South Asia @ LSE welcomes contributions from LSE faculty, fellows, students, alumni and visitors to the school. Please write to [email protected] with ideas for posts on south Asia-related topics.

Bad Behavior has blocked 7074 access attempts in the last 7 days.

Browse Econ Literature

• Working papers
• Software components
• Book chapters
• JEL classification

More features

• Subscribe to new research

RePEc Biblio

Author registration.

• Economics Virtual Seminar Calendar NEW!

SMART Bangladesh Vision 2041: Concept of a Sustainable Developed Country

• Author & abstract
• Related works & more

Corrections

• Subrata Kumer Pal
• Pramath Chandra Sarker

Suggested Citation

Download full text from publisher.

Follow serials, authors, keywords & more

Public profiles for Economics researchers

Various research rankings in Economics

RePEc Genealogy

Who was a student of whom, using RePEc

Curated articles & papers on economics topics

Upload your paper to be listed on RePEc and IDEAS

New papers by email

Subscribe to new additions to RePEc

EconAcademics

Blog aggregator for economics research

Cases of plagiarism in Economics

About RePEc

Initiative for open bibliographies in Economics

News about RePEc

Questions about IDEAS and RePEc

RePEc volunteers

Participating archives

Publishers indexing in RePEc

Privacy statement

Found an error or omission?

Opportunities to help RePEc

Get papers listed

Have your research listed on RePEc

Open a RePEc archive

Have your institution's/publisher's output listed on RePEc

Get RePEc data

Use data assembled by RePEc

Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2021-2041

Smart Bangladesh 2041

What is Smart Bangladesh really?

When “Digital” Bangladesh was first coined in 2007, there were debates and discussions leading to both believers and naysayers. While that may not be happening yet with “Smart” Bangladesh, let this piece be a starting point for those discussions. 

So we come to the question: What do we mean when we speak of a “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041? 

The one line answer is that Smart Bangladesh will be a high-income, poverty-free, developed nation, grounded in innovation, powered by technology that we are only beginning to understand such as AI and IoT, that will have a per capita GDP of $12500. 

OK, but is that all that determines a “smart” nation?

There is so much that will change when we achieve Smart Bangladesh. And as our lives are changed more than ever before, we must approach each step of the way with determination of course, but also curiosity and wonder—after all, our future is looking very bright!

For that future to manifest, and at the heart of Smart Bangladesh are four core pillars that will determine its success.

Let me try and tell you stories of 4 Bangladeshis from 2041 to illustrate what that would be.

1. Smart Citizen: I am the solution

Sharbani is an 18-year old high-school student from Barisal. On her way to school, she is picked up in an electric, self-driven school bus, which uses a route provided by the local digital centre (which have replaced post offices). Due to the construction of a new terminal along the route, that route has become inefficient to take.  

Sharbani takes it upon herself to fix this issue. She modifies the routing map the bus takes by putting in different coordinates. This initiative shrinks the route time taken by this bus by an average of 12 minutes.

That is the smart youth of Smart Bangladesh. Each citizen is empowered to make positive changes and contribute to nation-building. They will no longer be looking for a solution from those in power. Instead, much like Sharbani, they are the first to be the solution.

2. Smart Government: The govpreneur

There is a strange illness that is sweeping through the country, specifically affecting pregnant women. While telehealth is the norm now, the customer care is quickly overwhelmed with concerned citizens’ questions. 

Sahera Banu, the DC of Tangail, does not panic. She has built up a career as someone not afraid to experiment and take bold steps—much like an entrepreneur. She reaches out to the private sector, to the top AI companies in the country, and connects them with the Upazila health and family planning officer. 

The government’s Inclusive Digital Transformation Architecture is already in place, but she realizes that a collaboration with the private sector is necessary to calm the sense of panic that may be settling among the citizens. The collaboration between the private companies and the government leads to a system that has AI monitor and answer the calls automatically, quelling the most immediate fears of the citizens. 

Sahera Banu is what we call a govpreneur; while a government officer, she has entrepreneurial space and freedom to experiment, and being the facilitator for public-private partnerships that lead to not only solutions for citizens, but ultimately, trust in the government.

3. Smart Society: Leave no one behind

Sheema is a middle-aged widow from Pabna with visual impairments. Thanks to mobile financial services, she receives allowances at home through the government’s social safety net initiatives. She has an active social circle whom she meets and discusses mutual interests. She goes shopping for groceries, and also orders them home, drone-delivered. She enjoys stories, and using digital books, she reads stories of Humayun Ahmed.

