Aspire to Innovate (a2i) and Sublime Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for establishing 50,000 digital service centres in rural areas across Bangladesh, according to a press release.

Under the deal aiming to facilitate government services for underserved people, a2i and Sublime will set up the digital centres in phases under a public-private partnership engaging local entrepreneurs.

The state-sponsored a2i programme of the cabinet and ICT divisions and private firm Sublime penned the MoU at the ICT Tower in Agargaon, Dhaka today.

The centres will be set up under the overall management of Sublime with technical assistance from a2i, the press release said.

Md Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan, project director of a2i, and Lieutenant General (retd) Sheikh Mamun Khaled, chairman of Sublime, signed the deal on behalf of respective parties.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had inaugurated 4,501 ICT centres at the union level in November 2020, taking the total number of digital centres across the country up to 9,397.

Through these centres, people can avail more than 385 government services, it added.