Bangladesh plans digital identity wallet system

Plans are afoot to execute a unique digital ID-connected digital wallet system for all citizens in Bangladesh, aiming to streamline access to both public and private services by integrating identity and financial transactions into a single platform, boosting efficiency and convenience.

Rehan Asif Asad, adviser to the Prime Minister for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology said that digital sovereignty will be critical for future digital leadership, with a strong focus on cybersecurity as its foundation, stressing the importance of joining these elements into the national data policy and data protection frameworks during a roundtable discussion on telecom policy organized by the Telecom and Technology Reporters’ Network Bangladesh (TRNB) recently.

This will be done within 12 to 18 months.

Bangladesh is launching a mandatory Unique Business Identity (UBI) and digital ID system for e-commerce companies to limit fraud and increase transparency, in an effort to reinstate public trust in e-commerce following widespread fraud.

A pilot project in Bangladesh aims to issue 22 million unique farmers’ IDs by 2028, to boost the efficiency of agricultural subsidies and services. This initiative is anticipated to streamline processes and expand access to resources for farmers.

Additionally, a digital health card pilot has been launched, utilizing a unified biometric database to start unique digital profiles for patients. It is designed to replace traditional physical medical records, thus remodelling healthcare management and improving patient data accessibility.

Article Topics

Bangladesh  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  financial services  |  government services