Conceptualizing and Realizing A Smart City Model for Bangladesh

Abstract: The outbreak of the novel Corona Virus in 2019, named COVID-19, causes the ongoing global pandemic. This pandemic has a devastating socio-economic impact across the globe. On the other hand, due to the pre-pandemic aggressive urbanization with the steep population growth, modern cities also facing substantial challenges. Hence, usage of technology is anticipated to be the precondition for adaptive, resilient, and sustainable development, where, a smart city is defined as the accumulated advanced ideas of information and technology aiming to ensure a decent quality of life for the inhabitants. Considering the current growth rate of 1.9 percent, the projected population of Bangladesh will exceed 180 million in 2026. It is also speculated that Dhaka being the capital will be populated with 14 million inhabitants. Moreover, Dhaka has already been labeled as the most densely populated city in the world. Thus, concerned authorities are facing enormous challenges to provide and ensure fundamental services to the in-habitants. Therefore, this has become the need of the hour to conceptualize an information and communication technology-driven smart city for Bangladesh. A smart city may contain numerous components; however, the proposed framework identifies seven components and services for smart cities in Bangladesh. These are healthcare, education, transportation, public safety, real estate, utilities, and city administration. Discussions on these components are carried out in this paper.