Soon after coming into office, the interim government had made its intention to look into the development works undertaken by the previous administration clear. That there would be stocktaking across the board was expected and the present government has already formed various committees to look into projects belonging to different ministries and departments. In line with that decision, a committee has been formed to examine the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) programmes the erstwhile government had taken up under the aegis of 'Digital Bangladesh'. Over the years, domestic media has exposed various irregularities in ICT division. The same can be said of the various think tanks (both domestic and international) and policy critiques who have highlighted wrongdoings by this division and its subsidiaries over the course of the past 15 years. Since billions of Taka have been spent from the national exchequer in the name of "development" in the digital sphere, the formation of the committee is a welcome piece of news.
According to a report published in this paper last week, "The committee has already held its first meeting, which was attended by representatives from various key organisations, including the Hi-Tech Park Authority, a2i Project, and the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC). However, representatives from the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Department (IMED) and the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), responsible for evaluating government procurement, were absent, as their respective officials are yet to be selected."
The mandate of this committee is straightforward. It will investigate potential instances of corruption and then the authorities will decide where to go from there. The committee's formation is also a departure from the past. There is a technical expert who is a member and one who can assess precisely what progress (or lack thereof) has been made in the 22 ongoing ICT projects running under the FY 2024-25. There have been questions about the manner in which public procurement was done, whether rules were adhered to in concluding public-private partnerships (PPP), reservations expressed on the quality of audits on completed projects, etc.
One major criticism had been the manner in which the construction of hi-tech parks around Bangladesh was done. Serious concerns had been expressed about the manner of site selection and about whether proper feasibility studies had been conducted prior to their construction. Ultimately, some were finished, but only a fraction of envisaged companies moved there. The idea of an "ICT hub" replete with infrastructure and digital services was questioned. Sadly, many things were totally left out of the equation. People expect a certain level of quality of living in terms of schooling for children, entertainment, ease of access (communication) and since these were not priority areas, these projects didn't achieve their primary goals - to become centers of attraction for foreign direct investment (FDI). Even many local companies didn't bother to relocate.
Similarly, there was much consternation about the way consultants were hired to spearhead the ICT division. Again, the question of procedural irregularities had been raised which were ignored by then-government. Indeed, this division had been the den of irregularities but one that got very large allocations of public money in every single budget since 2010. Although the committee has not set any timeline, yet is expected to work swiftly and efficiently in the national interest. Hence, it is all the more crucial that the committee go through the books minutely to uncover all financial and procedural irregularities. Unnecessary projects need to be shelved, corruption-riddled projects need to be identified and those responsible be held accountable. Ultimately, the ICT division has to be turned into a body where accountability and transparency in budgeting and operation is ensured.
