community radio and digital strategy in bnagladesh

8/7/2019 Community Radio and Digital Strategy in Bnagladesh

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COMMUNITY RADIO: DIGITALSTRATEGY OF BANGLADESH

March 2009

Prepared by:

Syed Tamjid ur Rahman

Supported by:

Article19

Published by


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Table of ContentsAcknowledgements

Article XIX

BNNRC

And other

Forward Government Official

Article XIX BNNRC The Author

List of Terminologies / Abbreviations / Acronyms 4

Chapter 1: Digital Strategy Of Bangladesh: A Rights Based Approach 5

Digital Strategy: Broad Conceptual Understanding 5

Responding to the Digital Revolution: The Importance 6

The Scope of Digital Strategy: 6

Proposed Structure of Digital Streategy 9

Social and Cultural 10

Human Rights and Governmence 11

Economic 12

Technologcal 12

Policy 13

Regulator 13

Instituional Capacity 13

Security 15

Infrastructure 16

Peoples Participation 19

Human Resource Capcity 19

Driving Forces for Digital Bangladesh 20

MDG 20

PRSP 21WSIS Action Plan 21

Police Frameowrk 22

Components of Digital Bangladesh 22

Components and Vehicles of Digital Bangladesh 23

Radio 23

Television 23


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Telephone 23

Public Address Systems 23

Computers and the Internet 24

Chapter 2 : Community Radio 25

What is Community Radio 25

Why Community Radio 26

Characteristics of Community Radio 26Principles of Community Radio Operation 26

Chapter 3 : Link Between Community Radio And Digital Bangladesh 28

Briding Information and Knowledge Gap 28

Role of Community Radio in Creating Scpace for Participation 28

Community Radio in Acheivinging Goals of Digital Strategy of Bangladesh 29

Chapter 4 : Potential Role of Digital Bangladesh Through Community Radio30

Reduction of Knowledge and Information Gap 30

Improve Life and Livelihood (Safety nets) 30

Reduction in Urban and Rural Digital Gap 31Ensured Participation of Rural People in Governance 32

Peoples Participation in the Digital Strategy vs Conventional Models 33

Change in Mid-Set of Both Government and People 33

Enhanced Decision Making Capacity of Local People 34

Chapter 5: Conclusions 35

Developing an Analytical Framework 36

Defining the Enablers Goals 36

Fourth Challenge: Leadership 36

How to do it 36

Making Digital Strategy Work for the Poor 37

Ensuring Peoples Livelihood 37

Protection from Vulnerabilities 38

Connect the Unconnected 38

Bibliography 40


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List of Terminologies / Abbreviations / Acronyms

Digital

Node

Governance

ICT Information and Communication Technologies

e-Governance AAITPC Africa-Asia Investment and Technology Promotion Centre

CDM Clean Development MechanismEST Environmentally Sound Technologies

EU European Union

FDI Foreign Direct Investment

GDP Gross Domestic ProductGNI Gross National Income

IPA Investment Promotion Agency

IPR Intellectual Property RightsIPU Investment Promotion Unit

ITPO Investment and Technology Promotion Offices

LDC Least Developed CountryMVA Manufacturing Value Added

NIC Newly Industrializing Country

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer

SID Sustainable Industrial DevelopmentSME Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

TRIMs Trade Related Investment Measures

TRIPs Trade Related Intellectual Property RightsUNFCCC UN Framework Convention on Climate Change


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Chapter 1Digital Strategy of Bangladesh:

A Rights Based Approach

Digital Strategy: Broad Conceptual UnderstandingKnowledge and Information is not only the critical missing link for development but it is also

the critical missing link between ignorance and enlightenment, between poverty and

prosperity, between de-humanized state and empowerment. The backward and vulnerablepeoples and communities have little or no access to vital information, particularly information

pertaining to change and improve the quality of life and livelihood.

Digital technologies, because of its power to link knowledge and information, have

transformed lives and livelihood throughout the World in recent years. Globally digital

literacy has grown exponentially, and digital devices have proliferated personal computers,

mobile phones, laptops and mobile wireless devices including radio and TV. The government,

the business and the personal lives now greatly depend on digital gateways for

communication, information and smooth management. New, flexible mobile and remote

technologies allow people to manage their business from home or even from remote villages,videoconference connects rural farmer to discuss with urban agro scientists, or get health

advice remotely. As a result, a countries growth and prosperity in the future can greatly

depend on how effectively the country can integrate and harness the digital technology for

unleashing its potentials and stay competitive in the Globalization.

The recent Digital Strategy of Bangladesh responds to this new, rich, interactive global

environment.

The Digital Strategy goes beyond looking at the factors that enable digital development. The

vision of the Digital Strategy of Bangladesh is to unite the country together to tap theopportunities of the vast digital world and use digital technologies, skills and opportunities to

contribute to a prosperous, sustainable and vibrant society. The Digital Strategy ofBangladesh maps out the steps towards this vision.

Three core concepts underpin the Digital Strategy of Bangladesh:

Unleashing the full potential of the present and potential digital infrastructure Using digital technologies to drive productivity and economic growth and address

poverty

Creating space for peoples participation to enhance good governance and pro-people government


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Responding to the Digital Revolution: The Importance

The digital world is both ordinary it affects all aspects of our lives and extraordinary it

offers revolutionary possibilities in all areas. Digital Strategy talks about connecting to each

other and the information we need for our everyday lives and livelihood. Connection is stillimportant, but this Strategy looks beyond it, to the creativity and opportunities for

collaboration unleashed by the interactive, participatory digital world.

People are the bedrock of Digital Strategy. New technologies foster innovation, but it is

people entrepreneurs, researchers, creatives and people working to make a difference in

communities are the real source of creativity. No sphere of activity can remain untouchedby the digital revolution businesses,

researchers, agriculture, communities,

artists, educators, health workers and

many others all engage with the digital

society as they carry out their day to day

activities and improve their life and

livelihood. Digital Strategy lays down a

challenge for all stakeholders to worktogether, to make Bangladesh competitive

in the digital world and create a

prosperous, sustainable and vibrant

society. Collaboration is the criticalsuccess factor of this vision.

Governments core role is to provide the

basics that enable creativity, innovation

and collaboration fast, accessible

connectivity, a digitally skilled human

resource, secure infrastructure and support

for and access to local content.

Government also has a role in supporting

businesses and communities to be creative

and innovative in the digital society. Inaddition to the national-level actions,

local government institutions around the

country will also be an integral part inassisting digital development.

The Scope of Digital Strategy

The term Digital Strategy, in this handbook, refers to a countrys governance processes in

which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) play a significant role. The role

played by ICT could be wide-ranging: in delivery and standards of governance services, to

how people access such services, and the participation of people in the governance sphere.

ICT is an acronym that stands for:

- Information

- Communications

- Technology

ICT considers all the uses of digital technology

that already exist to help individuals, businesses

and government use information. ICT covers any

product that will store, retrieve, analyze, transmit

or receive information electronically in a digital

form. It is also concerned with the way these

different uses can work with each other.

ICT is often categorized into two broad types of

product:

1. The traditional computer-based

technologies (typically personal computer

or computers); and

2. The more recent, and fast-growing range

of digital communication technologies

which allow people and organizations to

communicate and share information

digitally (including radio, TV, wireless

equipments, etc.


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Digital Strategy is a concept and an approach of governance that uses ICT to induce changes

in the delivery and standards of governance services and more importantly, in the way citizens

interact and participate in the governance sphere.

