Bangladesh on the brink of an AI revolution: How prepared is it?

◑ Sadia Islam Era (Columnist) Ireland.. 

Artificial intelligence or AI is no longer a science fiction. The technology is rapidly establishing itself as the new driving force of the global economy and society. The use of AI is increasing in all sectors - medicine, agriculture, industrial production, education, banking, transportation, media. While developed countries are investing heavily in building their own AI infrastructure, Bangladesh is also turning to this technology. However, the question remains - how realistic is Bangladesh's preparation for the AI ​​era?

Experts say that interest in AI has increased in Bangladesh, and some practical applications have also begun. But the foundation of capabilities - data, research, human resources and policy framework - is not yet strong enough. As a result, new risks are also increasing along with the opportunities of the AI ​​revolution.

☞ Policy readiness: Initiatives are there,

➤ Coordination is weak In Bangladesh, AI is being considered as a potential area for building a technology-based economy. The use of AI in these areas has been discussed at various times in digitizing government services, data-based decision-making, cybersecurity, smart city management. Some training programs, innovation projects, and pilot initiatives have also been taken.
However, according to technology analysts, the problem is that a coordinated framework centered on AI has not yet been developed. The quality of information and technology management in different departments and organizations is not the same. The most important element for implementing AI—data—is mostly scattered, not standardized, or not in digital form.
In addition, a big question in using AI at the government level is—accountability. Who is responsible if an AI system makes a wrong decision? Where is the level of human verification? Without clear answers to these questions, implementing AI on a large scale can become risky.

☞ Education and Research: Growing Interest,

➤ Limited Capacity Several universities in Bangladesh are offering courses on machine learning, data science and AI. There is a noticeable interest in learning AI among young students. Many are acquiring skills through online courses, international platforms, open source communities and competitions. AI-based work is also being seen in various technology conferences and hackathons within the country.
However, major limitations remain at the research level. International-standard AI research requires—
• High-performance computing (GPU/server) facilities
• Adequate research grants
• Long-term research plans
• Research-industry linkages
• Quality datasets
These elements are still not sufficient in Bangladesh. As a result, the presence of domestic institutions in creating large-scale AI models or publishing world-class research is relatively low.

☞ Industry: Growing Use,

➤ But Dependency is High The trend of using AI in the private sector is increasing in Bangladesh. AI-based solutions are especially seen in banking, fintech, e-commerce, telecom, digital advertising and customer service. Many organizations are using chatbots for customer support. Some are using AI for sales forecasting, customer behavior analysis, or fraud detection.
There are also some initiatives in the agriculture and health sectors. For example, work is being done on AI for disease detection, yield forecasting, weather analysis, or agricultural supply management in agriculture. In the health sector, the use of AI in diagnostic tools, medical report analysis, or telemedicine is being seen experimentally.

However, the reality is that a large part of these initiatives are dependent on foreign technology and platforms. That is, AI models, cloud infrastructure, data processing tools—much of which depend on international companies. Although this may work in the short term, two problems may arise in the long term—
1) Cost and control are transferred to foreign companies
2) The pace of creating technology compatible with local languages ​​and realities slows dow.

☞ Data Crisis: The Biggest Obstacle to AI Development

➤ Experts say that the biggest weakness in Bangladesh’s AI readiness is data. Building high-quality AI systems requires a huge amount of data—which is reliable, clean, labeled, and usable within legal permissions.
⇨ But in Bangladesh—
• Government data is often adigital or fragmented
• Data quality and updates are not regular
• Data sharing frameworks between different organizations are weak
• Open datasets for research and innovation are very limited
In addition, a big question about data sharing is—personal privacy and data protection. There are also concerns that the assurance that people’s personal data will not be misused when creating or using any dataset is not yet strong enough.

☞ Bengali-language AI: Big potential, big shortcoming
➤ A large part of AI technology is now language-based. Chatbots, voice assistants, automatic translation, information search—language is important everywhere. Although the use of Bengali language is widespread in Bangladesh, Bengali-language-based AI technology is still relatively weak.
⇨ The main reasons for this—
• Lack of high-quality Bangla datasets
• Diversity of regional languages ​​and dialects
• Lack of a framework for collecting text and audio data in Bangla
• Low investment in research and industry
As a result, there are limitations in creating accurate voice recognition, advanced translation, or chatbots that understand relevance in Bangla. This is not just a technical problem—it is also a question of digital inclusion. Because if Bangla-supported technology is weak, it becomes difficult to reach the common people with AI benefits.

