Adoption of digital signature emphasised for digital economy

The implementation of digital signature technology is vital for the country's journey to become a digitally empowered nation, said top business leaders and bureaucrats in an online event Sunday.

"A digital signature is a specific type of signature that is backed by a digital certificate, providing proof of your identity and provides the highest level of identity assurance when dealing with digital documents," Shahina Parven, deputy controller, Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) said at the webinar jointly organised by Digital Finance Forum Bangladesh and Aspire to Innovate (a2i) program of the ICT Division.

"Digital signature was introduced in 2009 under the ICT Act, 2006 and it will gradually spread over the whole country," she added

The Business Standard was the media partner of the event, moderated by Md Tohurul Hasan, Digital Financial Service Specialist of a2i Programme.

Syed Mahbubur Rahman, managing director & CEO, Mutual Trust Bank Limited, "After Covid, customers prefer to do everything digitally and digital signature will help to do banking digitally."  

The panellists discussed the benefits of digital signature for Bangladesh, such as reducing the cost of paper-based transactions and streamlining the process of document authentication.

They also highlighted the opportunities for digital signature technology to create a more secure environment for online transactions.

Sabbir Hussain, DMD & chief operating officer, Brac Bank Ltd, discussed the challenges of implementing digital signature in Bangladesh, such as the lack of awareness among the general public and the need to update existing laws and regulations.

The panellists further recommended that the government and private sector work together to create an enabling environment for the adoption and implementation of digital signature technology.