Digital information and networked technologies are key drivers of economic growth and

social well-being in the 21st century. It is clear that the nations that nurture their digitalinformation assets and infrastructure will prosper; those that do not will fall behind. Thecommitment of the Bangladesh Government to act on this issue decisively is a clear stepforward. Bangladesh must ensure that the needs of all citizens of Bangladesh villagers,

farmers, women, government officials, policy makers, scientists, business enterprises,

students, and social workers are met. The strategy must make certain that the fundamental

values of Bangladesh, such as bilingualism, multiculturalism, inclusiveness, and equity, are

reflected in the digital realm. This can only be accomplished with a strategic approach; one

that is highly coordinated and involves all of those engaged in the creation, preservation and

dissemination of digital information.

The Digital Strategy is primarily based on knowledge and information. The new, interactive

digital strategy would demand knowledge and information, requiring easily accessible and

timely delivery of quality appropriate knowledge and information. To meet this need, the

Digital Strategy aims for growth and performance of the people, society and the country. Inthe next five years, the government is committed to delivering improved knowledge and

information to communities, businesses and public institutions and increase participation of

these stakeholders for accelerated and sustained growth of the country. This will enable notonly a conceptual framework but structural and systemic framework to translate this into

effective result-oriented action.

The Digital Strategy of Bangladesh is devoted to setting up a framework to encourage a

pattern-setting system to strengthen and engage the individuals and institutions with emphasis

on rural areas to improve social, economic, cultural and political development in a sustained

way. The objective of the Digital Strategy is to address the urgent and critical issues of the

community in an integrated way and provide an enabling environment to encourage

participation of the community to act on it in a united fashion. The key focus of the DigitalStrategy is to incrementally link the current global digital initiative and computerization to a

meaningful result driven process, which can serve as a vehicle for effective social and

economic development of the country.

The distinctiveness of this strategy lies in the close relationship forged between the emerging

global digital initiatives and the scopes for participation of the citizens. Generally, the people

and particularly the rural people are almost always left out from the development policies and


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The distinctiveness of this strategy lies in the close relationship forged between the emerging

global digital initiatives and the scopes for participation of the citizens. Generally, the people

and particularly the rural people are almost always left out from the development policies and

OUTCOMES

VISION

A prosperous, sustainable and vibrant

Bangladesh

Energetic, dynamic,

spirited and healthy

environment

Infrastructure

and

Connectivity

Capability

(Human and

other

resources)

Credibility

(Government

Commitment

and attitude)

Content

(knowledge,

information

and message)

Communities Private

SectorGovernment

HealthEducation Agriculture ICTSector

Local

GovernmentNGOs

Cultural

OrganizationsResearchersMediaand

Journalists

Environment

High Value

Economy

Transparent,

accountable and pro-

poor government

Vibrant participatory

communities and

culture


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programs. Creating scopes and opportunities of the community people in a joint participatory

way in the development process is the key objective of the Digital Strategy of Bangladesh.

For this reason, the Digital Strategy of Bangladesh is much more than strengthening andenhancing the existing social and economic development initiatives through increased

participation of the community people. It is deep rooted in the bottom-up philosophy of

change, which recognizes that the underlying purpose of any social and economicdevelopment initiative is to touch the lives and create scopes and opportunities of as many

people as possible to reap the fruits of development. It is important to emphasize that this

strategy involves far more than connecting people who are already connected and competentand are already beneficiaries of the various development dividends. It involves reaching out to

people who are underrepresented and not connected with the countys development activities.

The Digital initiative is likely to open the development change initiatives to new perspectives

and influence fostering increased grassroots democratic participation in the countrys

accelerated social and economic growth.

The strategy need to recognize the convergence of broadcasting, telecommunications and the

IT sectors. However, the challenge for the Digital Strategy is to harness the power of the new

digital world to create an innovative, high-income knowledge-based economy that willgenerate prosperity for all the citizens of Bangladesh equally in the coming days.

Proposed Structure of Digital Streategy

There are no rigid and finite structures of Digital Governance. Since the Digital structures are

based on strategic use of information, the possibilities are endless, depending on how

innovative and imaginative the governments, the citizen groups, the private sector and thedifferent development agencies can be.

Bangladesh is increasingly realizing the role Digital Technologies can play in the national

development, and are preparing itself in putting into practice innovative strategies that aretechnologically simple, cost effective,

people friendly, merges with the local

context and has the ability to drastically

change the way information is

disseminated in the society.

One of the relatively straightforwardstructures of Digital Strategies has two

critical intrinsic characteristics:

Enabling equal access toinformation to anyone specially

rural poor and link them with the

digital network, and

De-concentration of information across the entire digital network.

Access to information could be through:

Private/individual ICT nodes such as individualaccess to Internet

Public ICT nodes such as community Internetcentre, post offices, public phone booths,government information centers

Convergence of modes such as extensionvolunteers, community radios and local

newspapers which have access to an ICT node and

can then relay critical information to targeted users

in a timely manner. (implying convergence of ICT

with conventional modes)


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In simpler terms information does not reside at any one particular level (or node) in a truly

effective Digital Structure but gets distributed across all the nodes urban to rural, legislative

to executive, policy makers to people affected by policies. This is a fundamental change fromthe 'hierarchal' information flow structures that allow for unequal distribution of information

and open greater possibility of exploitative use of information at all levels. With use of Digital

Structure, the information gets distributed along the network and this distribution ofinformation may happen through private access to an ICT node, or through public access or

through the use of convergent modes.

Digital Structure does not imply: linking every citizen to a digital node or giving them

access to Internet and computers.

Digital Structure IMPLIES: ensuring every community or a village has easy access to

information available on the digital network and no one is excluded from accessing

information on this network.

Digital strategies and structures are continuously evolving - depending on the uses to which

they are put into, the new ICT applications that are becoming possible, and most importantly,

the changing political realities not only in the governance sphere but also a host of other

critical areas such as social, cultural, economic, environmental human rights, etc., demand the

structure to be as flexible and as pro-people as possible.

Social and Cultural

The rights based approach beleives that everyone in society should be free to participate fullyin social and political activities and to be protected from attempts to restrict the exercise of

this right to citizenship. This include cultural and socio-economic rights also known as second

and third generation rights.

Culture plays a critical role in the overall economic development. Bangladesh is ernestly

building national identity, based on shared value of cultural ethnicity which is balanced by

equality and symbiotic relationship. The Digital Strategy can provide us unprecedented ability

to access and share our history, stories and struggles within each other as well as with the rest

of the world. Content can be created and delivered in new ways, reflecting community voicesand transmitting creative expression developing a shared culture and bridging the gap

between rural and urban cultures.

The artists and creative producers residing in rural areas contribute to our sense of nationalidentity and enrich our lives. The cultural sector including publishing, advertising, artisansand the art market also make a significant economic contribution. Digital production means

content creators and providers can use digital networks to reformat, package, disseminate and

commercialise their work beyond national boundaries and direct to consumers.

The Digital Strategy offers opportunities for strengthening identities of indegenious and

socially excluded and marginalized communities expressing views and communicating in a

national context. Digital Strategy is a powerful mechanism to transmit aspects of culture,

heritage and identity to future generations and those who have moved away from their


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identity. Digital broadcasting has already increased the cultural diversity of television and

radio and has immense potential to integrate women, children and youths in national building

process. One of the key focus of the strategy should be to desing its framework carefully totap this vast cultural resources and use to unite the country for accelerated development.

