EC framework:

EC applications are supported by infrastructure and by the five policymaking support
areas. These pilars are:
o People: Seller, buyers, intermediaries, information systems specialists, other
employees, and any other participants compries an important support area.
o Public policy: Legal and other policy and regulating issues, such as privacy
protection and taxation, which are determined by governments.
o Marketing and Advertisement: Like any other business, EC usually rerquires the
support of marketing and advertising. This is especially important in B2C online
transactions in which the buyers and sellers usually do not know each other.
o Support Services: Many services are needed to support EC. These range from content
creation to payments to order delivery.
o Business Partnership: The interactions between a company and its suppliers,
customers, and other partner in a supply chain.

Is e-commerce the same as e-business?

E-commerce and e-business are distinct concepts. In e-commerce, information and
communications technology (ICT) is used in inter-business or inter-organizational
transactions (transactions between and among firms/organizations) and in business-toconsumer
transactions (transactions between firms/organizations and individuals).
In e-business, on the other hand, ICT is used to enhance one’s business. It includes any
process that a business organization (either a for-profit, governmental or non-profit
entity) conducts over a computer-mediated network.

Electronic commerce:

Electronic commerce:
E-commerce is the use of electronic communications and digital information processing
technology in business transactions to create, transform, and redefine relationships for
value creation between or among organizations, and between organizations and
individuals.
E-business:
E-business involves business processes spanning the entire value chain: electronic
purchasing and supply chain management, processing orders electronically, handling
customer service, and cooperating with business partners.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING E-GOVERNMENT AND M-GOVERNMENT:

Some recommendations for an overall eGovernment strategy are given below:
o Stress awareness about ICT among government officials: Training programs should
stress awareness of the potential of ICT in government rather than concentrate on
typing skills and other rudimentary applications.
o Consider public-private partnership-based eGovernment models: The Government
often does not have adequate technical, managerial or financial resources. Such
partnerships may contribute in the governmental services.
o Organize marketing campaigns for available eGovernment services: The
Government should undertake marketing campaigns to make the public more aware
of the existence and usefulness of these websites.
o Build ICT infrastructure throughout the government: There should be plans for
computers to be connected internally in offices through local area networks, and in
turn to be inter-connected with other relevant offices through a wide area network
(WAN).
o Improve ICT access by citizens: It is important for the Government to ensure that the
cost of ICT (Internet and Telephone) is reduced to make it affordable for a wider
section of the population. Other more prevalent media such as TV, radio, telephone,
and newspapers can draw on information from relevant websites to serve the needs of
those who do not have personal access to the Internet.
o Emphasize Bangla interface for citizen services: Most citizen services should have
Bangla interface (Bangla content on the web or in other digital format is a major
impediment) as a matter of policy since a vast majority of the population is still not
comfortable with English.
o Allow revenue budget for recruitment of ICT human resource in government offices: It is
important to recruit ICT human resources through the revenue budget to ensure the
sustainability of eGovernment projects, many of which are launched under the
development budget through financial assistance from donor agencies.
o Create online payment gateway: Gateways should be established to allow citizens to
fully benefit from online services and to enable the Government to generate revenues
from online payments and related functions.
o Introduce cyber laws: Some of the issues to be included in the legal framework are
laws to protect intellectual property; laws for acceptance of documents in electronic
format (such as downloaded documents); cyber-terrorism laws that protect against
unauthorized hacking; and laws to enable electronic authentication.

ISSUES WITH M-GOVERNMENT:

o Small screen
o Wireless and mobile networks and related infrastructure, as well as software, must be
developed
o To increase citizen participation and provide citizen-oriented services, governments
need to offer easy access to mGovernment information in alternative forms
o Capabilities of hardware, operating systems and browsers
o Mobile phone numbers and mobile devices are relatively easily hacked and wireless
networks are vulnerable because they use public airwaves to send signals
o Many countries have not yet adopted legislation for data and information practices
that spell out the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of the data holders
(government).

FOCUS AREA FOR M-GOVERNMENT:

