Digitalisation of State Services in Bangladesh

Abstract

The government-led digital strategy in Bangladesh began well before the Covid-19 pandemic; the pandemic itself simply accelerated the digitalisation of public services globally. This report examines digital innovations across essential public services in Bangladesh, particularly those spurred on by the Covid-19 pandemic. It highlights major accountability and access outcomes, especially for marginalised groups across different capacities, identities, and geographic regions. The report looks at digitalisation experiences in key areas, including education, health, social protection, accountability, and addressing violence against women. While the pandemic accelerated these efforts, it also revealed persistent digital inequalities in terms of access, capacity, and structural factors such as human capital, political economy, and social and cultural norms. Rather than framing technology as an automatically efficiency-enhancing tool, the report illustrates on the ground realities and constructs a more nuanced perspective. It positions technology as an enabler in realising better futures together, while also underscoring challenges around digital rights and government oversight. The report calls for deliberative approaches in designing digital public services, enabling digital ethics in regulation, and gathering critical data on minority groups, connectivity, and actual digital service users. This frames technology as part of a broader, inclusive development agenda, rather than an ends in itself.