Digital Bangladesh was all about being citizen-centric. Smart Bangladesh goes further—the government is completely of, for, and by the people. All people. Citizens like Sheema are an active member of society, just like you and me. She leads an everyday life, and is able to do everything you and I could. 

This change will be what we call an ultimate demand side response. The concept of “leave no one behind” is often misunderstood. It isn’t providing relief to those in need—the disabled, the marginalized, the minority. It is empowering them with a life where they no longer identify as such. It is a society that does not need tolerance, because everyone truly is equal. 

4. Smart Economy: My village my town

Kajira Begum runs a one-woman fabric shop in Bhanga, Faridpur. Every day, she takes risks, makes decisions, fends off threats, considers her inventory, looks at her checks and balances. She is a mother who provides support to her children, her elderly parents, and the community.

What she also does is use AI to monitor her business, write copies, and post ads. She uses the 3D printing facility at the local UDC to print accessories for her fabrics. Her website uses a chatbot to answer customer questions.

If a smart society is an inclusive society that leaves no one behind, then a smart economy does the same for business. Small business owners like Kajira Begum are no longer deprived of facilities associated with big cities. She has no reason to leave her village to seek greener pastures. Everything she requires to operate a business is within reach.

The four people above do not exist, but they will. Achieving Smart Bangladesh will not be simple; indeed it will be extremely difficult. But much like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a singular goal in mind, the will to achieve it, and the plans to succeed, that is what we must learn from. We have achieved Digital Bangladesh despite all the naysayers. Let us start building Smart Bangladesh, our “Shonar Bangla” and leave no room for naysayers ever again. 

• Investigative Stories
• Entertainment
• Life & Living
• Tech & Startup
• Rising Star
• Star Literature
• Daily Star Books
• Roundtables
• Star Holiday
• weekend read
• Environment
• Supplements
• Brand Stories
• Law & Our Rights

Most Viewed

To protect Dhaka’s future, balance urbanisation with greenscapes

Bus catches fire in Dhaka's Banani

Chief heat officer doesn’t get salary from DNCC: mayor

2 Bangladeshis shot dead in New York

From ‘Digital Bangladesh’ to ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today announced that her government will turn the country into 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041.

"We'll make Bangladesh a developed country by 2041, and that Bangladesh will be a Smart Bangladesh," the prime minister said while attending the inaugural programme of Digital Bangladesh Day 2022 and distributing prizes among the winners of Online Quiz Competition 2022.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

She also said the government has fixed four bases -- smart citizens, smart economy, smart government and smart Society -- to make the country 'Smart Bangladesh'.

"Every citizen will be skilled in using technology, economic activities will run through using technology, government will be (technologically) smart ... we have partially done that. And the whole society will be (technologically) smart," she said.

ICT Division organised the programme at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) with the theme "Advanced Technology Inclusive Development".

State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Post, Telecommunication and ICT Ministry chairman AKM Rahmat Ullah and ICT Division Senior Secretary NM Zeaul Alam also spoke at the programme.

Earlier, the premier distributed prizes among the winners of the quiz competition. Each of the winners received a laptop, mobile phone set and certificate.

A documentary on Digital Bangladesh was also screened at the programme.

Hasina inaugurated Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park in Rajshahi and Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center in Barishal through digital authentication.

She also unveiled a graphic novel based on the life sketch of Sheikh Kamal, and a publication on Digital Bangladesh.

The PM also distributed Digital Bangladesh Award among the winners.

Related News

Don't let them make it a 'country of Rajakars'

Pick projects with quick returns

‘Bangladesh has potential to ship $3 billion semiconductors in five years’

Digital fair kicks off tomorrow

Govt to create over 10 lakh jobs in 5 years: Palak

মৌসুমের সর্বোচ্চ ৪৩ ডিগ্রি তাপমাত্রা চুয়াডাঙ্গায়

যশোরে ৪২.৮ ডিগ্রি সেলসিয়াস তাপমাত্রা রেকর্ড করা হয়েছে।

বৃহস্পতিবার থেকে ঢাকাসহ ৪ বিভাগে বৃষ্টি হতে পারে

Monday April 29, 2024

• Book Review
• TBS Graduates
• Climate Change

Related News

• Laila Sharmeen relives the past in upcoming show ‘Golden Bengal’

Perspective Plan 2041: Golden Bengal as a label for nation branding

Over the next two decades, bangladesh will experience an accelerated pace of change.

