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Published : 16 Feb 2025, 09:39 PM
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has urged the field administration to resolve the ongoing challenges faced by citizens despite the digitalisation of multiple sectors of Bangladesh.
At the opening of a three-day Deputy Commissioners’ Conference at his office’s Shapla Hall in Tejgaon on Sunday, the interim prime minister highlighted the difficulties citizens face in obtaining basic documents such as passports.
He said, "In the later stages of life, sometimes one needs to travel, and for that, a passport is required. But without a birth registration, it becomes impossible to get one.
“Yet, if money is paid, it gets done; if it can be done with money, it should be available without it as well."
The chief advisor continued, “Why can’t we implement this system? A birth certificate is a basic right of every citizen.
“The government has failed to provide it, and using that as an excuse won’t work. There must be a way to make this happen, something has to be done.”
He stressed the need to establish a system where every citizen can receive their birth certificate at any time, regardless of their age.
“What needs to be done? As I said earlier, we need to be creative. We must devise a system because everything depends on that birth certificate. It is a legal proof of being a Bangladeshi by birth.”
Yunus emphasised the importance of ensuring that all citizen services are fully online.
"Without a birth certificate, one cannot obtain an [National Identity Card]; without an NID, a passport is impossible to get. Everything gets blocked.
“What I'm saying is that it must be seamless for everyone. If I have my birth certificate, then I should be able to get my NID.”
He raised concerns about the current state of online services.
“We are supposed to be getting things online—are we getting them online? Is e-passport available now? Why is this happening?”
“The law is in place, but I’m not expecting everything to be done overnight. We must begin the process.”
Yunus said that people are unable to register land, pay taxes, or access land records online.
“We hear that everything has been digitised, but if that’s the case, why isn’t it being implemented? What’s holding it back? Why can’t we access land records online or carry out land transactions?”
The chief advisor reminded the deputy commissioners that despite claims of everything becoming digital, the situation at the grassroots level does not reflect this reality.
"The land ministry says they have completed everything, but they are unable to implement it; progress is slow, and the reason for this delay is our inability."
"As players, we are unable to complete the task; we need to earn the qualification to do that. Online means online, and there should be nothing else.
“Can we accomplish this overnight? No, it won't happen overnight, but I am saying that one district can be first."
He expressed his desire for a competitive spirit among the deputy commissioners to bring citizen services to everyone's doorstep.
