VISION 2021

Jannatul Ferdous

Introduction
“Digital Bangladesh” is an integral part of the government’s Vision 2021—which promises a prosperous and equitable middle-income Bangladesh by its golden jubilee of independence. The Digital Bangladesh vision, arguably, runs parallel to the Information Society vision advocated by the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). The Honorable Finance Minister of Bangladesh elaborated on the concept in his budget 2009-10 speech as a socio-economic transformation process, enabled by information and communication technologies (ICTs). In the same year, the Honorable Prime Minister outlined the Digital Bangladesh having four key priorities – (a) developing human resources ready for the 21stcentury; (b) connecting citizens in ways most meaningful to them; (c) taking services to citizens’ doorsteps; and, (d) making the private sector and market more productive and competitive through the use of digital technology. Hence, it was only natural that the 6th Five Year Plan (6FYP) places an equal importance to Digital Bangladesh as part of the nation’s development strategy. During the 6FYP period, the country has made important strides in utilizing technology to bring in tangible transformation in all four areas mentioned by the Prime Minister. Progress made in bringing government services to the doorsteps of citizen is probably the area where Bangladesh registered most significant progress. Vertical (with government ministries and agencies) and horizontal (i.e., with citizens) policy advocacy and development interventions have resulted in a number of citizen-centric e-initiatives and services such as multimedia classroom and teacher-led education content development in public schools, mobile phone based health service from Upazila Health Complex, agricultural and other livelihood information and services (e-Tathyakosh) online through grassroots outlets. Recent recognition by International Telecom Union (ITU) for Bangladesh’s innovative approaches towards introducing ICT-backed reforms in public service delivery (ITU, 2014) or the WSIS/ITU award for grassroots service delivery kiosks (WSIS Award 2014), can be cited in this regard. Also, it is worth mentioning that the “Alliance for Financial Inclusion” (AFI), an international organization of central banks and other financial regulators, awarded Bangladesh Bank for promoting financial inclusion policies in 2014. A recent white paper by KPMG also echoes the progress made during the period as it observes that the “‘Digital Bangladesh’ initiative of the government is helping setup infrastructure for enhanced connectivity, ICT based citizen service delivery and ICT based education system.

 Meanings of digit and digital:
From the Latin word ‘digitus’, the word digit is come which denotes toe or finger. The word ‘Digital’ has been come from the word of English digit. It means courses of actions or even devices which manage by handing out of information. So, we can say that the word ‘digital’ is related or most familiar with internet functions, computer activities and high technological activities.

What is digital Bangladesh?
Digital state means which would be governed by the government with the help of computer and internet. Accordingly, digital Bangladesh means such a Bangladesh which activities like governance, agriculture, education, commerce etc. are controlled by computer and internet. It should be noted that today the entire world is gradually becoming a digital planet. Almost every state is going towards a knowledge- based society. And as a freedom-loving people we cannot stay away from the advantages of it.
care to the citizen following the article 15 of our constitution.

ICT and Digital Bangladesh:
Having 150 million populations, Bangladesh has huge potential. But it has many problems. It is very important to create skilled manpower in technology, science and various sectors. At present, the people of Bangladesh are not completely familiar with using ICT. But the whole world is getting developed with blessing of ICT. The people of our country face this discrimination only because of economic insolvency. Because of being poor and illiterate, our people cannot use ICT. Using ICT is still now beyond their imagination. It is unfortunate that some of us consider it nothing but mere a fashion. Though most of the people of the country have a lot of interest, they remain out of the access on account of high price of ICT tools. It can play a remarkable role in creating employment, raising work efficiency and standard production.

