Staff Reporter:
Speakers at an inception workshop on the e‑Parliament Feasibility Study on Thursday underscored the necessity of digital transformation to create a more inclusive, transparent and citizen‑responsive parliament in Bangladesh.
Hosted jointly by the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat (BPS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Dhaka, with support from the Swiss Embassy, the event forms part of UNDP’s Strengthening Institutions, Policies and Services (SIPS) project, and contributes to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul inaugurated the workshop as chief guest.
He said, “For a parliament to truly represent the people, it must be transparent, participatory and accountable. The e‑Parliament initiative offers a historic opportunity to rebuild public trust and restore parliamentary oversight – values long absent from our political culture. But to succeed, we must also ensure free, fair and inclusive elections that bring genuine representatives to the House.”
Stefan Liller, UNDP resident representative in Bangladesh, explained, “Technology can broaden access, reduce time and cost, and enable real‑time policy analysis. But the ultimate aim is a more accountable, participatory and responsive institution. UNDP is proud to continue its partnership with the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat as a knowledge broker and long‑term ally in strengthening democratic governance.”
Corinne H Pignani, chargée d’affaires at the Swiss Embassy, observed, “The best way to serve citizens is to enable citizen‑centric management of parliamentary affairs.”
Md Mizanur Rahman, secretary of the BPS, delivered the welcome address.
Other speakers included AKM Benjamin Riazi, additional secretary of the BPS, and Anowarul Haq, assistant resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh.
Virtual contributions came from Agata Walczak, democratic institutions and processes specialist at UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and Avinash Bikha, parliamentary digital transformation specialist at the Inter‑Parliamentary Union.
They shared global best practices from Armenia, Bhutan and Serbia, demonstrating how digital tools enhance parliamentary transparency and public engagement.
Attended by over 80 participants – from all branches of the BPS, relevant government departments, development partners and UNDP experts – the workshop combined group work and stakeholder dialogue to identify the e‑service needs of MPs and Secretariat staff, assess existing ICT infrastructure and capacity, and outline a roadmap for a comprehensive e‑Parliament system.
