Shamajik Nirapotta

Social Protection Companion App

Building a Mobile Companion for Social Protection Access

A bilingual mobile app making social protection information easier to access.

Bangladesh has a wide range of social protection and safety-net programs, but citizens may need to search across different sources to understand available benefits, eligibility requirements and application procedures.

Shamajik Nirapotta Shoyika was developed as a mobile information platform designed to bring this information together through one accessible bilingual experience.

Social Protection Companion AppMobile Application Development

The Requirement

Bring complex social protection information into one accessible app

The application needed to work as a central information hub where citizens could explore social protection programs, understand available benefits, review eligibility requirements and find guidance on application processes.

Users also needed ways to search and filter information even when they did not know the exact program name. The experience therefore had to organize program information around useful criteria such as ministry, program type, lifecycle stage and geographic area.

Accessibility was equally important. The app needed Bangla and English support, plus offline access to selected information for users in areas where mobile connectivity may be limited.

The Challenge

The problem was not the amount of information, but how people reach the right part of it

Different programs can have different objectives, beneficiaries, conditions and implementing agencies. Simply placing all of that information inside an app would not automatically make it easier to use.

The product needed a clear information structure, simple language pathways, bilingual consistency and support for real-world connectivity limitations.

Structured program discovery
Bangla and English access
Eligibility guidance
Offline information

Designing the Mobile Experience

Complex public information organized around simpler journeys

We designed the experience so users can approach the information in more than one way. Someone who knows a program can search directly, while another user can narrow the options through filters based on their situation or the type of support they are looking for.

Each program can present important details within a consistent structure, helping users understand benefits, eligibility, responsible agencies and application steps without learning a different interface for every program.

01Discover

02Filter

03Understand

04Next Step

Program SearchStructured FiltersConsistent DetailsBilingual UX

Complex public information organized around simpler journeys

Eligibility and Practical Guidance

Helping users identify where to look next

The eligibility checker adds an interactive layer to the experience. Instead of reading the conditions of every program individually, users can respond to a guided set of demographic and socioeconomic questions.

Based on those responses, the tool can help identify programs that may potentially be relevant. It is designed as guidance, not as a replacement for the official eligibility or application process.

A structured FAQ area provides another practical layer for common questions around eligibility, documents, payment processes and grievance mechanisms.

Eligibility CheckerGuided QuestionsFAQsProgram Guidance

Access Designed for Real Conditions

Bilingual, mobile and useful even with limited connectivity

The intended audience made accessibility a product requirement rather than an optional enhancement. Bangla and English support allows users to navigate the same information and functionality in the language they are more comfortable with.

Selected core information and FAQs can also be made available through encrypted local storage so users can continue accessing important read-only content when a stable internet connection is unavailable.

Citizen

→

Bilingual App

→

Online / Offline

Structured Information That Can Evolve

Program information can change without rebuilding the whole app

Social protection information is not static. Programs may be updated, expanded or replaced, and eligibility rules, FAQs and application guidance can change over time.

The application was therefore planned around managed, structured content rather than permanently fixed screens. This creates a better foundation for keeping information current after deployment.

The same architecture also separates public information access from administrative management, allowing the platform to remain useful as the content base grows.

Managed ContentStructured Program DataFuture UpdatesSecure Administration

Program information can change without rebuilding the whole app

Developing the Mobile Application

Cross-platform development with accessibility at the core

The mobile experience uses React Native with TypeScript, providing a shared foundation for Android and iOS development while supporting maintainable application code.

The backend architecture uses Java 21 for application logic and APIs, with a relational database structure using PostgreSQL or MySQL depending on the deployment environment.

Infrastructure planning includes Docker with Kubernetes or virtual-machine deployment. Security considerations include encrypted communication, role-based administrative access, responsible data handling and encrypted offline storage.

The Final Product

A clearer digital route into social protection information

Shamajik Nirapotta Shoyika brings social protection information into one structured mobile experience. Citizens can explore programs, understand benefits and application information, access common questions and use an eligibility tool to identify potentially relevant support.

Bangla and English support make the product more inclusive, while offline access extends its usefulness beyond areas with consistent mobile connectivity.

The project demonstrates how thoughtful mobile application development can turn complex public information into a clearer digital service. Instead of functioning as a static directory, the application is designed to help users move from a broad need for assistance towards more relevant information and clearer next steps.

Centralized social protection information
Search and structured program filters
Eligibility guidance and FAQs
Bangla and English experience
Offline access to core information

Next Case Study

Southeast Bank PLC

View Case Study →