The Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Programme’s Disability Innovation Lab (DIL) in Bangladesh is a remarkable initiative that aligns with the vision of building a Smart Bangladesh by 2041. It leverages technology and innovation to empower people with disabilities and create a more inclusive society.

Context

As part of the broader Smart Bangladesh 2041 vision, a2i’s Disability Innovation Lab (DIL) focuses on addressing the challenges faced by people with disabilities through technological advancements and innovative solutions. By actively engaging with individuals with disabilities, disability rights organizations, and other stakeholders, the lab identifies their needs and

For more – Disability Innovation Lab

With the establishment of over 9394 Digital Centres countrywide, the average distance that rural citizens need to travel to access government services has come down to a walking distance, approximately 4 km.

Read More – https://a2i.gov.bd/digital-centres/

‘Ma’ is Bengali for mother. Launched in June 2020, the Ma-Telehealth Center enables expecting mothers and lactating women with newborns can receive consultations from certified doctors, counselling services, e-prescriptions, and follow-up health services. In case of emergency medical conditions (requiring immediate medical advice, ambulance and hospitalization support), a call centre operator ensures end-to-end support for the mother until she is out of danger.

As the launch date suggests, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted the initiation of this dedicated telehealth service as movement restrictions made it difficult for many pregnant and lactating mothers to physically access health care facilities. Moreover, many women preferred not to seek traditional healthcare services or physically visit clinics due to the fear of themselves being infected with the coronavirus or transmitting it to their unborn babies.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted an already overstretched court system in Bangladesh. More than 80 percent of all detainees are pre-trial detainees and health restrictions and lockdowns made physical court hearings nearly impossible. Meanwhile, jails and juvenile detention centers were filled to the brim. Overcrowding made physical distancing and personal hygiene practices difficult and put each prison at considerable risk of becoming a COVID hotspot.

Within 12 days of the Honorable President of Bangladesh issuing an ordinance introducing virtual courts, a2i repurposed a digital decision support system called ‘Nothi’ – which was already in use in nearly 12,000 government offices ensuring faster processing of citizens’ applications for services through the electronic movement of files across different administrative layers – to the context of a court.

During the months from May to June 2020, a2i trained thousands of judges, lawyers and court officials on the online system. During that time, 42,894 bail applications were received; 14,911 virtual hearings were held; and 10,523 people, including women inmates, were released on bail. This helped reduce the prison population by 11.95% in three months, a record in Bangladesh’s history.

Lower courts and tribunals across the country again cleared 137,330 bail hearings in 46 days in the midst of the second wave of COVID-19 which appeared in April 2021.

MyGov is a single, central platform that not only brings the digital services from all ministries onto one app, but also features all auxiliary services such as online payments.

MyGov allows citizens to look for service applications and information regarding services. It allows users to complete service applications, know the status of service delivery as well as make necessary payments. ‘333’, the National Service Access Helpline, is also integrated within the app. This helps users without internet access get information and request services and can even be used to locate the nearest Digital Centre.

‘333’ Bangladesh’s National Service Access Helpline, is a voice-enabled platform for citizens with low literacy and familiarity with technology. A farmer, for example, could dial 333 from even a low-cost mobile phone or landline and ask for a service. It also serves as a means for reporting grievances.

333 is designed to enable millions of people without smart phones (two-thirds of the Bangladeshi population). It takes advantage of the fact that our country of 163 million, now boasts around 180.25 million mobile phone connections and 90 million unique subscribers. According to a recent survey by LIRNEasia, Bangladesh has the highest percentage of mobile phone usage in South Asia. While smartphone penetration is currently at 41 per cent, it is commonplace for even a casual rickshaw puller or marginal farmers, the poorest of the social segment, to use regular feature phones not only for social interactions but also for money transfer.

Pioneered in 2018, it provides numerous types of assistance with nearly 73+ million calls received since its launch. During the pandemic induced lockdowns, it was repurposed to provide vital food relief and telehealth services to vulnerable citizens; forward calls to field administration; and prevent child marriages in collaboration with district and sub-district administration.

The National Portal was designed to bring over 51,528 government offices and literally thousands of application forms to the myriad citizen-facing services they provide onto one single web address, www.bangladesh.gov.bd. The forms are editable and can be submitted online.

The National Portal has been one of the chief initiatives of the Bangladesh Government in its endeavor to establish e-governance. It is the foundational initiative towards streamlining the free flow of information to the public from the Union Council (the lowest administrative tier in Bangladesh) to the Ministry level. Launched in 2007, the step to integrate portals for all 64 districts of the country in 2010 expedited the goal of uniting all government services under one platform. The mobile-friendly National Portal offers a convenient channel to obtain information from public offices without hassle. This saves time, cost and number of visits for citizens. Over 150,000 citizens access the portal each day. They can avail one of 685 e-services or access information from the 33,312 websites with 9.5 million thematic contents that the portal offers.

The National Portal has significantly supplemented citizens’ access to information and government services.

a2i established the Sathi network, a dedicated women-led agent network spanning across the country, to ensure convenient access to financial services for marginalized women at the last mile. Women agents in rural areas foster a sense of trust and comfort among female customers, enabling them to engage more confidently in financial transactions. The gender-specific intervention promotes financial inclusion and empowering un/underbanked women in a safe and supportive environment.

For more – https://a2i.gov.bd/sathi-network

One-stop service point for the expatriates

According to data from the Bangladesh government’s Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) and the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), approximately 2 million unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers from Bangladesh seek employment opportunities abroad each year. As these prospective migrants prepare for their journey, they must collect a diverse set of essential documents and undergo fundamental training.

For more – https://a2i.gov.bd/expatriate-help-desk