Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, adviser to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, attended the inauguration of the OIC Youth Summit on Monday, held in Morocco.
Asif met with Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication of Morocco, ahead of the ceremony. Representing Bangladesh at this high-level event, he highlighted Bangladesh’s youth development strategies, progress in digital transformation, and government-led initiatives to empower young leadership.
This year’s program has been designed in the context of the multidimensional challenges and opportunities facing youth in the Muslim world post-pandemic.
Asif said that nearly half of the country’s total population is youth, and the government is implementing technical, technology-driven, and forward-looking training programs to enhance their skills. He highlighted the importance being placed on Artificial Intelligence (AI) training, innovation, and equipping youth with the skills relevant to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The adviser, in Marrakesh to attend the OIC Youth Capital International Program, praised the dynamism and creativity of Morocco’s youth and stressed the need for cultural collaboration, experience sharing, and joint initiatives between the two nations.
During the meeting, Moroccan minister Bensaid confirmed his participation in the upcoming Global Youth Summit, to be held in Dhaka this September. He expressed Morocco’s keen interest in working jointly with Bangladesh and placed special emphasis on idea exchange programs for youth development and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Prior to the bilateral meeting, Asif also exchanged greetings with ministers from several other OIC member states, including United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Mauritania, Jordan, The Gambia, and Djibouti.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Bensaid. In his remarks, he emphasised the importance of strengthening global youth dialogue, fostering social entrepreneurship, and advancing cultural diplomacy among OIC nations.