Some m-Government services are discussed below:
M-communication
Communication among G2C, G2B, G2G through SMS/ SMS e-mail/ MMS/e-mail alerts
technologies are used. Using WAP, GPRS and higher technology for PDAs, hand-helds .
M-payment
Fees for official information or any kind of service fees people can pay through his
mobile phone or PDA. In Finland, SMS tickets can be used for Helsinki’s public
transport system. These tickets can be ordered by sending a text message and the user is
billed through his or her regular mobile phone bill.
M-voting
Now mobile voting is very much popular in many TV program. It may be simple SMS
or SMS using Mobile devices.
M-transportation
Mobile devices can easily transmit changes in transportation conditions and logistics. The
graphic functions of mobile devices can produce computer-generated maps, flight routes,
stop locations for delivery, distribution and maintenance.
M-Government and Health Care System
Health online or electronic health is a current priority for many governments, e.g. EU
(eEurope action plan). Provision of health-related information for citizens through the
internet should be a basic step only, not the desired status.
M-education System
As for the students in higher education, mobile services may provide an opportunity to
send and receive announcements on emergencies, class schedule updates, campus events,
traffic and weather conditions, office hours, campus resources available, and exam
results.
Law Enforcement
M-police, an extended feature of E-police, is most effective enforcing unit. They are now
using very latest wireless device and technologies to detect the crime and to arrest
criminals. The cases clearly support the idea that law enforcement applications of m-
Government lead to cost effective and efficient operations against crime and safety
promotions.

WHY M-GOVERNMENT IS SUITABLE FOE BANGLADESH?

In developing countries mobile government applications may become a key method for
reaching citizens and promoting exchange of communications especially when used in
remote areas. In such countries as like Bangladesh with insufficient conventional telecom
infrastructures and greater acceptance of mobile phones, ability of reaching rural areas
may be considered as an important feature of m-Government. The whole Bangladesh is
under mobile network coverage.

WILL M-GOVERNMENT REPLACE THE E -GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES?

Despite its significance m-Government cannot be seen as replacing e-Government and in
many cases it will be complementary to e-Government efforts. The conventional e-
Government efforts provide services through wired network with interactive and
relatively intelligent web applications where m-Government efforts provide services
through wireless network with interactive and relatively intelligent web applications.

M-GOVERNMENT:

Mobile government, sometimes referred to as mGovernment, is the extension of
eGovernment to mobile platforms, as well as the strategic use of government services and
applications which are only possible using cellular/mobile telephones, laptop computers,
personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless internet infrastructure.
mGovernment can help make public information and government services available
"anytime, anywhere" and that the ubiquity of these devices mandates their employment in
government functions.

CHALLENGES FOR E-GOVERNANCE(Part-4):

Funding: Funding is the foremost issue in e-Governance initiatives. The projects that are
part of the e-governance initiatives need to be funded either through the Government
sector or through the private sector.

Privacy: Whenever a citizen gets into any transaction with a Government agency, he
shells out lot of personal information, which can be misused by the private sector.
Authentication: The identity of citizens requesting services needs to be verified before
they access or use the services.

Interoperability: A major design issue for integrated service delivery sites is how to
capture data in a Web-based form and transfer it to an agency’s systems for processing
and sharing that information in a common format.
Usability of citizen: The ability of citizens to access these services is another major issue.
Since the penetration of PCs and Internet is very low in the country.
Technology Issues: A number of organizations, both in the Centre and the States, have
taken commendable initiatives to develop hardware and software platforms to address the
challenges offered by e-Governance.
Use of local languages: The access of information must be permitted in the language
most comfortable to the public user, generally the local language.

AT A GLANCE OF PRESENT ICT STATUS OF BANGLADESH(Part-3):

WHY E-GOVERNMENT FOR BANGLADESH?(Part-2)

The tangible benefits that eGovernment can bring to broader governance reform and
economic development initiatives in Bangladesh include:
o Transparency: eGovernment promotes greater transparency in government activities.
o Reduces scope for corruption: Increased transparency reduces the scope for
corruption.
o Cuts down costs to society: If government forms and other procedural information
are made available online, then time and money wasted to get these from government
offices can be vastly reduced.
o More efficient services to citizens: eGovernment enables the government to respond
to citizen needs and demands faster and more efficiently.
o Encourage private sector Towards use of IT: If government tenders and
announcements are brought online, it will automatically encourage suppliers to
interact through the Internet. e-Governance is a very important instigator to
modernizing businesses in a nation.
o Allows greater scope for integration: Digital storage of data and software
applications provides greater scope for the integration of activities of different
government offices, as data can be shared easily and efficiently.
o Stimulates the local ICT industry: eGovernment projects also provide valuable
experience to the local ICT industry that enhances competitiveness in an international
market.
o Enhance national image: With current global political situation, enhancement of
national image is more important than ever before. Modern system of governance is
representative of a nation’s maturity. e-Governance is the most visible and effective
tool of modernization and transparency in the government.