Human Rights and Governmence

The ability to share information and communicate freely using Digital Technologies is vital tothe realisation of human rights as enshrined in the UDHR (1948) and the International

Covenants on Civil and Political (1976) and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976)

Access to Digital process to learn, share and express is often termed as communication rightsand are of immediate and direct concern to the development of inclusive information andknowledge societies.

Good governance is about streamlining information to increase transparency and to ensurethat the most vulnerable people in society will have a voice in the decision-making processes

and that the views of minorities will be taken into account. Its key attributes are participation,

transparency, responsiveness, effectiveness, efficiency and accountability.

Transparent processes, the effective interaction between local and national governments, and

the involvement of the private sector and civil society are crucial. Digital governance

initiatives can help local communities to voice their needs, learn about public services and to

pressure policy makers to engage in regular dialogue. Digital Strategy can help governmentsto improve their efficiency by using Digital Technologies to improve data and workflows. Byenhancing information flows both between and within local communities and districts, Digital

Governence both supports and improves decentralisation processes.

Digital Strategy can initiate governance process through technical, supportive and innovative

processes:

Technical role: Automation of repetitive governance tasks and thereby improvingefficiency of governance processes. For instance, automated filing of tax forms, e-

voting, periodic information reporting etc.

Supportive role: Use of Digital Strategy to complement existing efforts andprocesses to improve governance. For instance, use of Internet to catalyze existing

efforts towards transparency in government information and functioning, or

embedding use of emails in connecting decision-makers with their constituencies.

Innovative role: Use of Digital Strategy to initiate new governance services or newmechanisms for improved service delivery which would be impossible through non-

Digital modes. For instance, online checking of status of an application (from remote

and beyond office hours); providing instant access to the same information to allindividuals through emails and website; ability to instantly access, compare or

triangulate information from outside of the constituency or government sources etc.


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Economic

One of the objective of Digital Strategy is to ensure that the information actually needed by

the small rural producers is readily available in order to strengthen their development as

entrepreneurs and to permit the continuous exchange of knowledge, experiences and learning

among them, the local business support organizations and other social actors. As a result the

Digital Strategy should:

Develop capacities in communities and rural organizations for generating, accessing,using and exploiting economic information Create local systems so that communities and organizations can share information

and knowledge

Link the use of Digital technolgies to the economic and market dynamics in thecommunity

Strengthen the orientation of rural business development Create strong linkage with local and international market system

Technologcal

Technology is revolutionising all aspects of life in the information society. Because of its

unique and overwhelming influence on people and society a new kind of economy is

emerging. Since the information requirements of the society are pervasive, advant of

appropraite digital technology to reap the true benfits is critically important.

In the Digital Strategy technology plays an important role - the role of making possible the

strategic use of information. However,Digital Strategy is not only about

technology; instead it is about identifying

what are the key information requirements

that need to be fulfilled, and then envisage

technology platforms by which these

needs could be fulfilled appropriately and

with ease. ICT plays the important role of

powering these models, making possible

information flows (in volumes andspeeds) which may not be possible, or in

volumes and speed using conventional

communication means.

The technology of the new information society is

revolutionizing all aspects of life. The World Bank

has articulated, Revolutionary advances in

information t echnology reinforce economic and

social changes that are transforming business and

society. From this revolution emerges a new kind of

economy the information economy in which

information is the critical resource and the basis for

competition. Old ways of doing business will be

challenged and sometimes defeated. At the social

level, a corresponding new society is also emerging.

This society's information capabilities are pervasive,

making it substantially different from an industrial

society.


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Policy

Policies are courses of action, adopted and pursued by a government, party, ruler, statesman,

etc., which may be advantageous, expedient or inappropriate, unsuitable. This suggests that

policy is the realm of those in power governmentsvor official institutions a wider sensecould include the vision, goals, principles and plans that guide the activities of many different

actors.

Digital policy generally covers the following main areas:

Telecommunications (especially telephone communications), Broadcasting / Media (radio and TV) and The internet. Technology Industry / Sector

It may be national, regional or international. Each level may have its own decision-making

bodies, sometimes making different and even contradictory policies dependening on the

general goals and ideals that underlie how they address any of the issues or options involved

with each component and sub-component.

The need for integrating Digital Strategies overlaps with the above policy fields:telecommunications, broadcasting/media, the internet, technology and industry. Sectoralpolicies such as education, employment, health, welfare, etc, needs to address issues relatingto Digital Strategy and the growing interdependence between the development of Digitalpolicies and sectoral policies. The existing national policies ICT, Media, etc., and sectoral

policies education, health, etc., the tendency is independent and little or not relationship

with others particularly relating to Digital Framework. As a result, these policies now become

firmly entrenched within the sector and attempts to integrate them into a broad

allencompassing Digital policy may become difficult.

Regulator

A clearly articulated roles and responsibilites of the regulators is imperative to make the

digital strategic vision traslated into action. The regulators are government and its

autonomous and semi-autonomous departments and agencies.

Instituional Capacity

Digital Strategy intensity plays a role in institutional capacity. Institutions have physical

aspects as well as cultural, social and economic aspects. The information infrastructure of an

institution is perhaps as important to its behavior as the nervous system of an individual is to

that individuals behavior. Important too for institutional capacity is the informationinfrastructure of the larger society in which those institutions act.


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A portion of the difference in institutional capacity between developing and developed

nations surely can be accounted for by their differences in information infrastructure. Huge

investments have been made in developed nations for reengineering and restructuringinstitutions, and for developing human capital and social capital of institutions. These

investments have enabled the institutions to utilize the improving information infrastructure to

improve institutional performance.

Until today much attention has been directed to Digital Technologies in formal organizations government bureaucracies, businesses, universities and schools, and civil society

organizations. Large investments in ICT infrastructure within and serving such organizations

have been made. However little investments have been made in training and reengineering

including reorganization, process redesign, and automation.

Similarly very little investment has been made to engergize the markets which are also

prototypical institutions. Nevertheless the little investments that has been made, the impact of

ICT on financial institutions and stock markets is perhaps particuarly visible, as transactions

are processed by computers, market information is disseminated by the media to a large

number of buyers, and the services provided by brokers are also being automated. However,

markets for consumer goods, labor, employment, and critical services such as heatlh,

education, etc., which also function primarily on information infrastructures have receivedlittle attention in the change revolution. The ICT-induced changes in market institutions can

become extensively interactive with restructuring of entire business and industrial institutions,

as enterprises can enhanse the briding functions of demand and supply more effectively andreduce elements of market regime and market failures. The market institutionalizes

relationships between buyers and sellers of goods and/or services; e-government efforts

clearly play a role in the changing institutionalization of relationships between governments

and the governed. Civil society organizations too are seeing ICT-based transformations in

their relationships with members, citizens, funders, and the local and central government.

New ways of citizens dealing with the media for information and entertainment are being

institutionalized in response to new possibilities opened by the developments of the

information infrastructure.

Political, cultural, social and other institutions are also changing as the information

infrastructures evolve. Families communicate by digital technologies across continents, and

family rituals are conducted in virtual space. Communities of interest form on the Internet,

complementing the traditional communities of location and profession. The list is endless.

