DHAKA: The government has started facilitating services for the people through mobile applications (apps) formally from Wednesday.

Among 100 useful mobile apps, in the morning, state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak inaugurated 25 apps in a ceremony at city’s Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) auditorium in Agargaon.

However, the services range from birth registration to air and rail ticket purchase, plus health and education services – all being just a touch away.

Sources told banglanews that the initiative, taken by the ICT division under a project titled ‘Jonogoner Aro Kache’, is a part of building a ‘smart Bangladesh’.

Nevertheless, Zunaid Ahmed Palak said that the government has made such efforts in a bid to ensuring people’s easy access to public services through handy devices.

“Moreover, the respective departments will update these apps gradually,” he added.

The junior minister also said that if local investors take projects to produce smartphones in Bangladesh, the government will assist them in all aspects.

Mentioning ‘it will also inspire the mobile operators to offer internet at a cheaper’ Palak added that still the country people need a lot of local apps as now most of the young generations are using 3G.

Conversely, the services, which are being introduced, include imparting all information about social safety program, women’s personal safety, agriculture, health, education, old-age allowances and utilities through mobiles and tablets.

Moreover, all these applications are being launched in google, google play and all other platforms.

Information commissioner Mohammad Faruk, BASIS (Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services) senior president Rasel T Ahmed and BCC president Abu Hanif M Mahfujul Arif, among others, were present at the ceremony.

BDST: 1402 HRS, SEP 24, 2014