How Digital Bangladesh can help reduce hassles

On the 1st day of each month, I sit with the computer to pay all monthly bills through online. Here in Canada, every bank has set up its internet banking. Internet banking is convenient, easy and 100% secure. Again, at the end of each month, I sit with the computer to pay all credit card bills through online. This saves me the transport cost and time.
Initially, I was hesitant to pay all bills through online. My concern then was whether the money went to the right department or not. After paying the bills online, I used to call Hydro office (Electricity department) to find out whether they have received it or not. After looking through my account, they confirmed me. Then, I called the Municipality office to find out whether they have got the payment for Tax or not. They also confirmed me.
Slowly, I gave up telephoning every office to find out my payment. Then the bank advised me that instead of paying every month through online, I can authorize bank to pay on my behalf. This is called PAP (Pre-authorized payment) plan and it does not cost any fee. In this way, it makes our life simple and easy. What a relief! As in Bangladesh I do not have to line up in a queue to pay my utility bills in any office or go to the bank. I am saving time and money.
My son who is studying at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada has a few online subjects. He does not need to attend the classes physically. He completes that subject from home and thus saves time and money. I am sure that it can be introduced in any Bangladesh university.
Here in Canada, most of the offices have turned paperless. A paperless office uses less physical space when bulky filing cabinets are eliminated or reduced. In a paperless office, electronic storage and e-mails replace the need to print and mail documents to clients, which reduces expenses by lowering the investment in reams of paper. The chances of losing important documents are virtually eliminated when scanned and filed electronically and it is quick to find documents in an electronic system. The potential of misfiling documents in a paper based system is high.
If Bangladesh Government starts using paperless filing, much money and time will be saved. The efficiency of the employees will also increase.
Another important development of technology is MPOS (Mobile Point of Sale) system. MPOS banking solution means any transfer of funds which is initiated by a person to a bank to debit or credit on account maintained with that bank through electronic means and includes a mobile point of sale device. It can be used to deposit or draw cash from MPOS, pay utility bills and other delivery channels. This helps to reduce cash transaction or carrying cash. MPOS helps the small traders. All we need to have a debit or credit card.
Information Technology (IT) is a gift to mankind. Every day, new technology is coming to the market and it is being offered at cheaper cost than the previous one. So we should use new innovative technology in our daily life to save time and money.
Let us see how things have developed in our country - Bangladesh - over the years. Hon'ble Prime Minister has already implemented her dream of "Digital Bangladesh". I believe that many computers and smart phones are in the markets and these have been introduced a number of Apps, but how much have we done to reduce the suffering of our people from  lining  up in the banks, utility offices and government offices to do our work? Most of the offices in Canada are web-based. So for any query or complaint, the customer service is available to answer that. They are very helpful including the Income Tax office. They say that if there is a problem, they are working for you to sort out or solve the problem. Because of their good attitude, Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) collects yearly 300 billion dollar.
Digital Bangladesh can help us to reduce the hassle and suffering and can save a large sum of money if it is introduced and coordinated properly.
I can place here a few suggestions:
1) Bangladesh Bank can easily introduce online banking (internet banking) immediately. Not only that, Bangladesh Bank can introduce both digital and physical authentication in all documents and bank notes to save from fraudulence.
Authentication is a new intelligent technology which has come to the market. This Authentication Industries (AI) technology can replace Chip card, RFID tags, Encoder, Decoder, Biometric hardware. AI has integrated in one system the exactly same functionalities as of RFID chip or smartcard. On the top, it saves money to the final customer, consumer and citizen.
By introducing AI technology, Bangladesh can not only generate earning and large savings, but also secure the authentication of all ID cards, passports, customs declarations, certificates, valuable documents, bank notes and exportable products or manufactured products from all kinds of fraudulence.
This AI technology helps to find whether the ID card is genuine plus that the information content is correct and not falsified plus the holder is right one. What is most interesting is that by checking this ID card by a smart phone the authority can generate revenue. This new technology is a money making machine. The ICT Ministry can start introducing it by beginning with ID cards, all products going for export and all important documents.
The writer, now residing in Waterloo, Canada, is retired DC10 Flt Engr of Biman Bangladesh Airlines & former President of FENA.
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