Background of Vision 2021
In the wake of developing a knowledge based economy, Bangladesh has realized that in the field of Science and Technology significant commitments have to be made to achieve high level prosperity in near future. Countries making transition from agro/industrial economy to information economy normally recognize the knowledge-based industries, particularly those related to information technology and biotechnology, as the top priority sector. It is a fact that Information Technology has been identified as the “thrust sector” for the economy of Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh has therefore conceived of establishing hightech and modern industry that envisages supplementing tertiary industries and social wellbeing undertakings and would figure out high-level industrial parks that can keep pace with the world’s economic development. Hi-Tech parks are being developed in different countries with a purpose to provide adequate infrastructure support services to create an environment well organized for development of need-based industries. Kailakoir Hi-Tech Park is the first state-level Hi-Tech park initiated by the government.The then Ministry of Science and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MOICT) entrusted with the responsibility to Bureau of Research and Consultation (BRTC) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) for conducting a study for establishing a Hi-Tech park in Bangladesh. BRTC started the project formulation study with a multi-disciplinary team in the year 2001. The team visited some countries such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, gathered experience on such endeavors and prepared design, operation and management for a Hi-Tech park at Kaliakoir in Gazipur district. In the Master Plan of the Hi-Tech Park the land has been divided into five blocks and will be developed in different phases. Bloc-1 will have administrative offices and utilities. It will be implemented in the first phase.
At first a Project Concept Paper (PCP) with an estimated cost of Tk.25100.00 lakh was sent to the Planning Commission. On 03 Feb 2003 the Pre-ECNEC meeting decided that MOSICT will make efforts to derive funds from different sources through Economic Relation Divisiopn ( ERD) for its implementation and the project would be included in the 2002-2003 Annual Development Programme (ADP )as Private Sector Funded Project. The response for achieving funds has not been satisfactory. MST Technology Centre, a subsidiary organization of Malaysia’s Hi-Tech park authority, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) has expressed their interest to establish a HiTech park in the proposed land in Bangladesh resembling to Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor. With this end in view they have conducted a study and submitted their final report in the MOSICT on 27 Aug 2005. On 03 April 2003 National Taskforce Committee of MOSICT decided to implement the HiTech park project. Accordingly step was taken to establish Hi-Tech Park on 231.385 areas of land. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Ministry of land and MOSICT and the land was handed over to MOSICT on 24 April 2004 by the Ministry of Land. In the year 2004-2005 the Hi-Tech park project was included in the ADP as a project without budget. A project was then proposed to create basic infrastructure facilities from own fund of the Government of Bangladesh to motivate the potential foreign investors for investment. The project has been known as the Basic Infrastructure Development Project for Hi-Tech Park at Kaliakoir (1st phase) at a cost of Tk.26 core. Later on, Price Water House Cooper India engaged by World Bank ( WB) under Bangladesh Private Sector Development Support Project (PSDSP) to conduct a feasibility study. The consultant firm has submitted pre-final report.The Basic Infrastructure for Hi-Tech Park in Kaliakoir, Gazipur Project is progressing smoothly. In the wake of developing a knowledge based economy, Bangladesh has realized that in the field of Science and Technology significant commitments have to be made to achieve high level prosperity in near future. Countries making transition from agro/industrial economy to information economy normally recognize the knowledge-based industries, particularly those related to information technology and biotechnology, as the top priority sector. It is a fact that Information Technology has been identified as the “thrust sector” for the economy of Bangladesh. The Government of Bangladesh has therefore conceived of establishing hightech and modern industry that envisages supplementing tertiary industries and social wellbeing undertakings and would figure out high-level industrial parks that can keep pace with the world’s economic development. Hi-Tech parks are being developed in different countries with a purpose to provide adequate infrastructure support services to create an environment well organized for development of need-based industries. Kailakoir Hi-Tech Park is the first state-level Hi-Tech park initiated by the government.The then Ministry of Science and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MOICT) entrusted with the responsibility to Bureau of Research and Consultation (BRTC) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) for conducting a study for establishing a Hi-Tech park in Bangladesh. BRTC started the project formulation study with a multi-disciplinary team in the year 2001. The team visited some countries such as India, Singapore, Malaysia, gathered experience on such endeavors and prepared design, operation and management for a Hi-Techpark at Kaliakoir in Gazipur district. In the Master Plan of the Hi-Tech Park the land has been divided into five blocks and will be developed in different phases. Bloc-1 will have administrative offices and utilities. It will be implemented in the first phase. At first a Project Concept Paper (PCP) with an estimated cost of Tk.25100.00 lakh was sent to the Planning Commission. On 03 Feb 2003 the Pre-ECNEC meeting decided that MOSICT will make efforts to derive funds from different sources through Economic Relation Divisiopn ( ERD) for its implementation and the project would be included in the 2002-2003 Annual Development Programme (ADP )as Private Sector Funded Project. The response for achieving funds has not been satisfactory. MST Technology Centre, a subsidiary organization of Malaysia’s Hi-Tech park authority, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC) has expressed their interest to establish a HiTech park in the proposed land in Bangladesh resembling to Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor. With this end in view they have conducted a study and submitted their final report in the MOSICT on 27 Aug 2005. On 03 April 2003 National Taskforce Committee of MOSICT decided to implement the HiTech park project. Accordingly step was taken to establish Hi-Tech Park on 231.385 areas of land. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Ministry of land and MOSICT and the land was handed over to MOSICT on 24 April 2004 by the Ministry of Land. In the year 2004-2005 the Hi-Tech park project was included in the ADP as a project without budget. A project was then proposed to create basic infrastructure facilities from own fund of the Government of Bangladesh to motivate the potential foreign investors for investment. The project has been known as the Basic Infrastructure Development Project for Hi-Tech Park at Kaliakoir (1st phase) at a cost of Tk.26 core. Later on, Price Water House Cooper India engaged by World Bank ( WB) under Bangladesh Private Sector Development Support Project (PSDSP) to conduct a feasibility study. The consultant firm has submitted pre-final report.The Basic Infrastructure for Hi-Tech Park in Kaliakoir, Gazipur Mission & Objectives Project is progressing smoothly.

