Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. File Photo

SANGSAD BHABAN, June 16, 2026 (BSS) - Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said the government is working to transform Union Digital Centres (UDCs) into modern and more effective service hubs to ensure easy access to public services through digital platforms.

Responding to a tabled scripted question from ruling party lawmaker Anisur Rahman (Madaripur-3) in the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said, “The Local Government Division and a2i under the ICT Division are working to transform Union Digital Centres across the country into modern and more effective service centres,”

He said citizens are already receiving a wide range of government services digitally through these centres.
The minister informed the House that “a2i and UNDP are conducting a baseline assessment for the implementation of Digital Centre 2.0 across the country.”

Highlighting measures to strengthen the centres, Mirza Fakhrul said regular capacity-building training programmes are being arranged to keep entrepreneurs engaged and motivated.

He said financial inclusion initiatives have already introduced agent banking and mobile financial services at digital centres nationwide.

The minister added that the government is actively considering programmes to enhance the skills of entrepreneurs operating expatriate help desks. “A ‘Probashi Help Desk’ is being established at every centre to facilitate remittance withdrawal and reintegration services for expatriates,” he said.

He further said initiatives have been taken to establish “Skills Fusion Centres” to improve youth employability, while training programmes on freelancing and e-commerce are also being introduced.

Regarding Madaripur district, Mirza Fakhrul told parliament that 59 Union Parishads currently have 77 entrepreneurs providing citizen services through digital centres.

The government’s ongoing digitalisation efforts are aimed at expanding technology-based public service delivery and strengthening grassroots access to government services across the country, he added.