ISSN : 1997-1052 (Print)
2227-202X (Online)
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Prospects of One-Stop Service in Rural Bangladesh: The Experience of Union Digital Centers
Md. Robiul Islam, Abdur Rahman
Abstract

One-stop service obliterated digited divide between urban and rural communities to speed up service delivery. The key objective of the study was to analyze the prospects of one-stop service with a focus on Union Digital Center in Bangladesh. The study followed a cross-sectional survey and data were collected through a survey questionnaire from 160 service recipients and semi-structured interviews with 16 UDC entrepreneurs & 8 UP Chairman. The overall results exposed that prospects of one-stop service from Union Digital Centers are very low in the future. Specifically, the socio-political influence over UDC’s function is getting higher by local politicians and the UP Chairman. Due to the growing affinity between entrepreneurs and the ruling political party, UDC as a one-stop service center is losing its entity and objectivity. In some cases, political leaders got supremacy over community people while receiving services from digital centers. Entrepreneurs are always in a dilemma about their job security. The study also reveals that UDC is mostly accountable through the administrative mechanism. Due to the absence of a grievance system, entrepreneurs are not becoming publicly accountable for their service delivery. The findings of the study will be an important guideline for government policymakers, administration, local authorities, and UP Chairman to rethink how one-stop service will be continuing through Union Digital Centers in the long run.

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