The informal institutions are also critical to social and economic development, and they too

are influenced by the information infrastructure. However, the development policy has tended

to focus on formal institutions while paying much less attention to informal institutions that

shape the informal constraints that come from socially transmitted information and are apart of the heritage - culture. Informal constraints for the governing structure defined by

the codes of conduct, norms of behavior, and conventions shape daily interaction with

others, whether within the family, in external social relations, or in business activities.


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Digital Technology push can be an effective approach to development, but this isolated

approach alone can not change the development landscape. Without an well throught out

appropraite institutional framework the desired dividend from the digital strategy will neverbe acheived. The computers will sit unused in locked rooms, software products built for

development purposes will never used, people trained to computer literacy who never put

those skills to use. The difference between success and failure of the technology pushapproach is probably not in the technology per se, but in the required institutional framework

to the overall context in which they work.

Security

Businesses, governments, consumers and key infrastructures increasingly rely on the use of

information networks, which are often interconnected at the global level. This raises new

issues for security as these electronic networks need to be stable and ready for safe, secure

and reliable use under all conditions. Legal uncertainties (uncertainty over payments,

contracts, terms of delivery and guarantees) remain a barrier to electronic commerce.

Likewise, business-to-consumer transactions are hampered by concerns about security of

payments, opportunities for redress, and the privacy of personal data. For all users, whether

businesses or consumers, the security and reliability of systems and information networks isimportant.

Much work is currently underway to address these concerns. Authentication and certification

mechanisms are being developed to help identify users and safeguard business transactions.To counter computer viruses, hacking and other threats, the developed countires have drawnup new and comprehensive security guidelines. These guidelines aim to promote a culture of

security in the operation of information systems and networks. With the growth of business-

to-consumer e-commerce transactions, consumer complaints regarding the online

environment are growing. The privacy and consumer protection guidelines are an important

step towards an international consensus on core protections. Continued efforts to implement

these guidelines are key and will require that governments, business and civil society work

together. Further exploitation of information technologies can enhance consumer trust, by

facilitating access to information and improving the ability of users to protect themselves, e.g.

through privacy enhancing technologies. But for any trust-related tool or measure to have a

positive impact on trust, consumers and users must be aware of, and understand theprotections afforded. Education and awarenessraising policies are therefore important.

Moreover, ensuring that current laws and regulations are effectively enforced in cross-border

situations is a major challenge.

Some of the slowness to do business (personal or otherwise) via the Internet is to do withattitudes. Governments can help to change these by using Digital applications themselves.

Tendering public services, providing digital public services, collecting taxes or procuring

goods and services online can help increase government efficiency and enhance access to

public services, while having the additional benefit of building public confidence and

strengthening demand.


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Infrastructure

Digital Strategy is a unique opportunity to Bangladesh to leapfrog several stages of

development by use of frontier technologies that are more practical, environmentally sound

and less expensive than undergoing the traditional stages and cycles of progress to theInformation and Digital Society. Cellular service, for example, has become the first and only

telephone service for people Bangladesh where it is available much sooner and much

cheaper - than fixed line service. Bangladesh has used Digital innovation to bypass barriers

linked with fixed line infrastructure, making a quantum leap into the Information Age. Thegovernment, private sector and civil society members are beginning to recognize the potentialoffered by Digital Technologies in overcoming structural and historical weaknesses affecting

emerging economies.

The telephone network

Stand-alone computer systems can work without a telephone connection, but such systems

cannot communicate with others at a distance. The real spirit of Digital Technologies lies in

the use of efficient telephones and their network. High quality telephone technology is an

essential component for using Digital Technologies in education, health, agriculture, etc.

At present, the rate of growth of telephones is very high. Yet, it has a long way to go. Many

communities in our country have not yet seen or used telephone systems at all.

These quality and quantity gaps between rich and poor, and also between old and newtelephone-users are creating problems between rural and urban. They have created difficulties

between the providers of the Internet and potential users.

Telephone technology has gone through multiple developments. Bangladesh is still using oldtelephones coupled with their out-dated network system. On the other hand, some mobile

companies are providing roaming facilities which have the capability of transferring text,

voice, and visuals. The shift from analogue to digital technologies has reduced the cost.

Satellite-based networks allow quality communications at affordable prices.

The impact of telephone networking is undoubtedly highly significant in present times. The

ownership of networks is shifting from governments to private hands. Multi-levelcollaborations within nations and between nations are improving the footprint and quality of

telephone services. Yet, in the field of sectoral development education, health, market, etc.,

telephony is often not a high priority. We ought to consider these points while making policydecisions for Digital Strategy. Good telephones and user-friendly telephone policies can

have a dramatic effect on the quality of services. We must assure the provision of suitable and

affordable telephone network facilities for all.

Power supply

All the tools and resources of Digital Technologies require a power supply to support thework. Stable and continuous power supplies are essential for the smooth operation of Digital


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Technologies. Private and public controls on production, distribution, congestion management

and even costing may create new problems. There are places where electricity is not available.

As a result, deregulation processes, risk management and services need to be looked into fromthe point of view of the end user.

Machines

Different machines in the form of computers and their peripherals as well as other DigitalEquipments are the most crucial components of Digital Technologies. Digital Technology

specially computers and micro processor continues to improve. Personal computers are

increasing in speed, developing more functionality, becoming more robust and usefull indesign. These machines are available everywhere. However, many people, even in urban

areas have yet to purchase one. A very large proportion of the population in rural areas cannot

afford to purchase. Digital Strategy should consider encouraging affordable imports,

assmebly, and production of these digital equipments, with easy distribution to remote areas;

the creation of community facilities, introduction of government subsidies and the launching

of user-friendly schemes by banks to ease the situation.

Maintenance and Technical Support

The procurement of hardware is important, but is only half the story. Hardware is useless

without maintenance and regular software enhancement. One of the aims of software

engineering is to reduce the cost of maintenance. We know that maintenance is expensive

both in terms of manpower and resources. We also know that, without adequate technicalsupport, offices and schools have experienced their staff having excessive workloads. As a

result of sub-standard maintenance, users find that they have to join a queue. Services arecostly in remote areas. By making some special provisions, we need to support the policy of

quality maintenance of systems that are remote from support centres through human resource

and infrastrucureal capacity development.

Networking and Satellite Communication

Today, Digital Equipments such as computers are used all over the globe. Learning resources

and learners have to be connected via information highways. We need to transfer text, audio,

and image data from one site to another. In order to increase interactivity, the transfer of

information and interactions amongst users must be fast and iterative. Often, we find that the

old terrestrial and ocean cable mechanisms are not fast enough or dependable. We need toprovide the latest and affordable systems. We are told that optical fibre cables have limitless

bandwidth and provide people access to the information superhighway at an affordable cost.

We also know that satellite networks are in operation. A few countries have their ownsatellites. Some other countries are hiring the services of these satellites. We need to provide

high-speed, broadband, and digital-infrastructure. Nevertheless, this will not be enough. Anensured supply of satellite network systems and their maintenance will demand serious

attention from the policy-makers. Digital Strategy should find appropraite solutions to these

daunting challanges.


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The Internet

One of the most important advantages of the Internet in the area of information inquiry is the

increased accessibility of reference materials and data for all categories of educators, allowing

users with any hardware and software to derive the necessary information from the network,independently from the location of data and knowledge bases. From the international point of

view, there is a possibility to decrease the gap in the quality and quantity of information

provided for between developed and developing countries. Some researches note that

development experiences in one country can be useful in other countries; for recipientcountries the trick is to discover similar projects and relevant information that could be usefulto them.

