C T Online Desk: Over the past decade and a half, digital solutions have been a major reason for Bangladesh’s turnaround as an economy; it was embracing the Digital Bangladesh identity back in 2008 that allowed us to leapfrog.
To that end, it has been encouraging to see Eid cattle markets this year embrace digital solutions for an easier time for the people, with temporary digital services booths of various banks set up for cashless transactions as well as fake note detection machines as well as note counting machines.
This is a step in the right direction; Bangladesh has long held ambitions of becoming an economy that is less and less dependent on cash. As such, initiatives such as this can begin the process of steering people away from the need to have transactions in cash always and rather engage in digital transactions that can then have an official track record.
With that said, it is equally important for the authorities concerned to not digitize without thought, and to always ensure that digitization is a boon to the people and not a hindrance. Cash remains the preferred medium of transaction for the vast majority of people, and instead of forcing digital means on people, exercising patience and having awareness campaigns to educate them on the benefits of digital solutions should be the focus.
Moving forward, we hope to see digital solutions across more and more services in the country. Digitization has been a constant reason for our nation’s progress and it shall continue to be so. However, we must digitize for the people first and foremost, and ensure that these efforts are always benefiting them.