Purposes of Digital Bangladesh:
Bangladesh has fixed her vision of achieving digital Bangladesh for ensuring misrule and fully corruption free society for controlling all activities of this country by computer and internet with an instant command. Its target is to make all people technologically skilled and efficient through ICT knowledge so that they might be able to overcome the strong challenges of 21st century.

General Targets for 2021
1.Governance: sustainability is the first priority in all development decisions.
2. Eradicate extreme poverty and with no more than 29% of the population below the upper poverty line by 2015, while achieving national food security.
3. Minimise population growth, with replacement fertility achieved by 2012.
4.Cities are sustainable and more efficient, with development following appropriate structure plans.
5.Villages: the quality of life for the bottom 50% of rural people of all regions has improved by their own definitions and assessments.
6. Agriculture: conversion of agricultural land is minimised and production growth for food security achieved with no increase in total irrigation water or agro-chemical use.
7.Water and wetlands: wetlands (including jalmohals and rivers) hold water throughout their official extent in the dry season, have sufficient flows, and support diverse aquatic life; also dry season groundwater levels do not fall below 2005 levels.
8. Pollution: national air and water quality standards are met at point emission sources and throughout urban areas and water courses.
9. Forests: tree cover is achieved on 20% of the land surface, and ecologically healthy native forests are restored and protected in all public forest lands (about 16% of land).
10. Biodiversity: no new extinctions, and national populations of globally and nationally threatened species are enhanced.
11. Energy demands of development are met through a low carbon strategy subject to availability of funds and appropriate technologies.
12. Hazards: potential economic losses (particularly from f loods, drought and salinity) are reduced from current levels.

Policy Actions
In this section the key policy actions needed to address each general target are outlined, along with some more specific sub-targets that can be used by the many concerned government agencies as a basis for operationalizing the 12 Theme Governance Summary of policy status and needs general targets.
1 Governance
The key to this vision is a fundamental change towards good environmental governance. There are already a large number of policy initiatives and strategies that are supportive of sustainable development in Bangladesh. These include sectoral policies such as the National Conservation Strategy 1992, National Water Plan 2000, and National Fisheries Strategy 2006, and cross cutting strategies such as the recent Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan and National Sustainable Development Strategy. However, their implementation and adoption into practice has been at best piecemeal and often constrained by contradictory policies for land management and revenue. The table at the start of this section highlights where policy change and new policies are needed. To give due weight to this major change towards sustainability, and to enable necessary actions under the remaining 11 themes, two fundamental policy actions are proposed:
1. Recognition of the right to a safe, healthy environment as a basic human right under the Constitution.
2. Making the national budget from the Financial Year 2010-11 environmentally responsible, with a separate heading for climate change, and explicitly using taxes, duties and utility pricing to reflect the social and environmental costs of technologies and consumption.

The vision will be further achieved through a set of subtargets and actions:
1. Activate in 2010 the National Environment Council to meet regularly and oversee mainstreaming of sustainable development.
2. Incorporation of environmental sustainability as a fundamental objective and requirement at all levels of development planning undertaken by all public agencies.
3. Establish effective cooperation across ministries, line agencies and departments, new regional planning bodies, and local government to achieve sustainable development.

4. Harmonisation of policies under a framework of sustainability across all relevant sectors, not just environment and forests; but including industry, water, agriculture, fisheries, land management, and taxation and revenue.

5. Decentralised policy implementation, with primary responsibility at local government level (upazilas and municipalities), but with stronger checks and balances including rights to appeal and a public inquiry process to limit any potential abuses of power

6. Enactment of a land use zoning and planning control law to enable decentralised land use planning and establish a process to review and permit or deny land use changes (see next sub-targets).

7. Openness and accountability in development planning supported by strengthening monitoring of environmental quality and making the data publicly available.

8. A change in policy emphasis to planning controls and incentives – decisions on what forms of development and land use change will and will not be allowed and where.

9. Establishing a cadre of well trained planning professionals directly answerable to the relevant level of elected government (and thereby the electorate they represent) who will implement and enforce land use and development controls.