We must underline that the integration of information resources from different countries and

regions leads not only to increased accessibility, but also to the quantitative growth and

qualitative diversity of the remotely delivered information, with no need for each educational

institution and single user to acquire and maintain expensive and complicated equipment

required for placement of large quantities of information.

The digital form of representation of information on the Internet and the continual growth in

the efficiency of equipment has made it possible to process and distribute via the network not

only texts, but also images, audio and video records. Thus, Internet virtual libraries gradually

transform to multimedia, or digital, libraries.

Telephony also provides instant connection, but it is limited by the requirement forsynchronous communication. Asynchrony of e-mail makes it possible to receive and send

messages at any convenient time, which is especially important in the situation when

correspondent and respondent are located in different time zones. This characteristic of thecommunication allows an increase, compared to synchronous communication, in the quality

of interaction between the learner and the teacher, owing to the time lag the learner has for

processing the messages.

A direct consequence of this consists in the change of the role of a teacher, which is not

eliminated in highly automated Internet-applications of the considered type, but is

transformed from the role of a unique source of information and pedagogical effects into the

role of a guide in the sea of information given by the Internet, and of a creator (designer) of

situations oriented toward the educational process.

At the same time the technological difficulties of Web-applications in the field of educationfrequently present an obstacle for teaching. The Internet-technologies and particular software

applications (e.g. teleconferencing systems), supporting this type are not of an affordable

price for educational organizations, since these products were originally developed for

business. They are also relatively complex for non-specialists and, finally, are platform-

dependent (this limits the sphere of their application). So, in the sphere of distance education

the students and teachers frequently face the problem of adjustment of specialised software

for access to the Internet. The disadvantages of a network infrastructure of educationalinstitutions strongly influence the learning efficiency. Mistakes in the selection of equipment


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and types of communications made by the administration and technical experts result in the

fact that the students experience difficulties in connecting with the server.

The educational community is facing acute technological problems in the field of Internet

usage:

low throughput of the existing Internet channels; incompatibility of protocols and programming languages; poor support of audio- and video-flows in a real time mode; low interactivity level compared to teaching multimedia on CD-ROM; difficulties in conducting WWW sances of one-to-multitude communicative type; poor control over information representation formats on client computers and

insufficient ability to manage these processes in time.

What are the technological issues of the Internet from the perspective of ICTs? Answers couldinclude a definition of the Internet, standard architecture and protocols, components,

applications, existing technological problems and possible future improvements. Broadband

Internet is entering the scenario and acclaimed with great enthusiasm. Broadband will expand

the reach and improve the quality of Internet interactions. Industry, commerce, business,

recreation, defense, education and many more sectors will be harnessing the Internet. There is

a danger that some groups will wish to control the Internet to their advantage. We have to seethat educational services are not limited. UN bodies and the respective countries have to play

their roles for centre-staging the educational requirements of the Internet.

Peoples Participation

One of the primary goals of Digital Strategy is to increase participation of the people

espicially the poor and the marginalized prople in the governence process in a meaningful

way. Thefore Digital Strategy is creating a functional oriented citizen centered government

where the policies and rules of business of government reflects the true needs and aspirations

of the people. To increase participation a number of enabling situations will be required:

Appropraite and adequate knowledge and information User friendliness of the digital process Ease of access to the process

Human Resource Capcity

All people and groups have the right to access and effectively use the information andknowledge required in order to address their developmental needs and concerns. This is the


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strategic starting point for Digital Strategy. As a result human resource capacity - education,

training and skill development are critical to Digital interventions.

Driving Forces for Digital Bangladesh

MDG

At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders agreed on a set of goals to guide

global development in the 21st century. What have become known as The United Nations

Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, include: halving extreme poverty and hunger,achieving universal primary education and gender equity, reducing under-five mortality and

maternal mortality by two-thirds and three-quarters respectively, reversing the spread of

HIV/AIDS, halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and

ensuring environmental sustainability. They also include the goal of developing a globalpartnership for development, with targets for aid, trade and debt relief.

The MDGs embody a strong political mandate, endorsed by the leaders of all UN member

states; offer a comprehensive and multi-dimensional development framework; and set clear

quantifiable targets to be achieved in all countries by 2015. They are central to the fight

against poverty and the struggle to create opportunity, prosperity, health, safety and

empowerment for all of the worlds people, especially the poorest and traditionally

marginalized groups.

Since the Millennium Summit, the MDGs have become widely accepted within the worldcommunity as targets for the international development efforts, and as the standard for

measuring the progress and effectiveness of development programs. However, while accepted

as the international benchmark for development, the achievement of the MDGs by the targetdate of 2015 poses immense challenges. Work continues on devising the most effective ways

and means of meeting this challenge in terms of the policies, institutional mechanisms andresources required to meet the final objective. While the formula for success must include

many factors, Digital Strategy will play an essential role. Indeed, harnessing the power of

Digital Strategy can contribute substantially to realizing each and every millennium goal;

either directly (e.g. through greater availability of health and reproductive information,

training of medical personnel and teachers, giving opportunity and voice to women,

expanding access to education and training) or indirectly (through creating new economic

opportunities that lift individuals, communities and nations out of poverty.)

Digital Strategy is often associated only with the most sophisticated and expensive computer-based technologies, as a result, many underestimate their capacity to contribute to meeting

development goals. For our purposes, however, Digital Strategy includes the full range ofelectronic technologies and techniques used to manage information and knowledge. Digital

Strategy is primarily information-handling tool - a varied set of goods, applications and

services that are used to produce, store, process, distribute and exchange information. They

include the radio, television and telephone, computers, satellite and wireless technology, theInternet, etc. These different tools together form the "Digital Strategy". this massive


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infrastructure of interconnected telephone services, standardized computing hardware, the

Internet, radio and television, can reache into every corner of the country and will make

important contribution to different urban and rural economic activities, achieving high growthrates. Digital Strategy will develop a platform to exchange data, information, knowledge and

a tool to implement applications (e.g. e-commerce, e-schools, e-health, e-agriculture, etc.). As

such, Digital Strategy can play a catalytic role as an enabler to development. Recentdevelopments in technologies, reduction in prices, greater availability of networks and a more

user-friendly approach to technologies are strengthening the role that Digital Strategy can

play in support of development. In this context, Digital Strategy support all of the 8 MDGs,not only MDG 8, for which the infrastructure aspect of ICTs and Digital Strategies have been

clearly identified.

PRSP

PRSPs serve as an important tool because they direct the focus development priorities.

Bangladesh has more incentive to prioritize its development needs beucase of its resource

constraints. There is a clear demonstration by governments that ICT can effectively help

alleviate poverty, although the manner in which it is used varies. Bangladesh have plans to

develop ICT as a sector and use ICT as tools to achieve other PRSP goals in education, health,employment, monitoring poverty, disseminating information, facilitating government

services, and disaster management. Bangladesh is planning to develop management

information systems to improve public sector governance and service delivery. ICT is a

critical tool to disseminate information on health, government programs, employmentopportunities, and disaster relief efforts. Bangladesh should take approrpatie efforts to

incorporate ICT in the most comprehensive and concerete manner to poverty alleviation

strategies.

It is important to keep in mind that PRSPs by themselves do not translate policy into concrete

action. Bangladesh need a combination of national strategy, political will, financial resources,

and technical capacity to properly use ICT as tools for poverty alleviation. PRSPs are a good

indicator of the direction the government hopes to progress. The next step would be to look at

substantive indicators to evaluate actual progress.

