President stresses ethical, responsible AI use to drive Bangladesh’s growth

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday stressed the need for responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity, modernise industries, attract new investment and create decent employment opportunities for young people.

“Technology should be for people, not people for technology,” he said after inaugurating the Bangladesh AI Business Summit 2026 in Dhaka.

The president said Bangladesh is standing at the threshold of a major transformation, with AI as one of its principal drivers, which would determine the future of the country’s agriculture, education, healthcare, industries, trade, employment and overall economy.

“So, today’s conference is not merely an event; it is a platform for charting our future course,” he said.

President Fakhrul said AI could become one of the major driving forces of Bangladesh’s future development, urging businesses to view the technology not merely as a tool for cutting costs but also as a means of creating new products and services, entering new markets and generating employment.

He stressed the need for safe use and effective regulation of AI, warning that unchecked use of the technology could pose serious risks to humanity.

“AI must not assume control over everything around us. We have to remain vigilant at every step,” he said.

The president also cautioned that AI should not aggravate Bangladesh’s unemployment problem.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that technological advancement enhances human capabilities, upholds human values and contributes to the greater welfare of people,” he said.

Referring to the country’s large youth population as its biggest strength, Mirza Fakhrul said young people are technology-friendly and capable of dreaming big.

“They are the principal soldiers of our Fourth Industrial Revolution. But to reap the benefits, we must equip them with technological skills and quality education,” he said.

The president expressed hope that Bangladesh’s AI industry would give the country a new identity globally, just as the readymade garment sector had done.

He said the government has started work on a human-centred national AI policy, with emphasis on ethics, human rights, risk-based regulation and responsible innovation.

He also said efforts were underway to build national AI capacity based on the Bengali language.

Referring to international research presented at the summit, the president said AI is expected to add trillions of dollars to the global economy in the coming years.

“We have to seize this opportunity. Bangladesh must also be developed as a country that innovates in and applies AI,” he said.

The president said the government, private sector, researchers, universities and young people would have to work together to meet the challenges of graduation from the least developed country (LDC) category.

He expressed optimism that Bangladesh could achieve its vision of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2034 through such collective efforts.

“Let our goal be to build an AI-enabled, innovation-rich and human-centred Bangladesh, rather than one that is dependent on AI,” he said.

The president congratulated the organisers and participants, including scientists, researchers, technologists, entrepreneurs and investors, and wished the summit every success.

The summit was organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).