The government's Vision 2041, which is a continuation of Vision 2021, aims to carry the development journey of Bangladesh that Bangabandhu had dreamed of – to end absolute poverty and to graduate into a higher middle-income status by 2031 and a developed country by 2041.

The dream of Bangabandhu's "Sonar Bangla/Golden Bangladesh" is not a myth. Perspective Plan 2041 is the instrument to fast track the nation on the development path.

The economy that once was labelled as a "bottomless basket with no hope of survival" has now been globally perceived as a "development miracle". Our government's Vision 2021 and Vision 2041 are two key instruments that have contributed to the country's commendable progress over the past decade.

Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

Eradicating poverty with a view to becoming a developed nation or a "Sonar Bangla" by 2041, Perspective Plan 2041 has been prepared to translate the policies and programmes into development strategies where the main beneficiary will be the people of Bangladesh and they will be the key driving force of growth and transformation.

Growth and equity are two most important factors for sustainable development of any country. Rapid growth will have to be balanced with an emphasis on equitable distribution of the benefits of growth for all, especially the poor and the vulnerable.

Harmonising this interdependent relation between growth and equity, we have prepared Vision 2041 for the accomplishment of that dream and a 20-year perspective plan to attain a pro-people, pro-planet, peaceful, sustainable Bangladesh where no one is left behind the goal.

Perspective Plan 2041 provides the roadmap for accelerated growth and lays down broad approaches for eradication of poverty, inequality, and human deprivation. In the past decade, we have had remarkable success when it comes to socio-economic development.

Over the next two decades, Bangladesh will experience an accelerated pace of change. For instance, Bangladesh will experience a rapid transformation in agriculture, trade and industry, education, healthcare, transportation and communication, etc.

While these goals are pursued with vigour, the Government will ensure that key natural resources like land, water, forestry, natural habitat and air are used in a manner that avoids their depletion and degradation.

Human civilisation is facing the catastrophic Covid-19 pandemic which has caused and is still causing unprecedented socio-economic consequences worldwide.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all countries irrespective of their development status. However, the prudent policy of the government to find the balance between lives and livelihoods ensured that we could absorb the shock. Because of the stimulus package of 14.69 billion dollars till date, which is around 4.4% of our GDP, Bangladesh economy could progress ahead.

In the financial year 2019-2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, our GDP growth rate was only 5.2%. Because of the various successful Government policies, in the last financial year, we achieved the growth rate of 6.1%, which is one of the highest in the world in this period. The expected growth rate for the year 2021-2022 is 7.2%.

The 8th and 9th Five Year plans will play an important role in implementing the Perspective Plan 2041. The 8th Five Year Plan of the government aligns with different social and economic targets that have been forecast in the second Perspective Plan 2021-41.

It covers the development aspirations of the country incorporating the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. So, the Perspective Plan 2041 has the perfect synergy between the government priorities and SDGs. Bangladesh is on track in many of the targets of SDGs.

Bangladesh is one of the climate vulnerable countries. However, despite having multiple constraints, Bangladesh is the first LDC to establish a "Climate Change Trust Fund" from its own resources.

Every year, we ourselves spend about $5 billion on climate adaptation. We are following a low-carbon development path. Our National Solar Energy Action Plan 2021-2041 predicts generation of up to 40 Giga Watt of renewable energy by 2041.

As the second largest exporter of ready-made garments, we are exploring efficient options of circular fashion and textiles as part of the overall circular economy.

Our Delta Plan 2100, a 82-year sustainable development plan focuses on efficient use and preservation of water. The Delta Plan and the Perspective Plan 2041 has a common goal of making Bangladesh an environmentally sustainable nation.

As the president of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the host to the South Asian office of Global Centre on Adaptation, we are promoting the interest of the vulnerable communities and locally led adaptation projects.

Let me also share with you that in spite of all the difficulties, remittance inflow was 10.87% higher in 2019-2020 than the previous year, even during the pandemic.

The Covid-19 situation of course affected Bangladesh's migrants, but the inflow of remittance did not stop.

