DHAKA, June 27, 2026 (BSS) - From healthcare and education to social 
protection, agriculture, revenue management and investment services, 
ministries and divisions are steadily moving towards online operations as 
part of a broad digital transformation drive aimed at making public services 
faster, more transparent and accessible to citizens.

The transition is reflected in a series of initiatives outlined across 
different sectors, including digital health cards for citizens, unique Edu-
IDs for students, online social protection platforms, automated tax refund 
systems, digital investment services and technology-driven agricultural 
support programmes. The measures seek to reduce paperwork, improve service 
delivery and enable people to access government services from their homes or 
workplaces.

In the healthcare sector, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare plans to 
introduce Universal Health Cards for all citizens. The digital cards will be 
linked to an Integrated Patient Management System and referral network, 
allowing medical histories, prescriptions and diagnostic reports to be 
accessed instantly from healthcare facilities across the country. 

"Through this, a patient's prior treatment history, investigations, 
medications, and medical information will be instantly accessible at any 
primary, secondary, or specialised healthcare facility anywhere in the 
country. This will significantly improve the quality of care, reduce medical 
errors and unnecessary duplication of prescriptions, and enable patients to 
receive faster, more orderly, and more effective services," Finance Minister 
Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said in his budget speech recently.

The government is also developing an Integrated Nuclear Medicine Information 
System to connect 22 Nuclear Medicine Institutes through a single online 
network.

Education is also undergoing a digital transformation. Under the "One 
Teacher, One Tab" programme, technological tools will be introduced alongside 
the expansion of multimedia classrooms and free Wi-Fi facilities in schools. 
A unique Edu-ID will be assigned to every student, while digital library 
facilities will be expanded to support learning and academic management.

"To establish a technology-driven education system, the 'One Teacher, One 
Tab' programme will be implemented; multimedia classrooms will be 
established; free Wi-Fi access will be expanded; a unique Edu-ID will be 
introduced for every student; digital library facilities will be provided; 
and students will be familiarised with artificial intelligence (AI), 
robotics, coding, and digital literacy," Chowdhury added.

Social protection programmes are being integrated into digital platforms to 
improve efficiency and transparency. Through the Family Card Programme, 
allowances and benefits will be transferred directly to beneficiaries using a 
Government-to-Person mechanism linked to mobile financial services and bank 
accounts.

At the same time, a Dynamic Social Registry will allow citizens to apply for 
social protection benefits from any location through an online platform. A 
centralized Single Registry System is also being developed to store 
information on approximately 40 million beneficiaries, helping prevent 
duplication and ensuring targeted service delivery.

Digitalisation is also reshaping investment and business services. A Digital 
Single Window system will provide online access to all investment-related 
services, including application submission, verification and licensing. Under 
the planned system, services will be delivered within seven days once 
applications are completed.

To facilitate business operations, the government has launched BanglaBiz, a 
unified digital platform designed to provide faster, more predictable and 
transparent approvals. Exporters are also gaining access to online trade 
services through the Business Single Window platform, which enables the 
issuance of Electronic Certificates of Origin and related documentation. 
Company name clearance and registration services are set to be completed 
online within 48 hours.

"To facilitate trade, services such as the issuance of electronic 
Certificates of Origin (CoO) through the Business Single Window (BSW) 
platform and participation in international trade fairs are being provided 
online for exporters," the finance minister further said.

Revenue management is another major area of digital transformation. The 
National Board of Revenue is introducing a faceless and automated tax refund 
system under which excess tax payments will be credited directly to 
taxpayers' bank accounts. Online filing of income tax returns through eReturn 
and VAT submissions through eVAT will become mandatory, allowing taxpayers to 
comply without visiting tax offices. The A-Challan system will also become 
mandatory from July 1, 2026, for the direct deposit of government revenues.

In agriculture, digital platforms are being used to support farmers and 
strengthen food security. The Farmer Card programme will initially provide 
digital services and benefits to 42.5 lakh farmers. Through the Krishaker 
App, paddy procurement activities will be conducted directly from farmers 
across all upazilas. Pilot activities have also begun for distributing food 
grains to low-income groups through a Food-Friendly Distribution App.

The digital transformation drive extends to employment and expatriate welfare 
as well. The Probashi Card will store information on workers' skills and 
employment terms while linking them to banking channels for secure and faster 
remittance transfers. 

"To ensure the overall welfare of expatriate workers, the government is 
introducing a dedicated 'Probashi Card', which will store the worker's 
personal information, skills, and terms of employment. The card will be 
linked to a bank payment gateway to make remittance transfers easier, faster, 
and more secure," Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury further stated.

The entire migration process has been digitized through the Overseas 
Employment Platform, while the Labour Information Management System is 
integrating data on workers from both formal and informal sectors.

Technology is also being applied to environmental management and 
infrastructure services. A Tree Monitoring App has been developed to oversee 
afforestation projects, while an Artificial Intelligence-powered dashboard is 
monitoring groundwater levels in real time. More than 2,700 fuel tank lorries 
have been brought under a digital monitoring system to improve fuel 
distribution and reduce wastage. Satellite technology and SMS-based alert 
systems are also being used to deliver early disaster warnings directly to 
citizens.

Taken together, the initiatives indicate a growing shift toward technology-
driven governance, with ministries and divisions increasingly relying on 
digital platforms to deliver services, manage information and improve public 
access across sectors.