2 Extreme poverty
Poverty reduction is already addressed extensively in national policies and strategy. This is currently embodied in: “Moving ahead: national strategy for accelerated poverty reduction II (FY 2009-11)” or “PRSPII”. However, this is short-medium term and has a largely economic focus. Moreover more attention has been paid to reducing the overall incidence of people in poverty (upper poverty bound), although by 2005 the proportion of people living below the lower poverty line had fallen to 25%. Greater emphasis is now being placed in PRSPII and through various projects on ending extreme poverty, for example in terms of people living on less than the minimum necessary diet. To ensure that this target is achieved in a long term sustainable way requires that future updates explicitly incorporate sustainability principles by demonstrating that all the sectoral components of the strategy will not lead to adverse environmental impacts, conflict, or close future development options by 2021. There are, therefore, no additional policy actions under this strategy beyond existing policies and the mainstreaming of sustainable development under target 3.

3 Population

The Bangladesh population would need to stabilise earlier with zero growth by 2021, when it is likely to be 185 million. One of the few assessments of Bangladesh carrying capacity by FAO estimated with high technology levels a sustainable population of 185 million, although other assessments based on fuelwood and foodgrain availability give much lower estimates. The concept of carrying capacity assumes that a f inite number of people can be supported long term in a given area without reducing the ability of the environment to sustain the desired quality of life. However, there are trade-offs between higher population with more stress on resources and poverty, and vice versa, while technological change increases land productivity. Poverty reduction by improving health, education and incomes helps reduce population growth, but the rate of reduction will be too slow. On present trends and policy the population would only stabilise at 210-250 million between 2060 and 2085. This would undermine all other efforts to achieve sustainable development. To reduce the existing population growth momentum requires placing a renewed high priority on limiting population. The PRSPII recommends that limiting population be reinstated as the nation’s top priority. An implication of a stable population is a higher proportion of older people, up to 2021 this will see an increase in the proportion of working age, but numbers of elderly dependents will also rise. Policy actions and targets will include:

1. Immediately generate widespread public debate on population pressure and its implications for sustainability and create a social preference for families of up to two children.
2. Use national identity data bases and birth registration to support incentives for later marriage and having no more than one child (such as education or health allowances).

3. . Make recruitment and continued employment of new recruits in all public sector and semi-public jobs (e.g. teachers), and holding of public office, conditional on having no more than two children.

4. Renew and reinvigorate promotion of measures to limit population growth and family size within a year, through general education, health care and civil society opinion leaders.

5. Establish a conditional safety net of pensions as an incentive within five years: persons over 65 who fall below a means test and have no more than one child would receive a modest pension.

4 Cities
Urban centres will have expanded, but this will be kept in line with new city and municipal region structure and land use plans that also invest in public space for flood/storm drainage storage and parks. With the need to maintain agricultural land and space for biodiversity, urbanisation will involve dense housing, but with improved services and sufficient planed open space. Private developers and landowners will pay the full costs of maintaining drainage and sewerage treatment provisions to meet surface water quality standards. The polluter pays principle will be adopted to generate funds to mitigate pollution. As a special priority a sustainable development plan for greater Dhaka will be developed and implementedbut these changes will be extended to all urban centres. Actions will be taken to meet sub-targets:
1. Develop and implement overarching land use/structure plans for each urban area based on zoning to maintain a healthy environment, maintenance of floodways and drainage systems, and neighbourhood development with a mix of housing, business and industry, services and recreational areas to reduce travel.
2. In major cities adopt and enforce efficient transport 1 way systems, and more efficient public transport using existing infrastructure.
3. Strict enforcement of existing water and air quality standards at sources of pollution
4. Restoration of urban storm drainage and encroached urban waterways sufficient to avoid street flooding in a one in 20 year extreme rainfall event.
5. Improved public sewerage systems co-financed by requiring private developers (housing and industry) to invest in facilities for treatment, and with users required to pay service charges that cover the costs of meeting quality standards.
6. Adoption in industry, transport, and housing of cleaner, low carbon technologies, through public incentives – reduced duties for appropriate imported equipment, and subsidies for retrofitting key installations.
5 Villages
Improvements in rural life will mainly be addressed by other targets – poverty reduction and sustainable use of natural resources (water and forests), and complemented in specific areas by pollution control and changes in energy policy. In addition to limit the loss of agricultural land, more efficient use of village lands will be promoted through research and development, and use of public lands and infrastructure will be rationalised. Actions to achieve this target will include:
1. Enact a framework making rural land use planning and zoning the responsibilities of upazilas and union parishads. The main entry point for planning is expected to be the upazilas, and this will require building capacity, accountability, and funds. The aim will be to maintain a balance between agriculture, wetlands, other commons, and growth of villages and towns.
2. Develop regional sustainable development plans to meet the special needs of each region of the country. Rules and powers will be set for defining and enforcing land use zones and restrictions on uses in Environmentally Critical Areas.
3. Develop the role of planners in this process, which should no longer be considered the province of engineers and infrastructure development.
4. Rationalise and reduce rural infrastructure – for example where flood control and road embankments duplicate purposes, consolidate them in one place and allocate the freed land for settlement or cultivation by the poor.
5. Support identification and promotion of building practices that enable more efficient use of land.