Moreover, the migrant workers have already sent $20.67 billion of remittances up to April 2021 which is 13.6% more than the previous year's total remittance. The 2% incentives provided by the government for sending remittance in the legal channel had a strong influence on this trend.

As one of the major migrant sending countries in the world with around 12 million people in about 170 countries, Bangladesh receives more than $18 billion as remittances annually. The National Action Plan of National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) 2016-21 suggested keeping the social allowance programme as a continuous activity for migrant workers and their family members.

Additionally, it kept skill development programmes for youth and women as another key programme under the human development cluster. Bangladesh has also introduced mandatory life insurance for migrant workers since December 2019. These factors are an indication of Bangladesh's quest for development.

Given the performance of Bangladesh's economy in the recent past, present prevailing scenario and projections by the reputed international financial institutions, I can say that all indicate a stronger economic prospect for Bangladesh in the upcoming years. However, the future prosperity and economic growth of Bangladesh will be decided by some key issues. Priorities must be fixed by the sector that already contributes to the development of our country.

Let me touch on the issue of our excellent bilateral relation with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been a trusted partner for Bangladesh since the establishment of our diplomatic relations. We need to enhance our image in Saudi Arabia and the labour centric cooperation also needs to be transformed into a comprehensive partnership where mutual economic interests will be the backbone of our cooperation mechanism.

Once we will be able to establish Golden Bengal as a brand, we will automatically be able to transform the basis of our cooperation from human resources to economy and trade.

I have learned that Saudi Arabia has reformed the business, economic and investment opportunities in the Kingdom. Many of our expatriates there could take this opportunity to become entrepreneurs there.

Bangladesh is a market of 165 million people. It has a strategic location between South and SouthEast Asia.

It also offers attractive investment opportunities for foreign investors including from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi side could tap into our public private partnership investment opportunity. We are expecting to sign a MoU very soon with the Saudi side, which will allow Saudi investors to invest under PPP.

Saudi investors could explore other opportunities here. The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) will provide all necessary support for that.

In conclusion, let me flag out that a major shift is taking place in the world economy. However, to gain from this change, we have to prepare ourselves with skills, education, infrastructure, good governance and above all goodwill. 

We have to work together in partnership and need to be fully prepared to overcome the challenges and to grip the opportunities ahead.

I am confident that through our collective efforts, strong coordination and hard work, we will be able to turn Bangladesh into Sonar Bangla as dreamed by the Father of Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Dr AK Abdul Momen is foreign minister of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh / Top News

Perspective Plan 2041 / Golden Bengal / label for nation branding

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

MOST VIEWED

Kraftz’s Colouring Plates: A true escape

Home security products to create a safe haven

China crash involving Huawei-backed Aito electric vehicle kills three

How Huawei diversified business to defy the effects of US sanctions

More videos from tbs.

Dengue could kill 40,000 people in 2024: WHO

How Taiwan is taking advantage of the US-China conflict

Why is China helping Russia despite the risk of US sanctions?

This is a fight to ensure safe food!

Information

• General Information
• Rules of Campus Entry
• Why Study Here
• Convocation
• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Business Administration
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Science and Technology
• Academic Calendar
• Academic Regulations
• Course Catalog
• Tuition Fee
• Faculty List

Partnerships

• Internationalization
• Academic Partners
• Strategic Partners
• Institute of Continuing Education

Accreditations

• The Vice Chancellor
• The Pro Vice Chancellor
• The Chairman
• The Founders
• Institutional Policy
• Center for Research and Excellence
• Office of Controller of Examinations
• Office of Cultural Affairs
• Office of Finance and Audit
• Office of Human Resources
• Office of Placement & Alumni
• Office of Planning & Development
• Office of Probation
• Office of Public Relations
• Office of Registrar
• Office of Sports
• Office of Student Affairs
• Research Groups
• Collaborating Institutes
• Innovations
• Future Students

Seminar on “Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041: The Relevance of Bangabandhu's Dream”

On March 15, 2023, AIUB hosted a seminar titled "Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041: The Relevance of Bangabandhu's Dream" with the keynote paper titled " Vision Smart Bangladesh: The Relevance of Bangabandhu's Dream." It was held in honor of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birthday on March 17 and considering the transformation of Bangladesh's vision to "Smart Bangladesh" based on the success of the vision "Digital Bangladesh."

