"Smart Sathi" Chatbot – 333 National Helpline

Overview

The "Smart Sathi" (SmartSathi) chatbot is an artificial intelligence-powered conversational assistant integrated into Bangladesh's National Helpline 333, a centralized voice-based platform for government information dissemination, grievance redress, and service application assistance. The helpline was originally launched on April 12, 2018 by Aspire to Innovate (a2i) under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division of the Government of Bangladesh and operates under the Cabinet Division. The SmartSathi AI component was inaugurated on October 18, 2023 on a trial basis by the then-Prime Minister, to provide information related to government services through voice, non-voice, and AI conversational bot channels.

The 333 helpline operates as a single voice access point for all government information and grievance redressal, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Citizens can dial 333 from any mobile phone or landline, or use the number 09666789333 from landlines and international connections. The platform is designed to ensure that every citizen, regardless of internet access or digital literacy, has round-the-clock access to accurate government information, essential services, and mechanisms to report grievances. This is particularly significant in Bangladesh where more than 60 percent of the population lacks reliable internet connectivity, making the voice-based channel a critical tool for bridging the digital divide.

The SmartSathi conversational bot was specifically designed to help citizens access government services in a simplified way with a minimal human workforce, while also reducing the burden of unnecessary prank calls on human operators. The system provides automated responses through natural language processing capabilities in Bangla, enabling citizens to receive information on public services, social benefits, allowances, and to submit grievances. The bot operates across multiple channels, including interactive voice response (IVR), conversational bot interfaces, and text-based chat. There are plans to expand the SmartSathi service to cover all information available through the National Portal and myGov platform, encompassing 1,898 services across 35 government ministries.

The range of services accessible through the 333 helpline and SmartSathi includes government service information and guidance, social issue complaint registration and resolution (covering child marriage, violence against women and children, environmental pollution, drug abuse, food adulteration, and eve teasing), specialist doctor consultations, government land services, service-related complaint reporting, cyber security assistance, legal support for women and children, and emergency and disaster assistance. The helpline also provides information on social safety net programmes including government allowances and food assistance. During Cyclone Mocha, the system received 1.4 million calls and processed over 34,000 disaster-specific emergency assistance requests, demonstrating its role as a critical emergency response channel.

Since its inception, the 333 helpline has handled over 100 million calls for government information and services, approximately 150,000 calls for social issue prevention, and 164 million calls for emergency assistance. The helpline receives approximately 25,000 calls each day, of which 8,000 to 10,000 calls are served directly through the helpline operators. The AI-enabled voice bots handle a portion of these calls through automated responses, with complex or escalated queries routed to live human agents for review and resolution.

The technology stack incorporates AI-enabled voice bots, omnichannel communication capabilities, and multilingual support. The system uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) with Bangla language models as its core AI technique. The chatbot infrastructure is reported to operate on government cloud infrastructure under the National Data Center managed by the Bangladesh Computer Council, though this specific claim requires further verification. The system includes Chatwoot integration for live chat support and an accessibility widget for users with disabilities.

The human oversight model follows a human-in-the-loop (HITL) approach where live agents review escalated or complex queries for accuracy and citizen protection. The decision criticality is assessed as low, as the system provides advisory and informational responses with no direct impact on benefit eligibility or entitlements. The SmartSathi bot serves as a first-line information and triage tool, with human operators available for cases that exceed the bot's capabilities or require nuanced judgement.

The system was jointly developed by a2i and the ICT Division, with UNDP providing institutional support to the broader a2i programme. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has provided funding for the related Sathi virtual assistant app component. The system is aligned with the Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041 and operates within the framework of the National Digital Governance Architecture. References to a2i's AI Ethics and Governance Guidelines (2023 draft) as a regulatory framework exist, though independent verification of these guidelines and their specific application to SmartSathi has not been confirmed through the available sources.

Classification

Programme Details

Bangladesh's centralized national helpline providing 24/7 voice-based access to government information, grievance redressal, and service application assistance across all government ministries, operated by Aspire to Innovate (a2i) under the ICT Division and Cabinet Division.

Implementation Details

Agentic AI

Risk & Oversight

Deployment & Outcomes

Sources

1. SRC-001-BGD-003 a2i (2025) National Helpline 333. Dhaka: Aspire to Innovate (a2i), ICT Division, Government of Bangladesh. Available at: https://a2i.gov.bd/site/page/ccdeba3d-0db9-4640-ab28-e5a7cf96019b/- (Accessed: 23 March 2026).
   https://a2i.gov.bd/site/page/ccdeba3d-0db9-4640-ab28-e5a7cf96019b/-
2. SRC-002-BGD-003 BSS (2023) '333's SmartSathi' to further simplify receiving govt services. Dhaka: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). Available at: https://www.bssnews.net/journey-of-development/162349 (Accessed: 23 March 2026).
   https://www.bssnews.net/journey-of-development/162349
3. SRC-005-BGD-003 333.gov.bd (2025) National Helpline 333 – Official Website. Dhaka: Government of Bangladesh. Available at: https://333.gov.bd/ (Accessed: 23 March 2026).
   https://333.gov.bd/
4. SRC-006-BGD-003 The Business Standard (2024) 'Emergency Helpline 333 to be launched for price complaints: Palak'. Dhaka: The Business Standard. Available at: https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/emergency-helpline-333-be-launched-price-complaints-palak-775414 (Accessed: 23 March 2026).
   https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/emergency-helpline-333-be-launched-price-complaints-palak-775414
5. SRC-004-BGD-003 The Daily Star (2023) 'Government plans to launch "Saathi", a Bangladeshi version of Siri'. Dhaka: The Daily Star. Available at: https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/government-plans-launch-saathi-bangladeshi-version-siri-3492681 (Accessed: 23 March 2026).
   https://www.thedailystar.net/tech-startup/news/government-plans-launch-saathi-bangladeshi-version-siri-3492681
6. SRC-003-BGD-003 The Financial Express (2023) 'a2i's yearlong initiatives build foundation of Smart Bangladesh'. Dhaka: The Financial Express. Available at: https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/a2is-yearlong-initiatives-build-foundation-of-smart-bangladesh (Accessed: 23 March 2026).
   https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/national/a2is-yearlong-initiatives-build-foundation-of-smart-bangladesh