Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam. File Photo

DHAKA, July 11, 2026 (BSS) - Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam, MP, today said artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a technology, it is one of the key driving forces of the future economy, employment, innovation and national competitiveness.

He said the government is attaching the highest importance to developing skilled human resources in AI technology and creating an environment conducive to research and innovation.

Faqir Mahbub Anam, also the Minister of Science and Technology made the remark while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the "Artificial Intelligence Research Lab" and the "AI Project Competition-2026" as the chief guest at Daffodil International University (DIU) in Savar, said a ministry press release.

He said the university-based AI research lab will serve as a hub for research, innovation and technological excellence. Such initiatives will equip students with modern AI technologies and play an important role in conducting research, developing innovative prototypes and creating industry-oriented solutions, he said.

Faqir Mahbub Anam said AI is now bringing significant changes to almost every aspect of people's daily lives, ranging from education, healthcare, agriculture, industry, business and administration. Therefore, there is no alternative to research, innovation and developing skilled human resources to build a new Bangladesh, he noted.

The minister said the government's continued initiatives in the information and communication technology sector have created a strong foundation for the country's digital transformation, while various programmes are being implemented to develop a future-ready skilled workforce.

He expressed hope that the AI Research Lab at DIU would strengthen effective collaboration among academia, industry and the government and play an important role in building a strong innovation ecosystem.

The minister further said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman believes that today's young generation is the main driving force of tomorrow's Bangladesh. "AI is no longer just a technology; it is now a key determinant of the economy, employment and innovation. Our goal is to create one million new jobs in the ICT sector over the next five years," he said.

He also said the government would provide full support to the most promising and best projects from among the 145 AI projects developed by DIU students through the Startup Fund of the ICT Ministry and other platforms. 

He also highlighted various government initiatives to establish AI training centres and extend satellite-based internet services to the grassroots level across the country.

The newly inaugurated state-of-the-art laboratory has 25 NVIDIA DJ Spark PCs as front lab facilities and five powerful computers equipped with specialised RTX 3060 and RTX 4090 GPUs. 

The laboratory has five full-time skilled researchers to work on solving complex real-life problems, AI agent development and AI-based product solutions. The research team has already developed groundbreaking solutions such as "AI Professor", "AI Proctor" and "AI Registrar", while work on its "Smart Classroom" project is currently underway.

Chaired by Chairman of the University Board of Trustees Dr Md Sabur Khan, the function was attended by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr S M R Kabir, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Shams Iqbal, Head of the Department of Computing and Information Systems Professor Dr Md Sarwar Hossain Mollah, teachers, students and invited guests of the university.