The keynote speaker, Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Talukdar, Professor of the Faculty of Business Administration, AIUB, mentioned that the bold slogan of Vision 2041, "Smart Bangladesh”, emerged from the accomplishment of Bangladesh's Vision 2021 and the mantra of digitalization along with advanced technology-inclusive development. It is also catalyzed by the global paradigm shift in the convergence of governance and development focused on impact leadership, sustainable development, a knowledge-based society, and the evolving concepts of "smart cities" and the "smart world." He further emphasized that the drive towards Vision 2041 aspires to realize the striving approach to accomplish the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and make Bangladesh a high-income country and a prosperous nation by 2041. The Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041 is more comprehensive, goal-driven, inclusive, and effective than the Digital Bangladesh Vision 2021. The key player in achieving the vision of "Smart Bangladesh" is the young generation of Bangladesh. The ultimate objective of smart Bangladesh is to achieve Bangabandhu’s dream of a Golden Bengal in a smart way in a smart world. It is founded on the four pillars of a smart state: "smart citizens," "smart government," "smart economy," and "smart society." It aims to foster the inclusivity of all people in Bangladesh in this smart endeavor to ensure a decent standard of living for everyone while striving to ensure a prosperous country with a lower Gini coefficient.

Pointing to the relevance of Bangabandhu's Dream, the keynote speaker refers to the essay of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, "Striving to Realize the Ideals of My Father." "It is the indomitable spirit of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that drives us forward, and we dare not rest till we achieve all his dreams," Sheikh Hasina writes in the conclusion of her scholarly writeup, published by MIT Press Direct in its ranked journal "Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization" in 2021. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabandhu, highlights in her 2021 article the specifics of transforming Bangladesh into a sustainable and developed country. She emphasizes how digitalization liberates people from the chains of illiteracy, poverty, corruption, dictatorship, terrorism, and extremism; how it helps realize Bangabandhu's ideals by meeting the people's seven basic needs; and how the nation could develop to a smart level that can guarantee a decent standard of living for everyone.

The lead discussant, Professor Dr. Jebunnessa , Department of Public Administration, Jahangir Nagar University, appreciates the paper and emphasizes the need for conducting more quality research on Bangabandhu like this one. She felt that Bangabandhu’s dream is highly relevant to the vision of "Smart Bangladesh" in a smart world. Thus, she thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, for keeping such an ambitious vision moving forward in a timely manner. The chief guest, O. N. Siddiqua Khanam, Member, the Bangladesh Public Service Commission and Former Secretary of the Bangladesh Government, however, regretted not attending the seminar due to chairing an enviable viva board.

With a vote of thanks, the chair of the seminar, Prof. Dr. Md. Abdur Rahman, Pro-Vice Chancellor of AIUB, expressed gratitude to the keynote speaker, discussants, and houseful audience, including faculty members and young students, at the AIUB auditorium. With reference to the keynote speaker’s discussion question, he explicitly draws attention to the young generation and mentions, "Our generation built digital Bangladesh. And now it's your (the young generation's) turn to transform it into a smart Bangladesh using the digital Bangladesh platform.”

• Online Income
• Make Money Home
• Cryptocurrency
• Paragraph and Essay

Smart Bangladesh Composition | Smart Bangladesh Essay

• Smart Bangladesh Essay

Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered to start the journey to implement this Smart Bangladesh Vision by 2041. 'Smart Bangladesh' means making smart citizens, society, economy and smart government. Activities in education, health, agriculture and financial sectors will be transformed into smart systems.

Context/Background of Smart Bangladesh : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced Vision 2021 with the aim of building an IT-rich Bangladesh in the modern form of Sonar Bangla, the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh has made a revolution in the spread of modern information technology through the implementation of this concept. The speed at which technology has developed in the world is truly incredible. Digital Bangladesh is no longer a dream but a reality. In continuation of this, work has started to transform the country from Digital Bangladesh to 'Smart Bangladesh' by 2041.

Smart Bangladesh on Four Pillars: Initiatives are being taken to build a smart Bangladesh of the future based on four pillars. There will be four pillars to build 'Smart Bangladesh'. Such as Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government and Smart Society. In Smart Bangladesh everything will be done through technology. There the citizens will be proficient in the use of technology and manage the entire economy through it. Government aims to build a cost-effective, sustainable, intelligent, knowledge-based, innovative, smart Bangladesh by 2041.

