Youth must lead tech transformation: ICT Minister

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam has said technology-driven development will be sustainable only when the country’s youth lead the technological transformation.

He also said the knowledge, integrity, creativity and patriotism of students are the greatest strengths of Bangladesh’s future.

He made the remarks while addressing the RoboFusion 1.0�"National Robotics Festival as the chief guest at the University of Frontier Technology, Bangladesh (UFTB) campus in Kaliakair, Gazipur, on Saturday.

The minister said the government’s goal was not merely to bring technology to people’s doorsteps, but also to create an environment where young people could move from being technology users to technology innovators. To this end, the government is prioritising artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, cybersecurity, innovation, research, startups and skilled human resource development.

He said skilled human resources, research, innovation and technology-based entrepreneurship were essential to building a knowledge-based, technology-driven and innovation-oriented economy. Universities, he said, must go beyond teaching and awarding degrees and become centres of research, technological development and industry-academia collaboration.

Fakir Mahbub Anam said the world was going through an unprecedented period of technological transformation. AI, robotics, automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, cybersecurity, semiconductor technology and quantum computing are shaping the foundations of the future economy and employment. Bangladesh is also part of this transformation, he added.

He said the government was working to build a modern, technology-driven Bangladesh and was committed to developing skilled human resources through universal internet access, optimal use of digital technology and the application of AI.

The minister said that alongside expanding internet services, the government had undertaken action plans in AI, robotics, nanotechnology and semiconductor technology. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had also announced a Tk 500 crore startup fund to turn small-scale innovations into successful ventures, he said.

Addressing the students, he urged them not only to use technology but also to innovate. He called for new technologies to emerge from research laboratories and new startups to grow from innovations so that young people could become job creators rather than merely job seekers and showcase Bangladesh’s capabilities in international markets.

Responding to journalists after the event, the minister said necessary action would be taken against companies that had been allotted space in high-tech parks but had not yet established industries.

Describing the Kaliakair High-Tech Park in Gazipur as the ministry’s flagship high-tech park, he said investment proposals had come from various countries, including European nations and China. He also said steps would be taken soon to construct a permanent campus for UFTB.

The event was chaired by UFTB Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Moktar Ali. Member of Parliament Md Mujibur Rahman, former UFTB Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Abu Yusuf, Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nurul Karim Bhuiyan, Syndicate Member MA Mubin Khan, as well as academics, researchers, industry representatives, teachers, students, innovators and technologists attended the programme.