Prime Minister's Adviser on Public Administration Md Ismail Zabihullah today underscored the necessity of adopting artificial intelligence (AI) as a comprehensive programme to enhance Bangladesh's productivity and competitive capacity. Speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable titled 'AI for Bangladesh's Next Growth Phase: Productivity, Governance and Readiness', organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology at Dhaka's Novo Theatre, Zabihullah highlighted that AI should be viewed not merely as a technology but as a strategic initiative to transform various sectors.
Zabihullah noted that AI is revolutionizing product design, service delivery, and business competition. He emphasized that countries capable of generating real economic benefits through AI will lead in the future. The adviser identified significant opportunities for AI applications in Bangladesh's ready-made garment and manufacturing industries, agriculture, supply chains, financial services, healthcare, education, and public administration.
He stressed the need to increase AI adoption in these sectors to enhance productivity, efficiency, and its contribution to GDP. Zabihullah pointed out that while Bangladeshis are talented, talent alone is insufficient to create national capacity. He advocated for transforming talent into research, research into innovation, innovation into enterprise, and enterprise into employment and exports.
The adviser also emphasized the importance of an effective platform where the government identifies problems, universities and researchers develop solutions, entrepreneurs commercially utilize them, industries conduct pilot applications, and investors help expand successful ventures. He highlighted that the use of AI brings increased responsibility, making data privacy, cyber security, data classification, computing capacity, and electricity supply extremely important.
Science and Technology Ministry Secretary Md Anwar Hossain announced that the ministry is bringing scientists, researchers, innovators, AI researchers, startups, investors, industry representatives, academics, and development partners onto a single platform. The three-day 'Bangladesh Innovation Fair-2026', themed 'Innovate to Market', focuses on sustainable partnerships among innovators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, educational and financial institutions, and development partners.
The event was moderated by BUET Professor and UNESCO Chair on Industry Integration in Higher Education Systems Dr Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder. Senior officials, scientists, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and representatives of industry, business, and financial institutions attended the event. The adoption of AI as a strategic programme holds significant promise for Bangladesh, potentially driving economic growth, enhancing competitiveness, and improving the quality of life for its citizens.