WSIS Action Plan

The WSIS Action Plan reflects conviction of peoples engagement in the governence process

to bring quality change in their life is through digital technologies. WSIS Action Plan states:To maximize the social, economic, and environmental benefits of the Information Society,

governments need to create a trustworthy, transparent, and non-discriminatory legal,regulatory, and policy environment.

Actions include:

Governments should foster a supportive, transparent, pro-competitive, and predictable policy,

legal, and regulatory framework, which provides the appropriate incentives to investment and


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community development in the Information Society; Governments need to formulate national

strategies, which include e-government strategies, to make public administration more

transparent, efficient, and democratic.

Furthermore, the WSIS Action Plan suggests the following actions:

Implement e-government strategies focusing on applications aimed at innovating andpromoting transparency in public administrations and democratic processes,improving efficiency and strengthening relations with citizens.

Develop national e-government initiatives and services, at all levels, adapted to theneeds of citizens and business, to achieve a more efficient allocation of resources and

public goods.

Support international cooperation initiatives in the field of e-government, in order toenhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency at all levels of government.

Police Frameowrk

This ICT Policy aims at building an ICT-driven nation comprising of knowledge-based

society. In view of this, a country-wide ICT-infrastructure will be developed to ensure access

to information by every citizen to facilitate empowerment of people and enhance democraticvalues and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for

human resources development, governance, e-commerce, banking, public utility services and

all sorts of on-line ICT-enabled services.

Components of Digital Bangladesh

The Digital Strategy of Bangladesh is an important answere to the cirtical development

parameters social, economic, political, cultural and environmental.

The Digital Strategy is developed with a mission to coordinate digital activities in the publicand private sectors and to provide a conducive legal and regulatory framework for public and

private infrastructure investments in e-commerce capacity building (infrastructure and human

resources), software and hardware development and production and promoting regional and

international cooperation,

The benefits in economic growth, productivity, competitiveness, social inclusion, good

government that the power of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) could

create are demanding high policy initiatives (Digital Agendas or Digital Strategies) toincrease the adoption of ICT and Network Connectivity.

In order to remain competitive in this fierce globalization, Bangladesh need to understand the

benefits of ICT and look for ways to apply the tools of ICT and get the citizens involved as

much as possible for nation building. Bangladesh therefore needs to take appropriatemeasures to increase broadband penetration, tele-density, and develop a comprehensive all

inclusive ICT sector to effectively realize its contribution to GDP.


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The Digital Strategy is a comprehensive government lead plan that outlines the goals,

stakeholders, process, budget, and monitoring mechanisms to make a countrys digital future

a reality.

Components and Vehicles of Digital Bangladesh

radio, television, telephones, public address systems, and computers and the Internet

Radio

Radio has always been the most effective and most preferred media in the delivery of useful

knowledge and information to poor people. One of its strengths is its use, availability and

affordability. Radios can be found in almost every village even in the most remote area, with

farmers listening to them while working in their fields about how to increase yield; mothers

learning new knowledge on child development, nutrition, maternal health care; youths know

their adolescent health, behavior, etc.

Television

Television is commonly cited as having considerable development and educational potential.TV can help develop knowledge, information, literacy, awareness on rights, governmentpolicies and services, etc., through audio-visual format.

TelephonePhones can an effective tool for development and can bring significant benefits to the poor.The phones are mostly used for sharing knowledge and information such as market price,business and health-related information. Phones can generate information flows that results in

better prices for outputs and inputs, easier job searches, reduced mortality rates for livestock

and poultry, and better returns on foreign-exchange transactions. Phone can also become a

source for earning additional income from providing phone services to others in the

community. Poor people account for one-fourth of all the phone calls made. For villagers in

general, the phones offer additional non-economic benefits such as improved law

enforcement, reduced inequality, more rapid and effective communication during disasters

and stronger kinship bonding. The phones also have perceptible and positive effects on the

empowerment and social status of phone-leasing women and their households.

Public Address SystemsPublic address systems are used (in many countries) to deliver public information,

announcements and the daily news in the community. Public address system can beaugmented by connecting to the Internet to obtain more useful information for broadcasting.Public address systems are more localized than radio, but are technically simpler and lessexpensive. However, research on poor communities suggests that the telephone and radio

remain the most important (direct access) ICT tools for changing the lives of the poor.


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Computers and the Internet

Computers and the Internet are commonly made available to poor communities in the form of

community-based tele-centres. A community-based tele-centre provides shared access to

computers and the Internet and is one of the realistic means of doing this for poorcommunities. Although tele-centres come in many guises, the two key elements are public

access and a development orientation. It is the latter characteristic that distinguishes tele-

centres from cyber cafs. Of course, the cyber caf can be a useful device in fostering

development through ICTs, but the difference is crucial, because development-oriented tele-centres embody the principle of providing access for a purposethat of implementing adevelopment agenda.

To achieve their development objectives, tele-centres perform community outreach services in

order to determine the types of information that can be used to foster development activities.

Computer literate tele-centre staff act as intermediaries between community members who

may not be familiar with ICTs and the information services that they require. Tele-centres can

provide a range of ICT-based services from which they can earn an income, such as telephone

use, photocopying and printing, email and word processing. This helps with financial self-

sustainability, which tele-centres are often required to attain, although some argue that ICT-based development services should not have to be paid for by poor people, and should be

provided as a public service, rather like libraries. The results of experiments with tele-centres

are mixed: some have demonstrated considerable benefits for their target audiences; others are

struggling with fragile connectivity and uncertain communities. Very few have achieved self-financing sustainability.


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Chapter 2Community Radio

What is Community Radio

Community radio services already broadcast in various countries around the world (forexample, Ireland, Australia, Canada and France). The definition of community radio used in

different parts of the world varies slightly from place to place, depending on various

considerations, such as government policy on cultural concerns. The definition the UK

Government proposes in its draft Community Radio Order draws on that used for the Access

Radio experiment (see paragraphs 13-18 below). It also reflects the core elements of

community radio recognised elsewhere in the world. It states that community radio:

Is primarily for the good of members of the public or of a particular community andin order to deliver social gain, rather than for commercial reasons.

Is intended primarily to serve a particular community (either people who live orwork or undergo education or training in a particular area or locality, referred to inthis document as a 'neighbourhood', or people who have one or more interests or

characteristics in common, referred to in this document as a 'community of interest')

Is not provided in order to make a financial profit, and uses any profit produced tosecure or improve the service or for the delivery of social gain to members of the

public or the target community

Offers members of the target community opportunities to participate in the operationof the service.

Despite rapid technological changes in telecommunications in the last few decades, radio

broadcasting remains the cheapest mode of information dissemination, equally catering to theneeds of the rich and poor, rural and urban masses and reaching the remotest parts of the

country. Needless to say, it plays a vital role in the country's socio-economic and cultural

development.

Among the various modes of radio broadcasting, community radio especially has an importantrole to play. Due to its focus on local concerns and aspirations and the interactive nature of its

programming, community radio can be a powerful medium for education and development.

The experience of a number of developing countries in using community radio for suchpurposes has clearly demonstrated its tremendous potential for strengthening grass-roots

democracy.

