Abstract

The Government of Bangladesh launched Doel Laptop project in 2011 with the aim of reducing the digital divide and promoting technology literacy among its citizens. As the first locally assembled laptop in the country, the Doel laptop was expected to be an affordable solution for students and the public. However, the project faced numerous challenges and ultimately failed to meet its objectives. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons behind the failure of Doel Laptop project and extract some lessons that can be learned to ensure better success rate for any technology initiative undertaken by Bangladesh. Through qualitative research, this study reviews existing literature, news articles, case studies and official reports from Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) regarding the Doel Laptop project. Additional calculations have been made to get financial losses and investigate the reasons for the project’s failure. The Doel Laptop project started well with demand for the Primary 2102 model, which costs Tk 10,000. This lowest priced model only saw sales of 98 units over a two-year period despite a price reduction to Tk 5,000 leading to high demand. By 2013, there were a total of 26,622 laptop PCs sold, two-thirds of which were purchased by the Ministry of Education. The project faced major difficulties due to issues with partners 2M Corp and TFT, who held a 75% stake in the venture. Inside a year, both partners stepped back, while TFT asked for expensive kit in return. In 2013, however, only 28000 out of 37 059 assembled laptops were sold. The Doel Laptop project can be treated as a case study for future tech initiatives in Bangladesh. This failure shows why good planning is needed with quality and public-private collaborations. Later projects should focus on product testing, consumer response potential and sustainability of funding.

Keywords
Doel Laptop, government-backed technology, Government Initiatives, Digital Divide.