Building Smart Bangladesh through year-round innovative-a2i initiatives

The implementation of Digital Bangladesh has laid the foundation for building a Smart Bangladesh. This initiative has successfully transformed information, services, transactions, and government systems into a technologically advanced and timely framework. However, Smart Bangladesh aims to take this progress even further by embracing more modern technology, inclusivity, and integration. On December 12 in 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the ambitious goal of constructing Smart Bangladesh by 2041, with four key pillars: smart citizen, smart economy, smart government, and smart society. Over the course of 18 years, from 2023 to 2041, we will embark on a journey towards achieving Smart Bangladesh.

The ‘Aspire to Innovate- (a2i)’ programme, led by the Cabinet Department and the Department of Information and Communication Technology, and supported by UNDP, has been instrumental in driving various innovative initiatives to provide modern, inclusive, and accessible citizen services. Additionally, a2i has been dedicated to tailoring services to meet the individual needs of citizens. This commitment to innovation has earned a2i and its initiatives more than 17 national and international awards, recognizing their excellence in technology-based services.

National and International Recognition
A2I's Covid-19 Telehealth Centre initiative was honoured with the prestigious UN World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Award-2023, recognizing its outstanding achievements in the field of IT on a global scale and was awarded a2i's initiative 'ekShop' as the champion in the 'Game Changer for Prosperity' category presented with the United Nations SDG Digitalfor its commendable efforts in bridging the gap between rural and urban areas by providing e-commerce services to remote regions of the country. The National Intelligence Employment and Entrepreneurship (NICE) and ‘Muktapath' platform were honoured with the WITSA 2023 Global Innovation and Technology Excellence Awards, acknowledging their remarkable contributions in upskilling and educating millions of individuals through online platforms within the country.

A2I was also bestowed with the National Human Welfare Medal-2021 for its remarkable dedication towards enhancing the welfare, quality of life, employment opportunities, inclusive education, and social protection of individuals with disabilities and neuro-developmental disabilities. At the 5th Bangladesh Innovation Award-2023, Teacher Window, Multimedia Talking Book, Accessible Dictionary, Covid-19 Telehealth Centre, SDG Tracker, Digital Strategy Design Lab (DSDL), and YouthWindows were recognized as the top innovations. Additionally, ‘Sathi' Network received the esteemed Special Honour Award in the Women's Digital Financial Inclusion category from BIGD.

Procurement Management ISO Certification
A2I has always been committed to cultivating strong buyer-supplier relationships and optimizing the private sector's effectiveness. Its primary objective is to enhance transparency and improve the quality of the government procurement process. This year, a2i was awarded the International Standards Organization (ISO) certificate for its outstanding achievements in procurement management and related endeavors.

Accessibility guidelines
A2i's pioneering approach to providing digital services for individuals with disabilities is setting the standard. Through their unwavering commitment, the government has developed a set of accessibility guidelines.


Agency to Innovate (a2i)-2023 bill passed in Parliament
The parliament has recently passed the 'Agency to Innovate (a2i)-2023' bill, which aims to establish a dedicated agency for the a2i project. This agency will be responsible for creating a service system that is user-friendly and promoting an innovative culture within the country. The a2i project was initiated in 2009 under the Prime Minister's Office with (initially named ‘Access to Information- a2i') programme with the goal of implementing digital Bangladesh. It received funding from the United Nations Development Programme-UNDP. In 2018, the prime minister directed that a2i be implemented as a project under the Department of Information and Communication Technology and the Cabinet Department. In 2020, the project was renamed as 'Aspire to Innovate (a2i)' and will soon begin its journey as a policy agency in the IT sector.

E-Quality Centre for Inclusive Innovation (Global Campaign: Zero Digital Divide)
This year has witnessed a2i's remarkable strides in the realm of innovation, transcending national boundaries. a2i is actively engaged in global endeavors to bridge the digital divide. In pursuit of this objective, the E-Quality Center for Inclusive Innovation has been inaugurated. Collaboratively led by the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Division, Department of Information and Communications, UNDP, and a2i, the 'E-Quality Center for Inclusive Innovation' initiative was officially launched by Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen on September 25 at a prestigious event during the 78th UN General Assembly in New York. This initiative endeavors to introduce groundbreaking measures to tackle the global digital divide.