A community radio is a wireless media that is operated in the community, for the community,

about the community and by the community. The community can be territorial or


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geographical - a township, village, district or island. It can also be a group of people with

common interests, who are not necessarily living in one defined territory. Consequently,

community radio can be managed or controlled by one group, by combined groups, or ofpeople such as women, children, farmers, fisher folk, ethnic groups, or senior citizens. What

distinguishes community radio from other media is the high level of peoples participation,

both in management and program production aspects. Furthermore, individual communitymembers and local institutions are the principal sources of support for its operation.

Why Community RadioCommunity radio gives community members access to information because it gives themaccess to the means of communication. The most relevant information - educational and

developmental - is disseminated and exchanged. Important local issues are aired. A free

market place of ideas and opinions is opened up and people are given the opportunity to

express themselves socially, politically and culturally. Community radio helps to put the

community members in charge of their own affairs.

Characteristics of Community Radio

It serves a recognizable community. It encourages participatory democracy. It offers the opportunity to any member of the community to initiate communicationand participate in program making, management and ownership of the station. It uses technology appropriate to the economic capability of the people, not that

which leads to dependence on external sources.

It is motivated by community well being, not commercial considerations. It promotes and improves problem solving.

Principles of Community Radio Operation

Access to the facility is the primary step towards the full democratization of thecommunication system. People have access not only to the media products but also

to the media facilities. The feedback channel is always open and full interaction

between the producers and receivers of messages is maintained. Participation in the production and management of media is the logical step after

access. Citizens participation in radio is allowed at all levels from planning to

implementation and evaluation of the project. It involves the citizens in the decision-making process, including making decisions about the contents, duration and

program schedule. The citizens, or their representatives, also have a voice in the

management and financing of radio program projects.


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Self-management of the communication facility follows participation. Once thecommunity members gain necessary experience and assimilate the required skills

there is no reason for preventing them from managing and owning the radio station.

Community mandate is the inevitable result of the process of democratizing thecommunication system. Community mandate encompasses not only management but

also ownership of the radio.

Accountability is exercised. There is no sense in having the opportunity to operate,control and manage the station when accountability is not in the hands of themanagers and broadcasters.


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Chapter 3

Link Between Community Radio And Digital

Bangladesh

Briding Information and Knowledge Gap

Poverty reduction is a central component of Digital Strategy. Increasing equal access to,control of, and ability to derive benefits from socio-political and economic information can

contribute to the reduction of poverty by providing individuals and communities with the

opportunity to expand their choices and improve their livelihoods. This information may

range from high value agricultureal crop production to profitable markets and income

generating opportunities to the availability of government services and issues of governance

to information on health care and delivery, education, disaster management, political process,

and skills-development programs.

Inforamtion and knowledge fosters integrating into development programs and develop theability of peoples to access, utilize, manage and disseminate information and knowledge. Thisis done with a view to promoting socio-economic development using appropriate Digital

Technologies, coupled with the development of required associated skills. Digital

Technologies include a wide range of essential tools for sharing information such as radio,television, telephony, and the Internet.

Role of Community Radio in Creating Scpace for Participation

Sharing of Opinions is the key values of democracy. One of the ways to know if democracy is

working is if people are able to share their opinions freely and safely. Community radio is one

of mechanism to share opinions of community people to effectively work the democracy. The

uniqueness of Community Radio is about giving voice to the voiceless, being a

communication channel for the marginalized and demonstrating the possibility of the

democratization of information and communication channels within societies. Mostimportantly, community radio has proved that it is able to involve different cross section of

people specially women and to treat them not merely as a target audience, but as participating

agents, a valuable source of information and as peace-builders for their community andcountry.

Community Radio has demonstrated a positive contribution in empowering women in targetcommunities who can articulate their visions for equality, development and peace from local

to national level and beyond. Community radio can be safe, trusted and respected channels of


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information for a range of stakeholders, especially women, who remain sidelined from

mainstream media content. The next step is to strengthen and expand community radio

operations with women in local communities.

Across the rural region, even with the advancement of new media such as television and the

internet, radio is still the most accessible medium of mass communication for a majority ofthe people. From the comfort of peoples home, fields, to hat bazaars and in boats andbullock-carts one can hear the sound of radio. Radio reaches people who cannot read the dailynewspapers or watch television because of language (especially in the Chittagong Hill Tracts),

geography (remote chars and coastal areas) or cost barriers.

Community Radio in Acheivinging Goals of Digital Strategy of

Bangladesh

The community radio can become an important tool in Digital Strategy of Bangladesh to meet

the overall objectives of the Strategy through ensuring participation. Community Radio aims

to ensure policy-makers, mainstream media and broader civil society are more informed of

rural populations positive influence in communities and to make marginalized and socially

excluded people a strong advocate for social and economic development of the country. The

Community Radio by providing anecdotal evidence from rural population to help lobby for

improved implementation of social and economic agendas goals and commitments ofgovernment.


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Chapter 4

Potential Role Of Digital Bangladesh Through Community

Radio

Reduction of Knowledge and Information Gap

One of the critical success factors of a truly effective democratic Government is information a factor that is changing dramatically every day. The bureaucracy built for the colonial

industrial age needs to be transformed to meet the needs of the information age, with new

models better suited to the requirements of the 21st century.

The government of Bangladesh has recently committed to making public information

accessible to everyone through enacting the Right to Information Bill. Information should beavailable in the way the citizens of the country wants it, when they want it.

The people of Bangladesh expect that the government responds to their needs and is open to

their ideas. Digital Bangladesh believes that the right information in the right place at the right

time will deliver convenient, personalized and privacy-enhancing solutions.

Therefore Digital strategy mean a fundamental change in the ways the community, the

government and the private sector do business and the kinds of business they do. The country

need to exploit the potential of the digital world to foster entrepreneurship, creativity andinnovation in areas of strength and specialization of the country and seek out the best ideas

and solutions from the rest of the world and ensure appropriate use of digital technology to

increase economic growth across country.

Community Radio can build the platform for increased participation of people in the digitalstrategy through creating necessary awareness and highlighting benefits, cases studies and

best practices in the community.

Improve Life and Livelihood (Safety nets)

Definition of poverty nowadays goes beyond the view of income levels and it suggests that

poverty includes powerlessness, voicelessness, vulnerability, and fear. Therefore povertyshould not be defined merely as a lack of income and financial resources. It should also

include the deprivation of basic capabilities and lack of access to education, health, natural


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resources, employment, land and credit, political participation, services, and infrastructure.

An even broader definition of poverty sees it as being deprived of the information needed to

participate in the wider society, at the local, national or global level.

The assertion that a knowledge gap is an important determinant of persistent poverty,

combined with the notion that developed countries already possess the knowledge required toassure a universally adequate standard of living, suggest the need for policies that encouragegreater communication and information flows both within and between countries. One of thebest possible ways to achieve this greater interaction is through the use of Digital Strategy.

Reduction in Urban and Rural Digital Gap

The Empowerment Framework: welfare, access, conscientization, mobilization, controlsuggests reducing the digital gap between rural and urban, rich and the poor, male and female.

Welfare - the lowest level at which a development intervention may hope to close agap. The Digital Strategy should provide these benefits to bridge the gap, rather than

producing or acquiring such benefits to enlarge the gap.

Access the first level of empowerment is the opportunity to make use of DigitalTechnologies both in terms of technology and information and knowledge.