Smart Bangladesh's Roadmap: The government has changed the name of Digital Bangladesh Task Force to Smart Bangladesh Task Force. Around two lakh schools, land offices, health complexes will be brought under fiber optic by 2025 as part of Smart Bangladesh plan. One student and one laptop will be launched to ensure online participation of students. IT Business Incubator will be developed as a center for the development of talent, intelligence and knowledge of the young generation.Data Security Act, Digital Services Act, Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology (SHIFT) Act, Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA) Act, Agency for Knowledge on Aeronautical and Space Horizon (Akash) Act, Digital Leadership Academy Act and National Startup Policy formulation These issues will be implemented by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Department and the Information Technology Department.</

Conclusion: In continuation of the successful implementation of Digital Bangladesh Vision 2021, the government is now working to build a smart Bangladesh of innovative and knowledge-based economy by 2041 with state-of-the-art power grid, green economy, skill development, recognition of freelancing professions and urban development. Besides, various activities will be digitized. It should be remembered that Smart Bangladesh is not a special political party, it should be the center of thought and thought of 16 crore people of the country.

আরও পড়ুন: 

• স্মার্ট বাংলাদেশ রচনা   
• স্মার্ট বাংলাদেশ অনুচ্ছেদ 
• স্মার্ট বাংলাদেশ ২০৪১ রচনা 
• স্মার্ট বাংলাদেশ ২০৪১ অনুচ্ছেদ 
• Smart Bangladesh Paragraph  
• Smart Bangladesh 2041 Essay
• Smart Bangladesh 2041 Paragraph 
• Load Shedding Paragraph Shortcut Technique to Memorize

Smart Bangladesh 2041

"Smart Bangladesh" is a term that is often used to talk about developing and modernizing Bangladesh, especially with the help of technology. This could include projects to improve infrastructure, make it easier for people to get an education and health care, and help the economy grow. It could also mean using new technologies to make the government and other organizations more efficient and effective, and to improve the quality of life for people.

The government has established four pillars — smart citizens, a smart economy, a smart government, and a smart society — to transform Bangladesh into a "Smart Bangladesh."

In order to make Vision 2041 happen and make the country more developed, the government has set a goal of building a "Smart City" and a "Smart Village" within the time frame. Since the current government has successfully implemented "Vision 2021" and built "Digital Bangladesh," it is now working on developing ultramodern power grids, a green economy and skills, recognizing freelancing as a profession, and urban development in order to build a "Smart Bangladesh" with a merit-based economy by 2041.

The main feature of Smart Bangladesh:

• Make Bangladesh an innovative country with an economy based on knowledge.
• Do self-employment-based training as part of the Digital Inclusion for Venerable Exceptions (Dive) initiative to build a digital society that everyone can be a part of and bring people who have been left behind into the mainstream of development.
• Under the "One Student, One Laptop, One Dream" program, activities to help students with their laptops are still going on so that students can use the Internet.
• Set up the Digital Leadership Academy to make the government smart and everywhere.
• Prepare enterprise-based businesses as start-ups that are good for investors so that they can add to the GDP of small, cottage, small, and medium enterprises.
• Set up an interactive school for future teachers who want to start their own schools (Asset).
• Building the Bangladesh Knowledge Development Park and running it.
• Setting up a center for learning, innovation, and knowledge creation (CLICK).
• Agency for Knowledge on Aeronautical and Space Horizons is set up (Akash).
• Setting up a platform for developing self-employment and entrepreneurship (SED).
• Bring all digital services to a cloud that is tied together in one place. It will be used by every government ministry and department

Using a combination of creativity and technology, the ICT department is providing training to the youth in order to develop a skilled workforce. As part of this initiative, it has been agreed to establish a Motion Graphics Animation Lab at Dhaka University and a second Motion Graphics Animation Lab at ICT Tower within a few days at a cost of Tk 8 crore. The ICT department will assist them in developing world-class games so that they may lead the gaming industry. Noting that the gaming sector is currently larger than Bollywood, the ICT industry is the most important industry in diversifying commerce in order to increase the average income of Smart Bangladesh to Tk 12,000, and millennials are its primary drivers.

To conclude, Bangladesh's focus has recently shifted to the technology sector, which is driving its transition into Smart Bangladesh, powered by a knowledge economy. The country must plan and manage its budgetary allocation to succeed.