Artificial Intelligence: Bangladesh Cannot Afford to Wait

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is becoming an increasingly important subject of discussion in Bangladesh. Some see it mainly as a threat to jobs, while others see it as a source of innovation, new businesses and economic opportunity. The reality is that AI is no longer a distant technology. It is already changing how journalism, banking, healthcare, education, agriculture, garments, e-commerce and public services operate.

For Bangladesh, the question is not whether AI will arrive. It already has. The real question is whether the country is preparing its people for this transformation.

Bangladesh has a large young population with enormous potential. Yet many young people still lack access to basic training in coding, data analysis, cybersecurity, digital design, language technology and the practical use of AI tools. While technology education is expanding in schools, colleges, universities and technical institutions, it remains insufficient for the scale of change ahead. As a result, a gap is growing between those who merely use technology and those who can build, manage and innovate with it.

Bangladesh should not treat AI as a tool reserved for large corporations. Its benefits should reach farmers seeking weather and market information, small businesses trying to understand sales trends, hospitals managing patient data, and students needing more personalised learning support. AI should be used to solve real problems in people’s lives.

However, the opportunities also come with serious risks. Data privacy, manipulated images and videos, misinformation, algorithmic bias and changing job patterns need immediate attention. Technological progress cannot be considered meaningful if citizens’ rights and livelihoods are left unprotected.

The government should move quickly to implement a clear AI policy, invest in Bangla-language technology, expand research funding and introduce practical digital skills training across educational institutions. The private sector must also receive an environment that encourages innovation, responsible investment and experimentation.

In the AI era, Bangladesh’s greatest resource will not be cheap labour. It will be skilled, adaptable and creative people. The country should not fear technology; it should learn to understand, shape and use technology for the public good.

Muhammad Ashikul Alam 
Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, The Mirror News