The ‘Dutabash’ app, which started in July last to minimize the hassle of expatriates has created a stir. In the last four months, more than 500,000 people have registered under this app which gives 34 kinds of services including police clearance, birth and death certificate, education certificate and other documents.
For these services, one does not have to go to the embassy or the mission anymore. For providing reliable service, this app has earned the first prize of BASIS National ICT.
As a result, the app has found a place at the Asia Pacific ICT Association’s APP competition to be held in Vietnam next month.
A foreign office official said: “This is a huge achievement for the foreign ministry and once implemented fully, the service taker will be saved from additional cost and time.”
The app can be used in both android and Apple phones.
“We will implement Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, by 2030 and the app will play a role in attaining that end,” said the official.
The current slogan is: “Digital Bangladesh is in the hands of people.” But our slogan is: “Digital Bangladesh is in the hands of people in and out of the country.”
Work is already on to engage with the education ministry, the department for immigration and passport and the ministry of local government for birth certificates and other information.
A cell has been formed to implement the Dutabash project and people have been employed to offer 24 hour service.
“To popularize this, we will take steps so any Bangladeshi can get service at the lowest cost and the shortest time,” said a foreign office official, adding: “We hope to get 30 to 40 million subscribers for the app in the next few years.”
To avail of the service from the Dutabash app, a person needs to open an account in the app and upload the service app as per his/her requirement.
For instance, if a person wants education certificates attested then images of the certificate, passport and NID will have to be uploaded, which will then be assessed by the foreign ministry.
Within a short period, the ministry will send the attested papers to the service seeker’s account, who can print the papers for further use.