Prime minister’s adviser on finance and planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir said that the government will support technology-based enterprises to create skilled employment and facilitate technology services in the country.
‘To this end, the government will review tax policies, investment plans and the role of government institutions,’ he said.
Titumir made the remarks in his concluding speech at the ‘Bangladesh-Silicon Valley Technology Dialogue’ held at Cedar Hall of Stanford University in California on Sunday, said a press release on Tuesday.
The adviser said technological cooperation must improve the quality of citizen services and create new opportunities for the people of Bangladesh.
The dialogue, titled ‘Technology, Talent and Partnership for Bangladesh’s Future’, was organised by the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Los Angeles.
Consul general Kazi Muhammad Javed Iqbal delivered the welcome address and moderated the event. Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam also spoke at the programme.
The prime minister’s special delegation included prime minister’s adviser on finance and planning prof Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, state minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam, adviser to the prime minister on posts, telecommunications, information technology, science and technology Rehan Asif Asad and state minister for primary and mass education Bobby Hajjaj.
Papers on the use of AI in Bangladesh were presented by Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed, associate professor of computer science at the University of Toronto; Sharifa Sultana, assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Mohammad Kamrul Islam, distinguished engineer at Uber; and Mostafa Patwari, researcher at NVIDIA.
Mahbub Rasheed of Global Foundries also spoke on the potential and overall development of the semiconductor industry.
Professor Saif Islam, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Davis, moderated a panel discussion on talent, technology and capital.
Rehan Asif Asad, Shatil Haque of Credo Semiconductor, Yousuf Haque, co-founder and chief technology officer of Exor, Omar Ishrak, former CEO of Medtronic and former chairman of Intel’s board of directors, Mohammad Enayetur Rahman, president and CEO of Ulkasemi, and Badrul Sarwar, co-founder and chief technology officer of CloudAI, took part in the panel.
Adviser Rehan Asif Asad said the government is committed to developing the technology sector by building strong links among research, education, startups and industries.
Shama Obaed Islam praised the success of Bangladeshi professionals in the global technology industry and stressed the need for long-term communication and cooperation with them.
Bobby Hajjaj said children need to be equipped with both digital skills and strong foundational education amid rapid technological changes.
The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Los Angeles pledged to continue working on these issues with the delegation and interested participants.
On the day, Bangladesh and Silicon Valley technology leaders discussed practical opportunities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductor design and manufacturing at a roundtable in California.
The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Los Angeles hosted a meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley, bringing together a senior Bangladesh delegation with technology executives, entrepreneurs and investors, a foreign ministry’s press release said.
The discussion also covered digital infrastructure, education and skills development, venture capital, healthcare technology, earth observation and advanced manufacturing.
The Bangladesh delegation was led by prime minister’s adviser for finance and planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir.
State minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam, state minister for primary and mass education Boby Hajjaj, and prime minister’s adviser for posts, telecommunications and information technology and science and technology Rehan Asif Asad attended.
Participants included Replit founder and CEO Amjad Masad, Zscaler founder, chairman and CEO Jay Chaudhry, and former Intel chairman Omar Ishrak. CarMax executive vice president and chief information and technology officer Shamim Mohammad moderated the roundtable.
