E-governance amid C-19

E-governance refers to the virtual governance, to enhance public service delivery. Four stakeholders are involved in the process of e-governance: government, citizen, business sector, employee and vis a vis government. Government services and information should be available via electronic medium and other stakeholders like citizens should have access to electronic medium, to facilitate e-governance initiated by government. Hence, e-governance is not a single process and not only governmental function, capability of all other stakeholders is also inevitable in equal manner.

As e-governance has been emerged as the new dynamic in globalized and developed world, through digitalization and facilitating virtual system in every sector, third world or developing countries are also paying attention to prompt e-governance. Likewise, since the very early of the current century Bangladesh has been trying to facilitate e-governance. Particularly, in 2008 Bangladesh Government set the goals of Digital Bangladesh within 2021, which is mainly focusing on ensuring e-governance.

Global pandemic COVID-19 makes e-governance more inevitable in many ways and for many reasons. Further, COVID-19 period is the touchstone to examine the capability and viability of the e-governance in Bangladesh. While pandemic is directing the whole world towards the e-governance through confronting work from home policies, distance learning, e-services and e-commerce, it is high time to examine the possibility and viability of e-governance in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh have enough potentialities in public and private sectors to trigger e-governance. The increasing institutional capability, infrastructure development and persuasive ICT policies and trainings in recent past show the possibility of the e-governance in Bangladesh. Ministry of Science and Communication Technology, Bangladesh computer Council (BCC), Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) are working together from government part to ensure e-governance, along with private sectors.

Despite of having enough potentialities, some hindrances and challenges are remaining behind the stalemate of the e-governance process in Bangladesh. Cyber-crime, interrupted network, costly data plan, lack of availability of computer accessories, electricity and training facilities and finally corruption and dysfunction are the main challenges to prompt e-governance in Bangladesh.

Firstly, current banking system is the notable example of e-governance in Bangladesh, what has been improved in last few years. We could not imagine today's banking system few years back. Unfortunately, this system is under threat by cyber-attack. Two months back Bangladesh Bank cautioned all bank regarding cyber-attack. Further, $81 million was stolen from the reserved fund of Bangladesh Bank in 2016. Fraud transaction in mobile banking is daily and common incident in Bangladesh.

Secondly, although the generation of mobile network has been developed consequently3G to 5G, but still now many parts of the country are devoid of minimum internet connectivity, let alone 3G or 5G connection. Incident of climbing on tree to chase internet connection is common scenario in rural Bangladesh, some of them are also reported in newspaper. Who have the broad band internet connection, they are also facing the problem of load shedding.

Thirdly, access to the electronic devices of mass people is not ensured yet because of lacking in economic capability of majority people. Due to high customs duty, electronic and computer accessories are more expensive in Bangladesh comparatively. Then, costly data plan is another barrier to make accessible it to common people. On the other hand, who have access in device and data plan most of them are not known with e-governance essentialities. They are able just to make call or social media handling.

And last but not the least, the process of e-governance is being hindered due to unwillingness and sluggishness of administrative personnel, and by so called 'red tape'. E-Governance facilitates transparency, with eradicating scope of corruption. It may speed up in the government activities dramatically, with discounting dysfunction in administrative system. Corruption and dysfunction prone administration is the major catalyst behind the deadlock of e-governance process.

Above all, as Einstein says every crisis lies opportunity. Our government and private sectors have been focusing on capacity building to facilitate e-governance in pandemic period, and many developments have been taking place in health, education and business sector in recent past.

Recently, initiating e-passport system, online ticket booking system in rail department, online appointment for doctor at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University (BSMRMU), initiating online class at University level, supported by the University Grant Commission (UGC) and ability to continue providing the digital national identity card for all citizens indicates the improvement of the e-governance system in Bangladesh.

Finally, the indispensability of e-governance in Bangladesh is burgeoning, particularly to cope with COVID-19 crisis in various sectors and to thrive in the post-COVID world. But study says that Bangladesh still hold fifth position in the state of e-governance, among South Asian countries. Bangladesh is still struggling to cope with infrastructure problems, institutional decay, poverty, corruption and bureaucratic barriers. In this respect, public-private cooperation is highly required to ensure e-governance in Bangladesh.

The writer is working as a Research Coordinator at the Youth Platform for Sustainable Development (YPSD)