Road to digital Bangladesh
Digital Bangladesh (DB) implies a science-based Bangladesh where all activities of governance, commerce, education, health etc. will be processed by information technology. The election manifesto of the Bangladesh Awami League pledged "Vision 2021", i.e. a vision to build a Digital Bangladesh by the year 2021, the year of the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh. This visionary approach of AL's manifesto is considered one of the major factors that attracted a large number of young voters to vote for AL-led grand alliance. Now the making of a ICT-driven society in Bangladesh is a real possibility.
A 'digital country' can have different meanings but generally speaking it would mean an ICT-driven knowledge-based country where all national information and knowledge are available electronically and on-line and where people get a better life free from crime, corruption and misrule.
To make the country digital, highest priority must be given to the education sector. The present education system in the country is not friendly toward "Vision 2021". Bangladesh needs a secular, scientific and unitrack education system instead of existing divided and multi-track system. The primary education is the foundation upon which the 'digital Bangladesh' will be built. It urgently needs major reforms. There are suggestions of various stakeholders in favour of integrated primary education under a unified core curriculum to ensure solid foundation for quality higher education. Emphasis should be given on improvement of quality of teachers through training. The number of primary school going children has been falling over time. Capital investment is not needed at this level and it should be shifted from primary to secondary level. Higher Secondary level can be replaced with 12 years of secondary level education. The university education also needs major reforms. Compared to five in 1971, the country has now thirty public and almost fifty five private universities. But the quality of education has deteriorated instead of improving. The major causes are misuse of autonomy, recruiting unfit teachers, corruption and above all excessive politicisation. Protecting education from politicisation is a must for public universities. For achieving Digital Bangladesh by 2021, English literacy rate should be increased and English needs to be brought back to its earlier position. There is a strong relation between English literacy and ICT development and English is the lingua-franca for ICT.
Today the entire world is gradually becoming a digital world. I think the destination for the new generation is correctly pointed out by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Now her government has to realise that a 'digitally empowered nation' is a vision that can be achieved only through joint efforts by all sectors.
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