Digitalisation of municipal services can improve citizens’ life: Municipality mayors

Digitalisation of municipal services can enhance the quality of life for citizens and strengthen the local economy, according to leaders of the Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB).

"Digital services can be ensured by providing training to municipal officials, which will further improve the quality of life for citizens," said Khalid Hossain, MAB's general secretary, at the opening ceremony of the association's virtual platform digital capacity building training programme at a city hotel today (2 June).   

The virtual platform is expected to create virtual contact between the municipalities through digital capacity building. 

Addressing the event, Dewan Kamal Ahmed, president of MAB and Mayor of Nilphamari Municipality, said, "As a result, municipalities will be able to share their work and plans with each other."

Consequently, every municipality in the country will move forward simultaneously, he added. 

Speaking at the event as the chief guest, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Tajul Islam said, "If public representatives and government officials remain committed to serving the people, all the country's problems and challenges can be addressed."

The move to create a digital platform for municipalities has been jointly initiated by the governments of Bangladesh and Switzerland under a project called 'PRABRIDDHI.' 

It is being implemented by the Local Government Division (LGD) and Switzerland-based Swisscontact.

The project aims to build competitive advantages for local enterprises and improve the economic well-being of municipal workers and residents through participatory short-term planning and public-private collaboration.

Speakers also emphasised creating an interaction between the municipality and local businessmen. 

The event was also attended by Markus Ehmann, team leader of PRABRIDDHI, Kamal Hossain, joint secretary at the LGD and the project director.