Union Digital Center

        Union Parishad is the oldest local government body in the country. It is the government closest to the people at the grassroots level. The 'Union Digital Center', an information technology center set up in the Union Parishad, has given a new dimension to the Parishad.On 11 November 2010, the Hon'ble Prime Minister inaugurated the Union Digital Center (UDC) simultaneously in all the Union Parishads across the country through video conferencing from her office and the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Miss Helen Clark from Char Kukrimukri Union in Bhola District. The main goal of UDC is to transform the Union Parishad into a strong institution so that these institutions can play their due role in establishing an information and knowledge-based country by 2021. In addition, these centers can play a far-reaching role in bringing public and private information and services closer to the people, bridging the technological divide and connecting all citizens to modern information flow systems.

       The UDC's journey began with Mlogan at the helm of the people at Service at Doorsteps. The establishment of UDC has made it possible to create a free flow of information in every sphere of society and state system, where people no longer have to go door to door for services, but services are reaching the doorsteps of the people. Free flow of information is one of the prerequisites for people's empowerment.

        With the establishment of Union Digital Center, ordinary citizens are now getting about 70 types of public-private services from UDC easily, cheaply and without any hassle. About 11.5 crore services have been provided since its inception, and UISC entrepreneurs are earning Rs.

Notable government services of UDC are : land deeds, life insurance, rural electricity bill payment, government forms, public examination results, online university admission, online birth and death registration, VGF-VGD list, citizen certificate, citizen application, agricultural information, Health counseling etc.Private services are: Mobile Banking, Computer Training, Photography, Internet Browsing, Email, Job Information, Composing, British Council English Education, Visa Application & Tracking, Video Conferencing, Printing, Scanning, Photocopying, Laminating etc.

Here are some Notable services:

• Providing computer training is one of the most important services of UISC. This initiative is very important for building a technology based society. UDC is currently providing low cost computer training using 3,63 multimedia projectors. From November 2010 to March 2014, about 52,000 students received computer training from UDC.
• Life Insurance Corporation, a state-owned insurance company, has launched life insurance services in 2,6 UDCs across the country to reach out to the rural population. So far, a total of 36,000 citizens have received the service.
• Mobile banking activities are underway in 2373 UISCs of 4 banks (Dutch Bangla, Trust, One Bank and bKash) across the country with the aim of providing banking services to the grassroots people deprived of banking facilities. So far, about 60,000 citizens have received the service.
• Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB) has so far made arrangements to pay rural electricity bills through 726 UDCs to deliver services to the doorsteps of the people.
• Telemedicine has been launched from 30 Union Digital Centers with the help of the Department of Health with the aim of bringing health facilities to the doorsteps of the disadvantaged people in rural areas. There are also health camps in more than 500 UDC's

          A poor farmer is being empowered by getting the right information from UDC at the right time; As a result, both his agricultural production and his income are increasing. An ordinary citizen can apply for a copy of the land deed without going to the upazila or district office, which saves him time, labor and money. A village student can apply for university admission through SMS from his / her own village.A migrant worker is able to learn English using a digital medium. Even in remote areas, ordinary people can access medical services through video conferencing. People affected by climate change are able to predict local disasters in just a few seconds.In this way, UDC has made the Union Parishad an 'effective and people's institution' by providing various government information to the rural people.

          And UDC Entrepreneur has made Union Digital Center effective. There are two entrepreneurs working in each center; A boy and a girl. Having a woman entrepreneur has increased the easy access of women to the center. The entrepreneur is an investor, not an employee and earns his living from the income earned by providing services to the people. In other words, a total of 9,094 young ICT entrepreneurs have become self-employed in 4,548 centers. Since the information and service center operates on a public-private partnership model, the government as well as the entrepreneurs have invested. Already, a number of entrepreneurs are doing well in the face of extreme adversity, earning more than Rs 50,000 a month by providing a variety of public-private e-services to citizens. Entrepreneur of Arabpur UDC, Jessore, Nadira of Ponabalia UDC, Josna, Entrepreneur of Nitpur UDC, Naogaon, Udyakta of Rangpur. There has been a lot of movement and struggle to turn the government institution into a strong and effective service organization.But changing local government institutions is a long process and a matter of political culture. This is not possible overnight. Changes have to be made through a gradual process. At one time people did not use the union council very much. The Union Parishad was occasionally used only for rural arbitration. The idea of the people was that the Union Parishad was not opened regularly. UDC has changed that perception. At present the access of people to the Union Parishad has increased. More than 4 million people are receiving various government-private e-services from UDC every month. The establishment of UDCC in the Union Parishad has multiplied the capacity of the Union Parishad and strengthened the local government system. In view of the successful experience of UISC, 'Municipal Digital Centers (PDCs)' have been set up in 319 municipalities of the country and 406 'City Digital Centers (CDCs)' have been set up at ward level in 11 city corporations.

           Local administration is directly involved in the work of UDC. Upazila Nirbahi Officers are directly involved in the work of UDC sustainability including supervision as Upazila e-Gov: Focal Point and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Overall) as District e-Gov: Focal Point. Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners take decisions in this regard and give necessary instructions. The Cabinet Division and the Local Government Department coordinate this work. As a result, people's confidence in the Union Parishad has increased a lot.

            The Union Parishad Chairman, as the Chairman of the UDC Steering Committee, monitors the activities of the UDC. And the secretary of the union council cooperated closely in this work. The District Information Officer takes all possible initiatives in the promotion of UDC. As a result, Union Parishad has become a prestigious institution for the common man, Union Parishad Chairman, Secretary and members.