6 Agriculture
Agricultural research and extension efforts will focus on ensuring food security, environmental sustainability and climate change adaptation, including salinity, drought and f lood tolerance. While efforts will need to continue to increase yields, returns from water will be maximised and irrigation of rice optimised. Diversification of crops on higher land will be promoted in favour of high value crops and horticulture suited to drier conditions, thereby reducing groundwater and surface water depletion. Measures to improve soil conservation and soil fertility will be promoted, including composting and greater recycling, as will integrated pest management. Relevant sub-targets include: 1. Significantly reduce use of harmful agro-chemicals (and end use of persistent organic pollutants).
2. Halt loss of agricultural land to infrastructure, towns and cities through zoning and its enforcement.
3. Reduce consumption of irrigation water relative to the yield of dry season boro rice.
4. Achieve reduced soil loss and sedimentation of khals through extension of improved land management practices and soil conservation.
5. Reduce the area of higher drought prone land under irrigated dry season rice which depletes ground and surface water, by developing market chains and providing subsidies to promote adoption of lower water demand high value crops and horticulture.
7 Water and wetlands
Water resources, wetlands and water security will be ensured for environmental health, livelihoods based on aquatic resources, and sufficient safe drinking water. Bangladesh already has considerable success in local community management of wetlands, fisheries and water resources, and this will be expanded. Long term use rights and responsibilities will be devolved to local community organisations which will be entrusted with conserving and sustainably using wetlands and waterbodies. Wetland and fishery management will incorporate conservation measures such as designating and protecting wetland and fish sanctuaries. Development will recognise and maintain the interconnectivity of water, including surface water flows, fish migration routes, and surface-groundwater links. Minimum f lows in cross-border rivers should be sufficient to meet environmental needs in the dry season. In general existing policies, particularly the National Water Policy, already support these aims but implementation and enforcement have been patchy and need strengthening. Sub-targets include:
1. Determine and then negotiate for minimum dry season f lows that will maintain ecological functions of crossborder rivers.
2. Reorient the water sector, from drainage and flood protection for crops, to maintaining wetland areas, functions, and services; and enabling optimal productivity of floodplains.
3. Revise the current leasing policy so that the majority of jalmohals move from traditional leasing to sustainable community management by ensuring long term rights and responsibilities at minimal lease costs for community organisations that adopt conservation measures for aquatic resources through good governance.
4. In 50% of jalmohals wetland habitat is restored andsanctuaries established by 2021 through NGOgovernment facilitation to establish effective community organisations of poor wetland users and fishers that plan and implement sustainable management.
5. Laws and rules will be modified to preserve interconnectedness and functioning of wetlands and floodplains. The spread of public and private infrastructure blocking waterways and enclosing f loodplains for aquaculture will be limited to areas zoned as not part of significant natural floodplain fisherywetland systems and not affecting agricultural drainage.
6. The efficiency of use of irrigation water in agriculture will be increased in terms of yields and returns to volume of water used.
7. More efficient use of urban water supplies will be promoted and the full costs of urban water supply passed on to consumers.
8. Retention of surface water will be promoted for use in the dry season both for irrigation and to maintain f isheries and wetlands, for this re-excavation of silted up waterbodies will be promoted.
9. Dry season ground water levels will be stabilised (presently falling by 1 m per year in places).
10. Ensure that 95% of households have access to drinking water of acceptable standards (including arsenic contamination).
11. Rationalise and reduce the total land take from embankments and infrastructure, by making them multi purpose (flood control, transport, settlement of poor, afforestation).
12. Revise existing surface water management arrangements so that larger systems are owned by consortia of local user organisations and government (co-management), responsible for operating and maintaining infrastructure from locally generated funds.
6.Pollution
Healthy water and air will be ensured through a carrot and stick approach. To consolidate measures addressing this major cross-cutting issue, a new policy will be developed, supported by appropriate instruments based on the polluter pays principle and using these funds to mitigate pollution. This will phase in strict enforcement of existing water and air quality standards, enable installation and enforce operation of effluent treatment plants by industries and adoption of cleaner technologies and vehicles. Monitoring of effluent, emissions, surface and ground water quality and air quality will all be strengthened and the results made publicly available. In the short term a move to an environmentally responsible national budget will start by making pollution a leading factor in setting taxes and subsidies. Taxes and duties will be enhanced on items and technologies that result in pollution problems. Import taxes will be reduced on technologies that treat pollutants and/or minimise emissions. Restoring urban storm drainage and improving public sewerage systems will require investments by private developers and higher service charges. Incentives will encourage links with use of cleaner technologies rather than short term cost considerations which can result in adoption of older less efficient processes and equipment. Subtargets to achieve this vision include:
1. By 2021 90% of urban air quality tests and dry season surface water tests will show that national quality standards are met.
2. Establish effective monitoring and licensing systems operated by government regulated private sector operations covering mechanised point sources of pollution (motor vehicle and boat licensing based on testing safety for both movement and emissions by authorised mechanics against payments that cover the costs of the process) and general ambient air quality testing and spot checks on certified vehicles.
3. Strict enforcement of existing standards, including vehicle emissions and water quality standards.
4. Enhance public transport, particularly rail services, to reduce emissions per passenger kilometre travelled.