E-GOVERNMENT(Part-1):

WHAT IS “ICT”?
ICT stands for Information and Communication Technologies.ICT is not just computers
and Internet. Other common ICTs are TV, radio, phone etc.
WHAT IS E-GOVERNMENT?
o E-Government is the conventional government services made available for citizens
through electronic means such as telephone, digital television and internet connected
computers and other devices.
o According to the World Bank, e-Government refers to governmental use of
information technologies (such as Internet, and mobile computing) that have the
ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other agencies of
government
o The Indian Ministry of Information and Technology defines it as using ICT to bring
about SMART (Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive, Transparent) governance.
o Common applications of eGovernment include online delivery of government
information and services, computerized licensing and registration, web-based tender
notification and procurement, web-enabled complaints submission, and online public
comment for draft legislation.
Information or Service Flow Chart
OBJECTIVE OF E-GOVERNMENT:
The objective of e-Government is not just to computerize government offices; it is to
streamline relationships between government, business, and citizens through effective use
of ICT.
RESPONSE TO SOME COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING E-GOVERNANCE:
There are many who are resistant to e-Governance due to lack of awareness and fear of
the unknown. This section attempts to respond briefly to a few common queries regarding
e-Governance:
Will e-Government change government processes?
The objective of e-Government is not to change existing government processes but more
to strengthen and make existing processes more efficient.
Will e-Government force new hierarchical structure?
e-Government does not necessitate change of existing hierarchical structures. It however
encourages new dimensions of cooperation and relationship among different government
offices due to improved communication systems.
E-GOVERNMENT
Will sensitive and confidential data get lost or stolen?
Digitally converted government information needs to be carefully stored and sometimes
guarded against unauthorized access. There are ways of keeping back-ups and ensuring
security by digital authentication of users. Digital storage is not riskier than filing of
paper documents.
Will people lose jobs if e-Government is implemented?
There is fear that people will become redundant and may even lose jobs if e-Government
is implemented. Although some manual tasks will become redundant, computers can
never replace humans on many occasions.
MAJOR COMPONENTS OF E-GOVERNMENT:
E-Government may be thought of as having three major components:
Dimension of Government
G2C (Government-to-Citizen) involves interaction of individual citizens with the
government. Examples include payment of utility bills or downloading government forms
from the Internet. The e-Citizen Portal of Singapore is o G2C sites.
G2B (Government-to-Business) involves interaction of business entities with the
government. Examples include corporate tax filing or government procurement process
through the Internet. One primary success story of G2B is Malaysia’s online government
procurement website called e-Prohelan which has about 3,500 government procurement
centers and about 30,000 suppliers.
G2G (Government-to-Government) involves interaction among government officials,
whether within a government office or within government offices. Examples include
using e-mail for internal government communication or a customized software for
tracking progress of government projects. A popular G2G service is e-Police System in
Karnataka, India, which has an electronically searchable database of various types of
police records.

Factors Affecting Security Yields.

nRisk-averse investors demand higher yields For added riskiness

nRisk is associated with variability Of returns

nIncreased riskiness generates lower security prices or higher investor required rates of return

Bai-Murabaha on Order and Promise

Bai-Murabaha on Order and Promise

If there are three parties, the buyer, the seller and the Bank as an intermediary trader between the buyer and the seller, where the Bank upon receipt of order from the buyer with specification and a prior outstanding promise to buy the goods from the Bank, purchases the ordered goods and sells those to the ordering buyer at a cost plus agreed profit, the sale is called "Bai-Murabaha on Order or Promise", generally known as Murabaha.

This Murabaha upon order and promise is generally used by the Islami Banks, which undertake the purchase of commodities according to the specification requested by the Clients and sale on Bai-Murabaha to the one who ordered for the goods and promised to buy those for its cost price plus a marked-up profit agreed upon previously by the two parties, the Bank and the Client.

In this Bank, Bai-Murabaha is treated as a contract between the Bank and the Client under which the Bank purchases the Specified goods as per order and specification of the Client and sells those to the ordering Client at a cost plus agreed upon profit payable within a fixed future date in lump sum or by fixed

installments.                                                                                                                           

Thus it is a sale of goods on profit by which ownership of the goods is transferred by the Bank to the Client but the payment of the sale price (cost plus profit)

the Client is deferred for a fixed period.

It may be noted here that, in case of Bai-Muajjal and Bai-Murabaha, Islamic Bank is a financier to the Client not in the sense that the Bank finances the purchase of

goods by the Client, rather it is a financier by deferring the receipt of sale price of the goods sold by the Bank to the Client.

If the Bank does not purchase the goods or does or does not make any purchase agreement with seller, but only makes payment of any goods directly purchased and received by the Client from the seller under Bai-Muajjal/ Bai-Murabaha Agreement, that will be a remittance of the amount on behalf of the Client, which shall be nothing but a loan to him and any profit on this amount shall be nothing but Interest (Riba).

Therefore, purchase of goods by the Bank should be for and on behalf of the Bank and the payment of price of goods by the Bank must be made for and on behalf of the Bank. If in any way the payment of price of goods is turned into a payment for and on behalf of the Client or it is paid to the Client any profit on it will be Riba.