From Digital to Smart Bangladesh: Does the Digitalization of Public Services Promote Effective Governance?

This chapter examines Bangladesh’s Vision 2021 and Vision 2041, initiated by the government, and their impact on achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, focusing on strong institutions and public service efficiency. Despite being a developing country with limited material and human resources, Bangladesh faces issues such as ineffective governance and corruption in the public sector. To address these issues and advance SDG attainment, the government introduced initiatives like Digital Bangladesh and Smart Bangladesh. This qualitative study examines how these visions contribute to SDG 16 through content analysis. Findings suggest that digitalization and smart government initiatives have enhanced the potential for SDG 16 achievement. However, challenges remain, including incomplete digitalization, which leads to less responsiveness in public service and hinders the full promotion of SDG 16.