a2i marks a year of breakthroughs in citizen-centric public service delivery

 
Aspire to Innovate (a2i) closes 2025 with significant strides in expanding citizen-friendly digital services, strengthening public service management, promoting inclusive innovation, enhancing skills, and advancing a knowledge-driven society.
Now over two decades old, the initiative began in 2004 as the 'Strengthening the ICT Capacity of Prime Minister's Office'. It was restructured in 2006 as Access to Information (a2i) with support from UNDP and the Government of Bangladesh, before being renamed Aspire to Innovate in 2020. Over the years, a2i has worked closely with ministries and public agencies to make government services simpler, faster, and more responsive to people's needs, says a press release. 
Under the leadership of the Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, guided by his Special Assistant and supported by a2i's technical expertise, the 'Nagorik Sheba Bangladesh' initiative made notable progress this year. More than 1,000 entrepreneurs were trained, and over 500 citizen service centres were launched across the country to ensure easier access to government services from cities to remote communities.
A major milestone in 2025 was the addition of 168 new services to the myGov integrated service gateway, along with improvements to existing services. This boosted public interest in online service delivery and streamlined end-to-end processing from application submission to final service delivery. myGov operations were also expanded to all 64 District Commissioner offices. Currently, 32 services are delivered through 111 digitised forms, with plans for steady expansion.
One of the most visible improvements for citizens was the online document attestation service, e-Apostille. After Bangladesh joined the Hague Apostille Convention in July 2024, the service was operationalised through the Integrated Online Attestation Management System. This year alone, it processed over 1.8 million online applications-cutting queues, reducing repeat visits, lowering dependence on intermediaries, and saving an estimated BDT 500-700 crore.
To improve digital access in tourism, myGov e-ticketing was launched at Lalbagh Fort on 30 June and at the National Botanical Garden on 12 November. More than 300,000 tickets have been issued so far, generating over BDT 1 crore in government revenue. Plans are underway to expand e-ticketing to additional tourist destinations nationwide.
The integrated bill payment platform EkPay handled over BDT 900 crore in transactions this year, enabling convenient online payment of government fees and utility bills-including electricity, water, gas, education fees, and city corporation services. It also onboarded 18 new services from 322 institutions.
To make government information more accessible, the National Portal Framework 2.0 was launched. More than 36,000 websites under 52,000 government offices have been upgraded to the new version, with annual citizen engagement now exceeding 3 billion visits. Meanwhile, the National Helpline 333 responded to over 2.6 million calls providing essential service information.
In support of justice sector digitalisation, a2i provided technical assistance in expanding e-Cause List, Judicial Portal, e-Court, and Mobile Court operations. This has reduced unnecessary travel and made legal information more accessible. At the same time, D-Nothi and the Report Management System (RMS) were further integrated to accelerate administrative decision-making. Through D-Nothi, over 158,000 officials across 17,000 offices issued more than 1.5 million electronic letters, while RMS facilitated the preparation of more than 17,000 government reports.
Data-driven decision-making also advanced through the National Dashboard, SDG Tracker, and Health and Sanitation Data Systems. This year, real-time dashboards were developed for 33 agencies. Data leadership training, institutional capacity development, demand-driven analytics, and improved visualisation have strengthened government's ability to use data effectively and paved the way for greater system interoperability.
In education and skills development, a2i supported the rollout of mandatory ICT courses across the National University and its affiliated colleges. The MuktoPaath e-learning platform digitised government training, reducing time and cost while improving access. Meanwhile, the She-STEM initiative encouraged greater participation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
To make public services more citizen-focused, Know Your Customer (KYC) assessments of 15 major services were completed, e-Participation activities expanded, and citizen-friendly service workbooks initiated for each ministry and department. 
Innovation culture continued to grow through district-level innovation challenges, including initiatives like Vromonika-a travel guide app launched by Cox's Bazar DC office that provides information on tourist spots, accommodation, transport, weather, and emergency services on a single platform. The service will be expanded to other tourist destinations countrywide in phases.
A major leap in transport services came with the pilot launch of D-Toll, an automatic toll payment platform enabling cashless, faster, and safer toll collection across roads, bridges, and expressways. The pilot on the Padma Bridge, launched on 15 September with support from the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, has already registered 3,000 vehicles, processed BDT 1.5 crore in transactions, and onboarded six financial institutions.
Looking ahead to 2026, a2i has outlined a comprehensive plan to expand service coverage, strengthen reliability, and enhance institutional capacity. Key priorities includes ensuring full adoption of D-Nothi across all government offices; adding 80 new digital services to myGov; developing national dashboards for all ministries and divisions; expanding D-Toll as a unified national system; converting higher secondary textbooks into multimedia talking books for visually impaired students; supporting the National Innovation Repository and National Innovation Policy; providing digital empathy training to improve public service delivery; and establishing innovation hubs in universities.