Partnering with the University of Oxford’s Digital Pathways Initiative, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) intends to chart a pathway for Bangladesh to decide holistic strategies to accelerate its inclusive growth in the digital age through this project. This work involves assessing the country’s current digital readiness, deciding priorities through dialogue with high-level stakeholders, and finally crafting a strategy primer. This report is the first major deliverable of the project, and it analyses the current state of play of the pillars of the digital economy that include infrastructure, human capital, finance, and policies through an opportunity-oriented lens. According to the toolkit developed by the Pathways Commission, Oxford, these four interconnected pillars help us better understand the challenges of technology adoption for inclusive growth in the digital age. The assessment report, therefore, creates a baseline of knowledge of Bangladesh’s current capacity in terms of these pillars to leverage the economic opportunities in the future. The opportunity assessment section identifies three economic opportunities that Bangladesh has the potential to take advantage of in the next 10 years. They include: a) Scaling up BPO and IT/Software industry in Bangladesh, b) Connecting the informal sector to the formal one in Bangladesh through the help of digital technologies, and c) Expanding the startup scene in Bangladesh.
Authors: Jahangir, Zulkarin; Safir, Abdullah Hasan; Ahmed, Shamael
Type: Report
Year: 2021
