National Blockchain Strategy: Bangladesh

March 2020

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Strategies and Action Plans

The ‘National Blockchain Strategy: Bangladesh’ document outlines a comprehensive strategy for enabling blockchain technology across various sectors in Bangladesh. Here’s a summary of the key elements of the strategy:

Vision and Goals

The strategy aims to guide Bangladesh into becoming a blockchain-enabled nation, leveraging blockchain technology to improve technical capacity, increase efficiency in e-governance, and foster innovation. The overarching vision includes achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and maintaining sustainable development growth.

Strategic Agendas

  1. Application Domains and Use-Cases: Identify where blockchain can play a vital role in various sectors such as finance, land, health, agriculture, and more.
  2. Challenges Identification: Recognise technical and organisational challenges in adopting blockchain.
  3. Mitigation Strategies: Formulate strategies to overcome identified challenges.
  4. Awareness and Capacity Building: Increase awareness and promote research, innovation, and training in blockchain technology.
  5. Innovation Promotion: Encourage blockchain-based innovations to address existing system issues and create demand for blockchain expertise.
  6. Capacity Development: Develop a skilled workforce to meet future blockchain demands.

Technical and Organisational Challenges

  • Technical Challenges: Immaturity of technology, vendor lock-in, scalability issues, privacy concerns, lack of interoperability, and lack of technical expertise.
  • Organisational Challenges: Lack of awareness, readiness, governance issues, absence of regulatory frameworks, legal complexities, integration with legacy systems, and transformation of business models.

Strategic Goals

  • Short-term Goals (by 2021):
    • Prioritise use-cases.
    • Develop a feasibility framework.
    • Promote education and training.
    • Explore the development of a national blockchain platform.
    • Pilot blockchain integration in government services.
    • Facilitate blockchain-based innovations and start-ups.
    • Allocate funds and develop blockchain-friendly legal frameworks.
  • Mid-term Goals (by 2025):
    • Implement a national blockchain platform.
    • Integrate a significant portion of government and private services with the platform.
    • Promote public blockchain outsourcing opportunities.
    • Expand blockchain research and education.
    • Create a blockchain-friendly environment for integration with other emerging technologies.
  • Long-term Goals (by 2030):
    • Develop a resilient national infrastructure supported by blockchain.
    • Achieve comprehensive e-governance integration.
    • Ensure fair competition, accountability, and transparency.
    • Continue to allocate funds for sustaining blockchain initiatives.

Action Points

  • Building Expertise: Form a team of blockchain experts, technologists, academicians, and government officials.
  • Initial Piloting: Highlight use-cases for initial piloting that can bring significant benefits to government service delivery.
  • Developing Infrastructure: Formulate plans to develop a blockchain-integrated national information infrastructure.
  • Service Integration: Plan to integrate relevant online services with a suitable blockchain platform.
  • Research and Innovation: Promote research, innovation, training, and awareness.
  • Funding: Release funds to initiate and maintain these activities.