Call for establishing a ‘National AI Ecosystem’ to harness the Potential of Artificial Intelligence

From the report

Establishing a ‘National AI Ecosystem’ is essential for strengthening the Bangladesh’s capacity to address the growing challenges of innovation in the information technology sector, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), while harnessing the country’s domestic potential in this rapidly evolving field. Speakers stressed on this at separate sessions of the Bangladesh AI Business Summit 2026, the first ever summit on artificial intelligence with the theme of “AI-fication for Tomorrow’s Economy” jointly organized by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) and Ministry of Science and Technology on November 05, 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka. Honourable President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, attended the inaugural session as the Chief Guest. Faqir Mahbub Anam, MP, Honourable Minister, Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Post, Telecommunications and Information Technology; M. Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, MP, Honourable Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Science and Technology and Mahbubur Rahman, President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Bangladesh were also present and delivered their remarks at the inaugural session.

Following the inaugural session, three thematic panel discussions were held, bringing together members of the cabinet, private sector leaders, local and foreign entrepreneurs and investors, government policymakers, university faculty members and students, as well as young entrepreneurs and researchers. The discussions focused on assessing the current state of the country’s AI sector, identifying existing challenges and determining the way forward.

Moderating the session titled ‘Transformation & Navigating AI Revolution: Application, Prospects and Challenges’, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed said that artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative and influential force in the global economy, reshaping the way businesses operate, industries manufacture products and institutions make decisions. He noted that the adoption and application of AI are steadily increasing in Bangladesh, with the country increasingly moving towards digital services, automation, data-driven decision-making and technology-enabled business solutions. However, limited technological infrastructure, a shortage of skilled professionals, high implementation costs and cybersecurity-related concerns continue to impede this promising journey.