The 3-day Smart District Innovation Challenge 2023 bootcamp ended with the grooming of 52 innovative ideas proposed by the district administration to build a smart district for the implementation of Smart Bangladesh. These innovative ideas will then be presented for technical evaluation. The bootcamp was organized at the Gangchil Auditorium of the National Science and Technology Museum, on 19 July 2023 in Dhaka. Mr. Md. Shamsul Arefin, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division, inaugurated the program. Project Director (Additional-Secretary) Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir of a2i was present at the time.
a2i Innovation Fund (AIF) started the ‘Smart District Innovation Challenge 2023’ competition for District Administrators to build smart districts through District Administrators to implement Smart Bangladesh. The district administration submitted 75 short-term ideas from all over the country. This bootcamp was conducted from July 17 to 19 with initially selected 52 district administration-related officials. District administration officials participating in the bootcamp received mentoring in 10 sessions including feasibility, idea concept, business strategy, technology, and team management. A total of 156 representatives from each district including one Additional District Commissioner, one Assistant Commissioner, and one technical person participated in this bootcamp. a2i’s NPF Specialist (Deputy Secretary), Mr. Mohammad Mohammad Samsozzaman, moderated the Bootcamp program.
The secretary of the information and communication technology division Md. Shamsul Arefin said that the work of building a smart Bangladesh will be accelerated through the formation of smart districts. He also said, ‘Smart District Innovation Challenge 2023 is a timely initiative to accelerate the work of building a Smart Bangladesh and I applaud a2i for taking such an initiative. 64 districts are covered under this challenge fund with the aim of building Smart Bangladesh. Great ideas have been received from the district administration to form smart districts. If the ideas can be worked properly, I believe the districts will be transformed into smart districts. At the same time, efficient administration will be created.’
The civil service needs to acquire various skills for knowledge-based decision-making to lead Vision 2041: Smart Bangladesh, mentioned a2i Project Director (Additional Secretary) Dr. Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir. He said, ‘The development of the whole of Bangladesh depends a lot on those who are in the administration. Future smart Bangladesh also depends on it. Such an arrangement will give motivation to the district administration. Accompanying this motivation, the district administrators should engage in building Smart Bangladesh.’
At the event, Mr. Naeem Ashrafi, Head of a2i Innovation Fund, presented the process of the Innovation Challenge and the rules of the pitch deck presentation. He said, ‘District administrators submitted various innovative ideas to build smart Bangladesh by implementing citizen-friendly services including education, health care, social security, agriculture, manufacturing, service sector, administration, utilities using state-of-the-art technology including artificial intelligence, big data analytics. From here, one or more Deputy Commissioners will get a seed fund of up to Tk 1 crore for the implementation of the smart district initiative.
Note that the district administrators participating in the bootcamp will participate in the final round of the Smart District Innovation Challenge 2023. From this final round, the finalists of the competition will be selected by a selection panel consisting of experienced judges.
Mr. Mohammad Khurshed Alam Khan, Deputy Secretary of the Field Administration Coordination Branch of the Cabinet Division; Mr. Iqbal Ahmed Fakhrul Hasan (Russell), Founder and Managing Director of Divine IT Limited; Mr. Mohammad Samsozzaman, NPF Specialist (Deputy Secretary) of a2i; were present as mentors in the bootcamp. Also, related people including a2i were present at the event.