ABSTRACT
In recent decades, three successive waves of public service reform have taken place in the world relating to structural reform, capacity building and service improvement (Kiragu 2002). Among them, the most recent surge focusing on the improvement of public service delivery by making it faster, more efficient, responsive and accessible to the citizen through the application of information and communications technology (ICT), commonly known as e-government, has been one of the key concerns of administrative reform across the world. Seen as a revolution in public administration, the advent of e-government represents a solution to many of the perennial problems of the public sector (Siddiquee 2013). It promises not only to improve efficiency in service delivery but also to promote transparency and accountability, thereby reducing corruption and mismanagement in public governance (Bhatnagar 2004; OECD 2003). In line with the global trend, Bangladesh has also joined the movement toward providing the benefits of ICT to its citizens, and to ensure transparent, timely and hassle-free delivery of public services. It has adopted several measures aimed at improving the state of governance and service delivery systems since the 1990s. In recent years the e-government movement in Bangladesh has gained new momentum. A shift in focus from an isolated infrastructure development approach to e-government, to an approach aimed at streamlining it to national development policies and making it citizen focused has taken place. The country is now moving toward delivering public services through an integrated and interconnected approach by introducing the National E-Service System (NESS).