5. Raise annual taxes and duties on vehicles and engines to include an emissions tax component based on the level of emissions from the engine.
6. Allow duty free import of equipment and supplies needed specifically to operate Effluent Treatment Plants.
7. Ensure that all ships imported for breaking are decontaminated prior to entering Bangladesh waters and that breaking only takes place in authorized zones after passing environmental checks.
8. Revise rules so that the fines for failure to comply with standards are a real deterrent. For example, vehicles not meeting standards cannot be driven, factories without effluent treatment plants that they were required to have or persistently failing to discharge water within target standards would face fines equivalent to the cost of a treatment plant.
9. The conditions set in all industrial development approvals through Environmental Impact Assessments will be checked and enforced during construction. On commissioning of the development if effluent treatment provisions required in the assessment have not been met the industry will not be authorised to operate.
10. Establish a system for integrated waste management in all urban areas based on separation of solid waste at source into organic compostable, other recyclable and non-recyclable components.
11. Maximise recycling of solid waste and ensure that disposal of residual unusable waste is non-polluting.
12. Enforce zero production and stocks of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), including clean up and safe disposal of remaining POPs and their replacement with safe alternatives in all industries.
13. Support research and development during the next three years to find ways of making brick production low carbon and low emission, for example using renewable energy sources such as solar power, and enforce conversion if this is successful.
9. Forests
In keeping with the National Forest Policy 1994, 20% of all lands will have forest cover, but the quality of forest in both public and private lands will be assured. On public lands all reserve forest will be protected and managed to have high biodiversity conservation value, maintain ecosystem functions, and so far as possible under those aims meet the livelihood needs of local communities involved in their comanagement. Substantial forest restoration and protection will be achieved by accessing global climate change mitigation funds, such as carbon credits and REDD, from both private and public sectors. Active co-management will ensure that the biodiversity value of existing protected forest areas and reserve forests is restored and maximised while ensuring better livelihoods for those dependent on nontimber forest products. Community-owned afforestation with native trees will be encouraged in deforested environments including wetlands, coastal areas, and the southeastern hills. Partnerships between public sector, communities, private sector, and civil society will expand provision for responsible tourism in forests. Sub-targets to achieve this vision include:
1. By 2021 90% of those lands designated for forests (16% of land) will comprise of full canopy or regenerating native trees, this will require a large programme of forest restoration.
2. Forest land boundaries will be surveyed and delineated in the field and forest cover will be monitored at five year intervals making use of ground-truthed remote sensing.
3. All forest protected areas will have conservation based management plans prepared by and endorsed by comanagement bodies comprising of local resource users and Forest Department within two years, these will cover participation, habitat restoration and protection, biodiversity and species protection, funding, and sustainable eco-tourism.
4. Changes in use of forest lands will be subject to the same planning controls as other land uses covered in
land use planning and ECAs. Loss of and leasing out of other forest lands – reserved forest and unclassified state forest to other (non forest-based) uses will end immediately except where after a public inquiry loss is found to be in an overriding national interest.
5. The targets for reserve forest and unclassified state forest management will be changed within three years to comprise multiple objectives: generating a sustainable income for local user communities and the national exchequer from sustainable harvest of native trees and other forest products while maintaining forest cover and high biodiversity value.
6. The mechanisms for certifying and approving reforestation and forest protection under carbon credit and REDD mechanisms will be rationalised and streamlined within a year and used to enable substantial forest restoration and coastal afforestation through partnerships with civil society, local communities and private sector.

