[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1135, 208], "category": "Text", "text": "proposed Action will also play a role in reducing the high incidence of corruption in Bangladesh, which is pervasive in many activity sectors and undermines good governance and service delivery."}, {"bbox": [96, 232, 1135, 313], "category": "Text", "text": "Under the general objective of improving the transparency, responsiveness, integrity and accountability in public service delivery through enhanced use of e-government tools and processes based on a human-centric approach, the proposed Action introduces three specific objectives:"}, {"bbox": [96, 313, 1135, 366], "category": "List-item", "text": "(1) (Government to Government - G2G): To improve the digital interaction, coordination and communication between government ministries, agencies and departments."}, {"bbox": [96, 366, 1135, 419], "category": "List-item", "text": "(2) (Government to Employees - G2E): To strengthen the capacities of public sector employees for improved organisational performance and public service delivery."}, {"bbox": [96, 419, 1053, 446], "category": "List-item", "text": "(3) (Government to Citizens - G2C): To improve the quality of public services and their delivery for all."}, {"bbox": [96, 471, 1135, 631], "category": "Text", "text": "By supporting Bangladesh as a developing economy and society through a human-centric digitalisation process and by promoting EU digital standards, the proposed Action will contribute to the implementation of key EU priorities in the area of digitalisation forging a stronger partnership with Bangladesh in the context of regional cooperation in South and South-East Asia. Through the foreseen implementation modalities and partners, the proposed Action will strive to promote Global Gateway by helping Bangladesh address the digital divide and further integrate into the global digital ecosystem."}, {"bbox": [96, 656, 1135, 791], "category": "Text", "text": "The proposed Action is based on the Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2021-2027 priority 2.3 \"Inclusive Governance\" and specific objective 3. \"Public service delivery and financial/fiscal management are improved through digital governance\" with the aim to improve the transparency, responsiveness, integrity and accountability in public service delivery through enhanced use of ICT tools and solutions. The EUD will support efforts that focus on equal digital access to reduce intersectional disparities that affect equal access to digital public services.²"}, {"bbox": [96, 815, 1135, 896], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action is also aligned with the thematic priority on grasping the opportunities for women through digitalisation set by the EU Gender Action Plan III³, the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024, and with the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013 (RPPDA)."}, {"bbox": [85, 923, 313, 956], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2. RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 989, 214, 1017], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [96, 1035, 1135, 1276], "category": "Text", "text": "During the last decade, Bangladesh has witnessed a remarkable economic and infrastructural growth, with significant progress in human development⁴ and on poverty and inequality reduction, which made it to graduate from its status of Least Development Country (LDC), with a delayed effect as of 2026. Inequality remains a challenge, with a Gini Coefficient Index at 32.4% (2016)⁵. The importance of digitalisation has been acknowledged by the Government of Bangladesh through “Digital Bangladesh 2021”⁶, a strategic document adopted in 2009 which sets digitalisation as core to the overall economic development strategy, and in particular as a means for the country's poverty reduction, socio-economic growth and human capital development. After the launch of “Digital Bangladesh”, the Government of Bangladesh has started to introduce ICT solutions in key sectors including public finance management, taxation, health, education, public administration and social welfare."}, {"bbox": [96, 1300, 1135, 1407], "category": "Text", "text": "The ICT Division of the Ministry of Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology launched in August 2019 the “e-Government Master Plan for Digital Bangladesh”⁷ with the support of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The e-Government Master Plan’s purpose was to provide middle to long-term strategies and implementation plans for improving public service delivery.⁸ Also, Bangladesh’s programme, “Aspire to Innovate”"}, {"bbox": [85, 1449, 548, 1472], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² Country Level Implementation Plan (CLIP) for Bangladesh."}, {"bbox": [85, 1472, 803, 1494], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-01/join-2020-17-final_en.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1494, 1143, 1537], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴ Its gross national income per capita increased by about 252% between 1990 and 2021. Human Development Report data centre, Bangladesh.\nhttps://hdr.undp.org/data-center/specific-country-data#/countries/BGD"}, {"bbox": [85, 1537, 586, 1560], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=BD"}, {"bbox": [85, 1560, 344, 1581], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ https://digitalbangladesh.gov.bd/"}, {"bbox": [85, 1581, 1143, 1624], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ https://bcc.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/bcc.portal.gov.bd/publications/3f9cd471_9905_4122_96ee_ced02b7598a9/2020-05-24-15-54-43f3d2b8b4523b5b62157b069302c4db.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1624, 429, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ https://ictd.gov.bd/site/view/policies/Policy-"}, {"bbox": [1037, 1681, 1143, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 36"}]