A worldwide initiative called Zero Digital Divide (#ZeroDigitalDivide) has been launched to combat digital inequality across various nations. This global campaign revolves around the establishment of the e-Quality Centre, aiming to eliminate the digital divide entirely. By fostering the exchange of technological advancements and innovative practices, the campaign seeks to raise awareness about the importance of inclusive and sustainable digital systems in underdeveloped countries worldwide.

The e-Quality Center has established the ‘International ICT Innovation (I-3)’ Matching Fund to address the digital divide in technologically disadvantaged nations. In addition to promoting knowledge exchange, this fund has already provided financial grants and technical assistance to five countries: The Gambia, Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, and Ghana.

International Conference on DPI and AI
A2I pioneered the recognition of the significance of establishing ecosystems such as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to bring citizen services to the individual level amidst technological advancements within the nation. In October, an international conference was held, gathering numerous national and international experts. The purpose of this conference was to foster the development of an inclusive and digitally empowered world by leveraging the potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As a result of this two-day event, the pivotal 'Dhaka Charter 2023' was unveiled, outlining 10 key initiatives in the technology sector. This Charter primarily focuses on enhancing DPI and AI to bridge the digital divide.

Innovative initiatives
Throughout the year, numerous smart innovations and initiatives have been implemented in collaboration with a2i to provide convenient services to the people of the country. On the occasion of Sheikh Russell Day in October, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated five innovative initiatives. These initiatives include the National Helpline Smart Service on 333, the Smart E-Trade License, the Integrated Electronic Toll Collection Service-Ekpass, the Student learning and summative assessment app-craft, and the Smart Pregnancy Monitoring System for pregnant women. Additionally, the Bangla virtual assistant app 'Sathi' has been introduced to enhance the accessibility and user-friendliness of civic services. The mygov platform (mygov.bd) has been launched, incorporating over 600 government services to ensure a centralized address for all government services. This includes 27 services under the Citizen Charter of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, 146 services under various offices and organizations, 59 services under the Citizen Charter of Dhaka District Administration, four services of the National Media Institute, and other services provided by field administration. Furthermore, a smart career guidance network has been established on the NISE platform (nise.gov.bd) in collaboration with more than 50 public and private higher education institutions in the country. This network has already provided career guidance on entrepreneurship development, freelancing, and employment to over 50,000 students. Additionally, the 'Employment and Entrepreneurship' platform has included over 60,000 students from the National University, creating employment opportunities for more than 10,000 students. Moreover, more than 500,000 youths have joined NICE, a matchmaking platform for skills and employment, resulting in employment opportunities for over 100,000 skilled youths.

A2I in Innovation
A2I has been hosting Innovation Challenge contests to foster a culture of innovation and address current issues through innovative solutions. This year, the competition focused on various innovative initiatives such as the Smart District Innovation Challenge, which aimed to develop ideas for improving districts; the Rocketry Innovation Challenge, which sought ideas for rocket manufacturing within the country; the creation of smart meters and sub-meters for domestic and industrial water usage; the digital monitoring of vital physical data of pregnant women; and the Innovation Challenge competition that aimed to generate innovative ideas for designing customized letterheads for government office documents and increasing women's involvement in financial transactions at an institutional level.

International Consultation on Blended Education
Blended education plays a crucial role in shaping a smart Bangladesh, and there is no substitute for it. A2I has taken the initiative to foster discussions on the vast potential of blended education in developing a skilled workforce and generating market-driven employment opportunities. In May, an international consultation was held, bringing together stakeholders from various sectors, including government, private organizations, and development aid agencies. The objective was to collaborate and implement an inclusive blended education system. This consultation, organized by the Ministry of Education in partnership with the World Economic Forum and a2i, aimed to raise awareness and ensure the full effectiveness of the blended education system by integrating both public and private institutions. The ultimate goal is to align the country's education system with the demands of the fourth industrial revolution and keep pace with the developed world.

National Emergency Hotline 333
During the country's devastating disaster, the national helpline 333 stood by the people, offering support and assistance. The helpline operates around the clock, providing essential information on the powerful cyclone 'Mokha' heading towards the coast. Not only does this helpline offer vital cyclone updates, warning signals, and weather messages, but it also provides emergency aid through its toll-free call service. Remarkably, during this crucial period, the helpline has received a staggering 1.4 million calls related to 'Mokha' and over 34,000 calls for disaster assistance.