Govt plans paperless offices soon
FAISAL MAHMUD
The government has undertaken a project that will make all its offices paperless and truly digital by the end of next year, sources with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division said.
The project is part of the governments BanglaGovNet initiative, under which the government is trying to ensure e-governance at all levels. Talking to The Independent, State Minister for ICT, Junaid Ahmed
Palak, said that the ICT Division is already in consultation with the Korean government to initiate the project of making all government offices paperless.
He said a secured digital signature system will be introduced so that all information and official letters could be exchanged among various government offices and entities electronically. Its not far when all government work will be done in a true digital manner. Terming it as a new era in the public administration, the minister said that government offices can exchange information and official letters digitally. Only a few years ago, the very thought of government offices exchanging official orders through emails with each other was impossible. Now its a reality, said the minister.
On June 23 last year, which is celebrated as the International Public Service Day, the ICT advisor to the Prime Minister, Sajeeb Wajed Joy, handed over tabs to 25,000 government officials. It was done to give government officials an orientation to the digitisation process and connectivity.
He said that with the digital infrastructure laid out, the infamous procrastination in the government has been reduced. Technology has reduced corruption. We have provided IP telephones in all the district offices and one upazila in each of those districts. These phones are like the red telephones of the minister as one can directly reach the Deputy Commissioners (DC) and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO)s using them.
About the governments latest initiative to fulfil the dream of Digital Bangladesh, officials at different levels have expressed satisfaction. Talking to The Independent, Mahbub Hasan Shahinm, UNO of Trishal upazila of Mymensingh, said his office in Tishal is now in constant touch with the ministry in Dhaka. I have already started exchanging official information thorough emails. I also have video conferencing equipment. The entire working environment in the office now has changed.
Mostafa Kamal, ADC of Gazipur, said the best part of interconnectivity is the ability to access information of other ministries. For efficient administration, you need to have access to information. An interconnected network among the government offices has been able to provide that.
Some of the UNOs and ADCs, however, said that they havent been able to avail of the full benefit of this digital infrastructure yet. One UNO told The Independent that his upazila office has received the video conferencing equipment and IP telephone, but he doesnt know how to use it properly. Mohammad Hemayet Uddin, UNO of Kalkini upazila of Madaripur, said most of the governments official letters are still exchanged in paper format. Initially, we exchanged some emails, but ultimately in most cases we still need to send paper mails.
He said that it will take time and a coordinated effort to establish e-governance culture in the government. The present government has honest intentions of doing that, and I believe it will become a reality soon.
