Allowing smart Bangladesh to propel us toward new frontiers
Smart Bangladesh is the next step of the Digital Bangladesh vision. The distinction between the two is subtle, but the implications therein are substantial
Bangladesh has always been defined by its unbridled ambition. This is evident in our collective hopes and dreams, and in our visions of what we want to achieve.
From the heroes of the anticolonial movement to the language martyrs, the brave souls who were part of the historic Agartala Case, and the freedom fighters who took up arms under the directive of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the annals of our history are replete with stories and characters that exemplify this trait. This unrivalled drive to ensure a better tomorrow is also reflected in our economic journey.
Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's vision for the next stage of this journey was unveiled last December. It is called Smart Bangladesh. These two words are now at the forefront of public discussion. Newspaper articles, TV interviews, and even memes have been dedicated to the concept.
A task force has been established to ensure that the goal is met by 2041. Smart Bangladesh has well and truly taken over our national narrative. Yet, there is a disconcerting lack of clarity regarding what constitutes a "Smart" Bangladesh.
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To realise the goal, it is critical to first understand what Smart Bangladesh is. It is the next step of the Digital Bangladesh 2021 agenda. The distinction between the two is subtle, but the implications therein are substantial. Digital Bangladesh was about access to technology. It was measured by the proliferation and use of digital services. Policy measures were devised accordingly. Internet access was expanded and mobile phone usage increased dramatically. Initiatives like the Sheikh Russell Digital Lab helped familiarise our children with technology.
In contrast, Smart Bangladesh is concerned with leveraging new technologies. The goal is to harness technology's potential to uplift and unfetter Bangladesh's economy. The indicators will thus shift over time, as will the development narrative.
The end goal is to create a knowledge economy. This will require new metrics such as intellectual property registrations and market capitalisation of startups incubated in the country. Smart Bangladesh also looks to make meaningful contributions to the global technology landscape. This is a broader vision than simply increasing the adoption of technology.
Smart Bangladesh rests upon four critical pillars. The first is the easiest to digest – smart citizens. Yet, this is possibly the hardest of the four to achieve. We must equip Bangladeshis with the appropriate capacity to leverage smart technologies. It necessitates a deep-seated understanding of technology. This is more difficult to bring about than simply adopting technology.
For the younger generation who are coming of age with Vision 2041, smartification can be achieved through bolstering coding and technology-driven learning in school and university curricula. Building an atmosphere that incentivises entrepreneurial zeal should be prioritised. These provisions should be made available across each of the three existing curricula that our children follow.
These authors see no reason why a madrasah student should be excluded from Smart Bangladesh, or why an English medium student would be better prepared for the age of tomorrow. We must also remember that adjusting to a smarter world will be difficult for many of us. There are already fears of substantial job losses. A generation of workers who have invested decades in learning technologies is threatened by obsoletion. Effective labour market policy and, in extreme cases, social protections must be in place for them.
In our march towards smartness, we cannot leave anyone behind. We must urge policymakers to not forget this maxim when designing smart policies. These policies should prioritise smartification for marginalised communities, religious and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, residents of disaster-prone areas, and other historically disadvantaged demographics. Smart technologies should be used to help alleviate their plight. Work must also be done along both the extensive and intensive margins.
We should not be satisfied with merely increasing knowledge of digital technologies for these communities. Capacity must be built with sufficient depth for them to contribute meaningfully to the overall development narrative. A virtuous cycle should be established wherein smart technologies benefit the marginalised, who then contribute towards technological advancement, allowing for further leveraging of technology.
The second pillar focuses on smart societies. This builds on the networking effect reaped by smart citizens. A smart individual will make his community smarter, smart communities will make society smarter, which will empower them to make collective decisions and take collective actions toward achieving a smart Bangladesh.
We must also take the necessary steps towards protecting our citizens in nouveau playpens. We must make the digital world a playground for Bangladeshi society to learn, grow, and build, but we must also provide the necessary safeguards.
The next element is smart government. A smart government is capable of providing the necessary resources, support, and guidance to empower its citizens on the global stage. The government has already implemented technology-enabled initiatives. These include the Government to Person (G2P) system and Aspire to Innovate (A2I) programme.
These initiatives will, of course, be refined and updated, and their effectiveness will improve. Smart Bangladesh challenges us to think broader still. The authors will steer clear of the inspired science that advocates for blockchain-based public finance management and machine learning-based debt forecasting. Rather, we would like to emphasise that smart initiatives can aid the resolution of governance issues that we face today.
Economists have been discussing targeting and exclusion errors in our social security implementation. An integrated management information system has been outlined in the National Social Security Strategy to this end. Smart technologies should be integrated with these initiatives. Smart technologies should also be utilised by local governments in order to effectively deliver critical services to the grassroots.
Historically, these technologies have been imported and adapted to Bangladeshi needs. Yet, the final pillar implores us to start contributing to the global tech landscape. In order to achieve this, a wholesale revamp of our narrative is required. Starting from an early age we need to train our children to think 'if they can do it, we can do it too' instead of the current mindset of adapting new technologies to our needs. Smart Bangladesh should not just be a user of emerging technologies, but an innovator of technology.
Smart Bangladesh is not an inevitability, but it is a necessity. The world is already shifting towards smarter technologies. For example, Tome AI provided research support and outlining for this article, collecting relevant information from the internet and designing the story. Proofreading, copy editing, and tonal suggestions were provided by Quill AI. Traditionally, these tasks would have required an extra couple of hours or an extra pair of hands. Our stopwatch says it took the software 97 seconds.
Smart technologies have already invaded our offices and homes. We must start engaging with frontier technologies to the best of our ability as soon as possible because the fourth industrial revolution has already begun.
When we think of Smart Bangladesh, it would do us good to take a step back and think about what it means. The generation that precedes us, who carried Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's dreams over mountaintops, would be amazed by the sheer potential that Smart Bangladesh embodies. Bangladeshis can now dream of establishing a stronghold on the new world order.
Our next generation, who will come of age with our young nation, hopes to unlock this potential of smart technologies. This generation wants to compete on the global stage. It is our responsibility to empower them to do so. May our true ambition be for them to realise their dreams.
Dr Khaled Shawkat Ali is a Presidium Member of the Bangladesh Awami Jubo League and the Chairman of 71 Foundation. Hridoy Shawkat Ali is the Joint Convener of the Colonel Shawkat Ali Foundation.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
