Bangladesh LGED adopts Zimbra to boost security & data control

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Bangladesh has implemented Zimbra, an open-source email and collaboration platform, to modernise its communications and enhance data security across the country's infrastructure operations.

Nationwide coverage

The new deployment supports more than 6,000 mailboxes used by over 13,000 LGED staff across 64 districts and 495 sub-districts. These employees manage critical public projects, including roads, bridges, irrigation systems, and schools. LGED required a secure, unified system capable of supporting both office-based and field operations nationwide.

"Zimbra enables seamless collaboration across our nationwide operations while giving us full control over sensitive government data. It has significantly improved both field and office coordination," said Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Executive Engineer (ICT), LGED.

Data sovereignty

The move to Zimbra is closely aligned with new regulatory requirements. Bangladesh's upcoming Personal Data Protection Ordinance 2025 introduces mandatory data localisation and tighter controls on government-held information. By choosing to run Zimbra on-premise, LGED ensures that all government email data remains within the country, meeting anticipated legal demands for data sovereignty and localisation.

"This deployment demonstrates how government institutions can take proactive steps to strengthen data sovereignty while modernising their communication infrastructure," said Ivy Lee, Vice President, APJ Sales, Zimbra.

Jurisdictional control

Unlike some cloud-based offerings, the on-premise model means LGED retains full jurisdictional oversight of its sensitive data. This aligns with a broader movement among public sector organisations in South Asia and ASEAN to prioritise sovereign digital infrastructure. The deployment's mixed-license model supports both professional and standard user requirements, providing mobile access while minimising external risk exposure.

"By choosing an open, on-premise solution like Zimbra, LGED retains full jurisdictional control over its data, ensuring compliance with emerging localisation mandates and minimising exposure to external risks. This reflects a broader regional shift toward sovereign digital infrastructure that is secure, adaptable, and fully under national control," said Lee.

Operational continuity

The project, led by local partner Smart Technologies, aimed to deliver a secure, high-performance platform tailored to LGED's operational and compliance needs. The migration also included continued technical support to ensure smooth day-to-day functioning across the department's diverse and widespread operational footprint.

"This deployment was engineered to deliver secure, high-performance collaboration at scale, tailored to the specific operational and compliance needs of a critical government," said Mirsad Hossain, General Manager, Head of Software Business, Smart Technologies.

Regional trends

The LGED initiative follows a growing trend across governments in South Asia and the ASEAN region to place greater emphasis on localised control of digital infrastructure, as national data protection laws evolve.

"Zimbra enables seamless collaboration across our nationwide operations while giving us full control over sensitive government data. It has significantly improved both field and office coordination," said Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Executive Engineer (ICT), LGED.