Body to look into ICT Division projects under Hasina regime

The ICT Division under the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology has initiated an evaluation of all its projects over the past one and a half decades during the continuous rule of the ousted Awami League government.

A seven-member committee, headed by the division’s Additional Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, was formed on 28 August to assess the projects’ purposes and their outcomes for the general public, as well as to investigate any potential irregularities or corruption.

“The committee has been instructed to find facts impartially, based on which the next steps will be taken,” Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Adviser Md Nahid Islam told The Business Standard.

The Bangladesh Computer Council, Aspire to Innovate (a2i), Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, and the Controller of Certifying Authorities, along with the ICT Division, have their representatives on the committee.

A member of the committee told TBS that they will define their terms of reference at the first meeting this week.

After the 2008 national election, the Sheikh Hasina government aspired to achieve a “Digital Bangladesh” and later aimed for a “Smart Bangladesh by 2041” in 2022.

This journey involved an enormous sum of nearly Tk29,000 crore, most of which was allocated for infrastructure development.

There have long been questions about the purpose and public benefits of the spending, with allegations of inefficiencies, irregularities, nepotism, and corruption.

One-third of the spending went to completed projects, while most of the ongoing projects are nearing completion, said a committee member.

The member also mentioned that they have yet to learn about the deadline for their fact-finding work.

However, he added that after the initial evaluation, the committee will delve deeper into the relevant areas.

Another committee has been set up to investigate possible irregularities in the recruitment process at the Bangladesh Data Center Company Limited under the same ministry.