DHAKA, Dec 31, 2023 (BSS) - Yearlong innovative initiatives of the country's leading digital transformation programme Aspire to Innovate (a2i) have appeared to play a key role in building the foundation to develop a Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

In pursuit of building a Smart Bangladesh and bringing smart services to the doorsteps of the citizens, a2i has launched many smart projects while many of its initiatives and associated projects received over 17 national and international awards in the outgoing year 2023. 

On occasion of Sheikh Russel Day on October 18 this year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated five innovative projects: 'Smart 333,' 'Smart E-Trade License,' the integrated electronic toll collection service 'ekPass,' the student learning and comprehensive evaluation app 'Noipunno,' and the 'Smart Pregnancy Monitoring System' for pregnant women. 

Along with working towards simplifying citizen services and making them more accessible by using modern and integrated information technology, the a2i under the Cabinet Division and ICT Division with support from the UNDP is also making efforts to develop services tailored to the specific needs of individual citizens.

Elucidating the a2i's yearlong activities to make citizen services more accessible and user-friendly, Communications and Outreach Consultant of a2i Adnan Faisal said the virtual assistant app 'Sathi' has been introduced as an initiative to assist in achieving Smart Bangladesh vision that will provide information on government services digitally.

The MyGov platform was introduced, consolidating all public services under a single umbrella and 209 government services were digitized in the outgoing year, he added. 

Since the a2i has helped transform century-old methods of information dissemination, service delivery, financial transactions, and administrative activities into a timely and technology-driven processes, Adnan said successful implementation of the vision 'Digital Bangladesh' has laid the foundation for building the Smart Bangladesh based on four pillars - Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government and Smart Society. 

Here is a glimpse of a2i's yearlong efforts towards building Smart Bangladesh below.

Earning ISO certificate for Procurement Process:
a2i's Procurement Management achieved the International Standards Organization (ISO) certificate for its outstanding contribution in improving buyer-supplier relationships and increasing efficiency in the private sector with a view to improving transparency and quality in the government procurement process.

Accessibility Guidelines:
 As the a2i is at the forefront of ensuring digital services accessible to all including people with disabilities, the government has formulated the 'Digital Service and Web Designing Guideline for Inclusive Accessibility 2022', simplifying the way to achieve the goal. 

National Innovation Agency:
The a2i is poised to be a full-fledged agency as the 'Agency to Innovate (a2i) Bill 2023' was passed in the parliament in July this year, ushering in a new era of technological innovation in the country. As an innovation intermediary, it will advance new, mission-driven policies while continuing its 'whole-of-government' approach to achieving the SDGs and achieving Smart Bangladesh.

e-Quality Center for Inclusive Innovation: 
a2i was globally acclaimed for its proactive steps to reduce digital divide by establishing the 'e-Quality Center for Inclusive Innovation', envisioning a world with zero digital divide. This centre, a collaborative effort of a2i, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ICT Division and the UNDP, was formally launched during the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25 this year. Earlier, a worldwide campaign named Zero Digital Divide (#ZeroDigitalDivide) was launched aimed at minimizing digital inequality across the globe. 

To attain the goal, the e-Quality Centre has introduced the International ICT Innovation (I-3) Matching Fund that has already provided financial assistance to five countries: Gambia, Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, and Ghana.

DPI-AI International Conference: 
A two-day international conference Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) was organized under the auspicious initiative of the a2i this year with a view to creating an ecosystem to reach citizen services to individual level. It emphasized on creating an inclusive and digitally equitable world through the optimal use of DPI and artificial intelligence (AI). The conference was featured with the significant 'Dhaka Declaration 2023,' that outlined 10 point-action to reduce digital divide and strengthen DPI and AI.

a2i for Innovation: 
As part of its regular activities to encourage building a culture of innovation in the country, a2i organized 'Rocketry Innovation Challenge-2022' and awarded innovators for innovative ideas like smart meters and sub-meters for water usage in households and industries, monitoring vital physical data during pregnancy using digital methods for pregnant women and creating customized letters for government office documents. 

Blended Education:
As blended education has appeared as indispensable for shaping Smart Bangladesh, in May this year, the a2i in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Education Ministry organized an international consultation aimed at implementing an inclusive blended education system.

a2i during Disaster:
The national helpline 333 developed by the a2i stood by the people when the powerful cyclone 'Mocha' approached the country's coasts and provided 24-hour service. The toll-free helpline service provided information related to the cyclone, alert signals, weather updates, and emergency assistance. During this crisis, the helpline received 1.4 million calls related to 'Mocha,' and more than 34 thousand calls were made specifically for disaster assistance.

National and International Achievements:
Apart from achieving recognition at the national level, a2i was honoured with a number of international awards this year. It was conferred with the prestigious 'World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize-2023' for the 'COVID-19 Telehealth Center initiative. Besides, a2i's 'ekShop' platform was awarded the 'SDG Digital Game Changer Award' by the United Nations for its contribution to extending e-commerce while the a2i was recognized with the 'WITSA 2023 Global Innovation and Technology Excellence Awards' for its skill development and education excellence through online platforms like 'National Intelligence Employment and Entrepreneurship (NISE)' and 'MuktoPaath.'