Bangladesh eyes inclusive DPI, AI ecosystem to leverage sustainable devt

The Bangladeshi Minister of State for ICT, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, says efforts to build an inclusive digital public infrastructure (DPI) for the country must continue as part of the vision to have what the government calls a ‘Smart Bangladesh Stack’ to speed up socio-economic development.

Palak made the case for inclusive DPI and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence during a conference dedicated to exploring ways through which these technology ecosystems can be used to foster sustainable development and prosperity, not only in Bangladesh but the world at large, Tbs News reports.

During the conference which was attended by representatives of several institutions such as UN agencies and other development stakeholders, Palak lauded the strides so far made by the country in the development of its DPI ecosystem under the ‘Digital Bangladesh vision,’ but said such initiatives must continue.

The Smart Bangladesh Stack, the official believes, will “provide an extensive array of verification and authentication choices for our digital identity system,” by the year 2041, per Tbs News.

Also speaking at the start of the two-day conference, Planning Minister MA Mannan underlined the role DPI and AI can play in narrowing the digital divide in the country, which will clear the way for significant socio-economic development.

Expert speakers during the event explored the role of DPI and AI in global development, specifically for countries of the Global South.

During one of the 14 sessions of the conference themed “Future of intelligence: AI for a world with zero digital divide,” participants looked at the transformative potential of AI and data, and how they can contribute to building a smart world, the ICT Division said in a Facebook post.

The development and deployment of DPI is taking an increasingly prominent position in the global development discourse.

On November 8, the United Nations Development Program says it will launch an initiative that seeks to support 50 countries in the development of safe, inclusive and interoperable digital public infrastructure (DPI).

In July, there were strong calls for Bangladesh to put in place a body that will oversee the proper management of personal data as the country pushes ahead with its digital transformation journey. The calls came in the wake of reports of birth and death data leakages from a government website.

Article Topics

AI  |  Bangladesh  |  Bangladesh Stack  |  digital identity  |  digital public infrastructure