10 Biodiversity
Ecosystem based biodiversity conservation is already covered by targets 7 (wetlands) and 9 (forests). However, the following totals of species globally threatened with extinction have been found in Bangladesh: 27 (7 extirpated) out of 120 mammal species, 33 (9 extirpated) out of 650 Over 99% of three species of vultures disappeared across South Asia since the mid-1990s after feeding on cattle carcasses treated with diclofenac (an anti-inflammatory drug lethal to vultures). India, Nepal and Pakistan outlawed its manufacture in 2006, but it continues to be produced and used in Bangladesh. An alternative, meloxicam, is just as good a treatment and causes no harm to vultures. bird species, 22 out of 154 reptile species, one out of 34 amphibian species, and 6 out of 402 marine fish species. Several are not dependent on existing forest wetland protected areas. Most are indicator species for the health of the ecosystems they belong to. To protect and restore populations of threatened species will require species recovery or action plans, similar to that already prepared for the tiger. Priority will be placed on early actions for species for which Bangladesh holds significant proportions of the global population or of other special significance to Bangladesh. Sub-targets include:
1. Prepare (within two years) and implement during the remaining period species recovery plans for all globally threatened species regularly occurring in Bangladesh. Conduct a review and revision of these plans at five year intervals.
2. Establish additional protected areas as necessary within five years that will enable conservation of these threatened species as well as significant eco-systems that are not covered or are under-represented in the existing protected areas and ECAs, particularly in non-forest habitats.
3. Update national threat assessments for vertebrate taxa within four years.
11 Energy
The energy demands of economic growth for a larger and more urban population will be met through a low carbon strategy, subject to availability of funds and technology. Government support will be coordinated across relevant industry, power, and revenue sectors with the aim of promoting innovation and joint ventures that bring in cost-effective technologies based on high energy efficiency, use of renewable sources, and low emissions that are suitable to rural and urban Bangladesh. Inefficiency taxes will be introduced as surcharges on imports of equipment that does not qualify as “low carbon”. The full economic costs of energy will be charged to consumers and industry. Mechanisms will be developed for the private sector, including local communities, to sell surplus electricity generation into the national grid if it comes from certified renewable sources. The following sub-targets will enable this vision:
1. Expansion of dispersed electricity generation from renewable sources (notably solar power) through subsidies and enterprise development in small scale solar power, so that all stationary rural power needs (including irrigation, rice processing, lighting) are met within 2021 from renewable sources.
2. Achieve significantly more efficient use of biomass in domestic cooking.
3. End subsidies for use of fossil fuels.
4. Reduce emissions per megawatt of electricity generated, by adopting cleaner technologies in use of fossil fuels.
12 Hazards
Resilience of the livelihoods of all, but particularly the poor, and of the nation as a whole, will be strengthened to face the challenge of external pressures and natural hazards. In particular better adaptation and coping with the threats posed by climate change such as increased severity of f loods, drought and salinity intrusion, will be ensured. But development will also address reducing vulnerability to earthquakes and hazardous development. Climate change adaptation will include strengthening flood mitigation and protection works, but this will not be simply “business as usual”. The opportunity will be taken, through local participation in planning, to correct negative impacts from the past by ensuring a better balance between agriculture, drainage, fisheries and wetlands. A precautionary approach to uncertainty means that in some coastal areas alternatives will be tested. For example, the option of enabling siltation coupled with flood-proofed homes and less intensive livelihoods based on livestock, fisheries and mangrove afforestation, instead of raising embankments with associated costs and risks of failure. There are already detailed strategies to address climate change adaptation, and the other targets set in this vision mainstream climate change adaptation within sustainable development. Additional subtargets are therefore limited to:
1. Assess the likely impacts of climate change on critical ecosystems in Bangladesh within two years, and feed this information into the management of existing protected areas and ECAs, species recovery plans, and as appropriate identify how to maintain those habitats by 2021, if necessary in new areas.
2. Ensure that land use zoning and controls, and associated development and building permitted under this system, take into account likely hazards, including increases in extreme flood and cyclonic storm frequency and earthquake risks.

Steps for implementing digital Bangladesh:
With a view to implementing of digital Bangladesh the first and foremost duty is to spread the ICT education through the whole country. Present ruling party is committed to the nation for implementing digital Bangladesh. Regarding the issue the government has projected various necessary steps. They are follows:

Education:
Enrollment at the level of primary stage will be improved to hundred percent by 2012. The elimination of illiteracy will be made by 2014. Education up to degree level will be free by 2013. The teachers will be given higher salary from 2013.

Agriculture:
Subsidy for agriculture efforts will be increased and easy for the farmers. The amounts of agricultural loans will be increased.

Health Care:
The intake of daily food calories will be ensured minimum 2122 Kilo by 2013. Primary Health Care, the elimination of contagious diseases and proper sanitation for rural people will be given by 2014. Minimum 70 years will be average longevity and effort will be made for the diminution of affectionate and child mortality.