Control - the power to decide how the Digital Technologies and information benefitsare used, and who has access to them. Rural peoples access to ICTs and control of

them (or lack thereof) is dependent on many factors. Factors such as discriminationin profession and education, social class, illiteracy and geographic location, influencethe fact that the great majority of the rural population have no access to Digital

Technology or to any other sort of modern communication system, and possibly will

not in their lifetime. It is logical to deduce that as information dynamics accelerate

their migration towards the Internet, people without access are bound to suffer

greater exclusion. But there are also voices that insist that connectivity in itself is not

enough, and that providing rural people with computers and modems is not sufficient

for them to resolve their development problems.

Conscientisation - the process by which the rural people realize that their lack ofstatus and welfare, relative to urban people, is not due to their own lack of ability,

organization or effort.

Mobilization - the action level which complements conscientisation. Firstly itinvolves rural people coming together for the recognition and analysis of problems,

the identification of strategies to overcome discriminatory practices, and collective

action to remove these practices.

Control - the level that is reached when rural people have taken action so that there isequality in decision making over access to resources, so that rural population achieve

direct control over their access to resources.


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Therefore these five levels are not really a linear progression, but rather circular: the

achievement of rural populations increased control, leads into better access to resources, and

therefore improved socio-economic status. In making the Digital Strategy truly work for therural people the conscious efforts will have to be given in the intervention design process to

overcome the mind-set of merely limiting at the level of providing improved welfare, and

access to information. The Digital Strategy should enable rural peoples participation in aprocess for increased conscientisation and mobilization, as a means for increased action and

control.

Ensured Participation of Rural People in Governance

There is a growing understanding of the pivotal role that governments play in the system of

social institutions responsible for human development. For instance, the UN Millennium

Declaration (2000) that strongly focuses on human development and especially on poverty

eradication names solid public administration structures and good governance as necessary

conditions to achieve each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). In the Declaration,

the heads of State and Government pledged To work collectively for more inclusive political

processes, allowing genuine participation by all citizens in all () countries.

On the economic side, today, the three critical roles of a state are to create an enabling

environment for participating effectively in a global economy so that all segments of the

population are able to benefit from international trade and investment; to focus on pro-poor

policies that combat poverty and enhance the capacities of the poor to participate inproductive activities; and to strengthen the capacity of public institutions to promote sociallyequitable economic growth. For a state to achieve the goals of people-centered growth and

development, both participation of people in governance and transparency that enables good

governance are crucial. Moreover, as we have entered the Age of Knowledge, with all the

hopes and concerns that it brings, only genuine participation seems to constitute an adequate

tool for demanding and executing the needed transformations of social institutions, so that

people and information two main assets of the Knowledge Society can develop and the

great resource of knowledge can be used to support a high level of quality and safety of life.

Transparency per se is often demanded as a prerequisite of an effective anti-corruption policy.

However, this is only part of the picture. Lack of transparency corrupts the political system in

many different ways. It makes it easier for groups with special interests to convert publicvalue into private value; it allows public administration to continue with wrong decisions and

policies; and it raises the cost of participation in the political process and changing themanagement team for the opposition and citizens. Finally, a lack of transparency also hurts

the private sector, to the extent that business depends on inexpensive and open access toinformation to make well informed decisions about the allocation of resources. Therefore, the

pressure on governments to reform, become more transparent, and govern in a more

participatory way comes from many different directions. It is only natural that the option of

using ICT in various public processes, including those relevant to participation and

transparency, has been embraced by many as a possible solution.


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Peoples Participation in the Digital Strategy vs Conventional Models

Participation

IndicatorsConventional Models Digital Models

Mode of Participation Representative Individual / Collective

Domain of

ParticipationIn-Situ Ex-Situ

Approach to

ParticipationPassive / Reactive Pro-active / Interactive

Impact of Participation Indirect / Delayed Direct / Immediate

From the comparison above, it is evident that the use of Digital Model transforms governance

from "representative" to a more "individual based" form, and from "passive" to being "pro-

active". It does not require an individual to be based in the local constituency "in-situ" toinfluence or benefit from governance delivery services. Further as use of digital model leadsto closer contact of individuals with decision-makers/ officials in the government, the impact

is immediate. On the whole, it puts greater access and control over governance mechanism in

the hands of individuals, and in process leads to more transparent, accountable and efficient

governance.

Change in Mid-Set of Both Government and People

Since information is always considered as power, the traditional power-bearers in the society

have always realized the role of information to gain control and set up governancemechanisms in their constituencies. As a result the roles and responsibilities of the regulators

need to be defined adequately to support the enablers in the overall Digital Process.

In case ofgood governance, information is acquired and used strategically for public good

purposes. And in case ofbad governance, the same information is used for private gains and

for suppression of the citizens. In either forms of governance, the selective use of information

creates hierarchal structures on which power gets unequally distributed. The skew in the

distribution of power at each hierarchal level is proportional to the critical information

residing at each of these levels.

Access to information forms the basis of decision-making (which could be for publicgoodor private gains)


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Well-informed decision-making is dependent on the quality and timeliness ofinformation available

Limiting access to information to an exclusive group opens up avenues formanipulation of information for exploitative purposes, such as private gains

Good Governance rests on the pillars of knowledge and information and recognition of this

set of knowledge and information by the decision makers and people alike. Digitization of thisentire set of knowledge and information within a network which is open to all individuals (an

inclusive network by design) opens up possibilities for all to access and use this knowledgeand information - paving the way for the Digital Strategy of Bangladesh.

Introduction of the Digital Strategy of Bangladesh ensures that citizens of Bangladesh can

participate in, and influence decision-making processes which affect them closely and cansignificantly improve their life and livelihood. Citizens no longer remain passive recipients of

governance services provided to them, but can pro-actively decide the types and standards of

governance services they want and the governance structures which can best deliver them.

Enhanced Decision Making Capacity of Local People

Digital Strategy fosters social accountability - an approach towards building accountability

that relies on civic engagement in which the potential beneficiaries of public policies and

programs, ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations (CSOs), participate directly or

indirectly in exacting accountability aimed at ensuring effective and efficient service deliveryand value for money. It is generally a broad range of actions that citizens, communities andCSOs uses to hold government officials and bureaucrats accountable but also covers actions

on the part of government, civil society, media and other actors to promote or facilitate these

efforts. These include citizen participation in public policy making, participatory budgeting,

public expenditure tracking, citizen monitoring of public service delivery, citizen advisory

boards, lobbying and advocacy campaigns. Mechanisms that involve participation of citizens

in the process of managing public resources have proved to be particularly effective. Themain arguments underlying the importance of Social Accountability are that it promotes good

governance, increases development effectiveness, and empowers the people.

Digital Strategy is a powerful medium of sharing information about social accountability

initiatives among civil society groups. It can be used as a medium of sharing experiences,

successes and failures as well as lessons learnt in their work among such groups. Digital

Technologies can inform, educate and share experiences on these issues with all types ofstakeholders. In the case of public procurement, government agencies could compare prices

offered by various sellers, get the contracts most advantageous for them but more importantly,

this would enable ordinary citizens to challenge office holders who inflate prices and

contracts. This requires citizens engagement which can be easily achieved through Digital

Technologies.


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Chapter 5

Conclusions

Information and knowledge are among the resources fundamental to the development process.

Access to information and knowledge, other than strengthening civil society, contributes to

poverty reduction by allowing individuals and communities to expand their choices. This

information and knowledge can relate to, for example, financially viable markets and income

generat

community radio and digital strategy in bnagladesh

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