☞ Human resources: There is interest, but deep skills are lacking
➤ A large portion of Bangladesh's youth are interested in technology. Bangladesh's position in freelancing and software services in the IT sector is also visible. In recent times, the trend of acquiring skills in AI and data science is increasing. Many young people are learning from international online courses, some are contributing to open sources.
However, there is a shortage of "high-level skilled manpower" that is required according to the needs of the industry. Experts say that just knowing programming is not enough in the AI ​​sector. Required—
• Strong mathematical and statistical foundation
• Data engineering skills
• Experience deploying and maintaining models at large scale
• Ability to understand AI security and ethics
• Product thinking to solve real problems
It takes time and planned investment to build these skills. In addition, due to the lack of close connections between universities and industry, even if skilled manpower is created, many times their work opportunities and research environment are not created.

☞ Security and ethics: The reality of new risks
➤ The faster AI technology spreads, the faster new types of risks are increasing. Some AI-based risks are already being seen or may come to the fore in Bangladesh—
• Distraction using deepfake videos and images
• Automatic creation of fake news/misinformation
• Online fraud and voice cloning
• Collection and misuse of personal data
• Discrimination due to algorithmic bias
Experts say that laws alone will not be enough to address these risks. Technical capabilities, awareness, and institutional policies are needed. At the same time, it is also a big challenge for journalism and the media—because fact-checking is becoming more difficult.

☞ Employment: There are opportunities, but pressure is also coming
➤ One of the most discussed issues about AI is employment. On the one hand, AI can create new jobs, on the other hand, it can reduce some jobs. This is an important question in a labor-intensive economy like Bangladesh.
⇨ According to experts, due to AI—
• Some routine office work may be automated
• There may be changes in call centers or customer service
• Automation may increase in the garment and manufacturing sectors
• New types of jobs (data analysts, AI trainers, prompt engineers, etc.) may be created
But the problem is that if the skills needed for new jobs are not created quickly, a “skill gap” may be created. That is, there may be jobs, but there may not be suitable people—such a situation may arise.

☞ Economic potential: Big opportunities can be exploited
➤ Despite all the limitations, the potential of AI in Bangladesh is not small. According to experts, AI can have a quick and effective impact in several sectors of the country—
• Agriculture: Disease detection, weather analysis, yield forecasting
• Health: Primary screening, report analysis, telemedicine support
• Industry: Quality control, production planning, supply management
• Banking/Fintech: Fraud detection, risk analysis
• Education: Personalized learning support, automated assessment
To implement these, AI capabilities must be built within the country. Because technology is not just about using it; in the long term, one's own capabilities are essential to maintain control of technology, policy security, and economic benefits.

☞ What to do next: Expert advice
➤ According to technology analysts, if Bangladesh wants to strengthen its AI readiness, it must prioritize a few areas—
⇨ 1) Data infrastructure and standards
Creating a single standard for collecting and storing public-private data, and developing a framework for securely using data for research.
⇨ 2) Research and computing capacity
Increase GPU/computing facilities, research grants and international collaboration in universities and research institutes.
⇨ 3) Long-term plan to create skilled manpower
Modernize curricula, increase industry-academia linkages, and introduce advanced training and scholarships.
⇨ 4) Ethics and security framework
Develop practical policies and technical capabilities to address AI-based misinformation, deepfakes, privacy and discrimination.
⇨ 5) Native language and local context
Long-term investment in AI development that is compatible with the Bengali language and local realities.

☞ Conclusion: Preparations are underway, but the pace needs to be accelerated
➤ All in all, Bangladesh has entered the AI ​​era. Youth interest, experimental applications in the industry, and national-level discussions on the technology are positive aspects. But without major improvements in these four areas—data shortages, limited research capacity, a shortage of experienced manpower, and weak policy coordination—it will be difficult to fully harness the potential of the AI ​​revolution.
AI technology is not just new software; it is a major transformation of the economy, security, education, and social fabric. Bangladesh is on the path to that transformation. The question now is—how quickly and in a planned manner can the country prepare?