Communication and infra-structure:
For the construction of the ‘Padma River Bridge’ and ‘Carnofuli River Bridge Tunnel’, suitable actions will be taken and Dhaka-Chittagong ‘Four Lane Express Way’ will be constructed. Proper measures will be taken for the development and upgrading of the Railway sector. The Trans Asian Railway proposals will be established under nearest countries for the development of Rail and Road connection.

Employment guidelines:
At present we have 29 million people unemployed. From our country the huge number of jobless people will be decreased to 22 million by 2014.

Food and Nutrition:
Food insufficiency will be decreased and self reliance in food production will be achieved by 2021. It will enable to meet the nutritional needs of 85 percent of the population.
Power and Energy:
Power production will be increased to 5000 MW by 2011 and it will be enhanced to 7000MW by 2013.

Basic Needs:
Gross domestic product will raised 8 percent by 2013 and 10 percent by 2017. This will be sustained thereafter. It should be noted that domestic product will be increased in order to provide food, shelter, education, health and clothing

Barriers to build up Digital Bangladesh:
There are many barriers to build up digital Bangladesh such as economic crisis, tyranny of muscular energy, illiteracy, terrorism, fundamentalism, corruption, poverty, insufficiency of electricity and so on. Moreover, lacking of noble intention, tendency of centralism and absence of real patriotism are mainly responsible for building up our visionary digital Bangladesh.

Remedy for barriers:
To see our economy a digital one, government’s commitments and people’s cooperation are urgently required. Government should take some proper actions to spread ICT education throughout the country. Our education should be computer based and in primary and in high schools. Every student should know to get easy operate to the application of computers function.

Criticism

The promotion of “Digital Bangladesh” has received criticism and ridicule from many in Bangladesh.[5][6][7] It is commonly believed that the word “digital” used by the ruling Awami League government seemingly refers to doing work in any relevant sector easily and rapidly using computation, raising concerns of whether it is a goal or a slogan.[7] Although some scope exists for employment and income generation sectors like outsourcing, online retail and offering different public-private hybrid services through Union Information Service Centres have been implemented, the economy at large has remained stagnant.[8][9] It is alleged that in reality, no significant development has taken place until 2015, and progress was slow. For example, the government planned to run the offices including the ministries through digitalised systems but until January 2015, the public offices were still serving through the traditional filing systems.[10] Although mobile based money transfer or banking had reached a significant stage and increased the money flow from the urban to the rural areas, electronic payment still lagged far behind, with only Tk 6 crore transactions a month.[10]

A part of the “Digital Bangladesh” project was also massive overhauls of the government’s websites. This, however, included the publication of thousands of sensitive data points. The breakout of the 2012 ICT Skype controversy revealed that residential phone numbers of all the officers of the foreign ministry were available online. Government institutions had published their employees’ “Personal Data Sheets” online – a record that includes sensitive contact information (including postal addresses, e-mail and mobile numbers), their National ID numbers, details on their education and details on their parents.

Conclusion:
So, we can say in the end of this discussion of digital Bangladesh, proper steps, hard work, open e-governance system and various necessary actions could be ensured by the government of Bangladesh. Then, we can see Bangladesh in the future as Digital Bangladesh.The Vision
Bangladesh is a nation endowed with enormous potential that is yet to be realized. The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of independence. In recognition of the long -term development challenges, the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina adopted the Vision 2021. The Vision 2021 and the associated Perspective Plan 2010-2021 have set solid development targets for Bangladesh by the end of 2021. Those targets if achieved will transform the socio-economic environment of Bangladesh from a low income economy to the first stages of a middle income economy. Along with higher per capita income, Vision 2021 lays down a development scenario where citizens will have a higher standard of living, will be better educated, will face better social justice, will have a more equitable socio-economic environment, and the sustainability of development will be ensured through better protection from climate change and natural disasters. The associated political environment will be based on democratic principles with emphasis on human rights, freedom of expression, rule of law, equality of citizens irrespective of race, religion and creed, and equality of opportunities.
The Bangladesh economy will be managed within the framework of a market economy with appropriate government interventions to correct market distortions, to ensure equality of opportunities, and to ensure equity and social justice for all. Development priorities of the Perspective Plan are distilled from the vision statement formulated to take Bangladesh to where it ought to be in the year 2021, given its human potential and natural resource endowments. Those development priorities include ensuring broad-based growth and reducing poverty; ensuring effective governance and sound institutions but creating a caring society; addressing globalization and regional cooperation; providing energy security for development and welfare; building a sound infrastructure and managing the urban challenge; mitigating the impacts of climate change; and promoting innovation in a knowledge-based society. These thematic approaches will shape and form the foundation on which specific strategies are developed over the period of two five-year plans (Sixth and Seventh Five year plans).