Online Desk: With the aim of reaching various government services at the doorsteps of the commoners, “Nagorik Sheba Bangladesh” has started its journey online with the slogan ‘All Citizen Services at One Address’.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus formally inaugurated the pilot project of this programme at the State Guest House Jamuna here today.
Trained Nagorik Sheba entrepreneurs will provide these services to the general citizens from Nagorik Sheba Kendras (centres).
Nagorik Sheba centres have been set up in Gulshan, Uttara and Nilkhet areas of the capital under the pilot project.
Among those, the centres in Gulshan and Uttara have already started their operations and the Nilkhet centre will also start its activities in a short time, said a press release issued by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.
Inaugurating this service, which was initiated by the Chief Adviser’s Office (CAO) and developed under the supervision of the ICT Division of the government, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus said this initiative will play a groundbreaking role in reducing ill efforts of brokers, preventing various harassments, and ensuring hassle-free citizen services.
He directed the ICT Division to take steps to establish an expatriate service centre to ensure their easy access to the services and to deliver all the necessary services at one address.
Prof Yunus stressed updating and coordinating the services regularly to create positive competition among all the ministries in providing services under this programme.
“Our goal is to create positive competition among the ministries in providing services. Our effort is to bring as many services as possible from each ministry under this as soon as possible,” he said.
Referring to various citizen services, the Chief Adviser said: “We must establish such a system so that children get birth registration certificates as soon as they are born. This should be their civic recognition.”
About the management and ownership of the Nagorik Sheba centres, he said entrepreneurs will pay rent by signing agreements with the owners of the spaces.
“At the initial stage, the rent will be fixed at a reduced rate. Entrepreneurs will take responsibility for security, maintenance and utilities. If they fail to maintain service standards, their licenses may be cancelled,” Prof Yunus said.
He said, “Nagorik Sheba Bangladesh is not just a service delivery platform, it is a movement to build bridges between the government and the people—based on technology and driven by local entrepreneurs.”
The Chief Adviser said this inclusive, sustainable and expansive initiative will be able to bring an attractive transformation in citizen services across the country.
Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb said by implementing this project on a zero budget, it has been proven that it is possible to move forward by utilising the country’s existing resources.
He said: “Through this initiative titled ‘Nagorik Sheba Bangladesh’, unused government facilities including post offices will be converted into modern co-working spaces and they will be run by local entrepreneurs.”
Taiyeb said at these citizen service centres located within walking distance for citizens, trained local entrepreneurs will provide various government digital services, including filling up forms for national identity cards, passports and tax returns.
This model will not only make government services accessible to citizens, but will also create opportunities for the country’s youth and women to become economically self-reliant, he said.
The special assistant said inspired by the principles of social business and run on the basis of public-private partnership, this initiative will be a reflection of inclusive development and citizen empowerment.
He said the aim of this service is to build a national network that will ensure effective and accessible digital services for citizens and at the same time, it will contribute to social and economic progress by empowering local entrepreneurs.
In the first phase, Taiyeb said, 200 female and male participants were selected through a rigorous selection process from among the applicants to become entrepreneurs of the Nagorik Sheba centres.
After intensive training in digital literacy, customer service and digital service delivery, 100 entrepreneurs (50 female and 50 male) were awarded certificates, he said.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, Land Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed, ICT Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, Local Government Division Secretary Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, Immigration and Passport Directorate Director General Major General Md. Nurul Anwar and Director General (DG) of the National Identity Registration Division ASM Humayun Kabir, among others.
