Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said the government is placing the highest priority on developing human resources skilled in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the “Artificial Intelligence Research Lab” and “AI Project Competition-2026” at Daffodil International University (DIU) in Savar on Saturday, the minister described AI not merely as a technology, but as a primary driver of the future economy, employment, innovation, and national competitiveness, reads a press release.
The minister emphasised that university-based AI research labs will serve as hubs for innovation and technological excellence. Such initiatives, he noted, will equip students with modern AI skills, enabling them to conduct research, create innovative prototypes, and develop industry-appropriate solutions.
Highlighting the transformative impact of AI on education, health, agriculture, industry, business, and administration, Anam said there is no alternative to research and innovation in building a “New Bangladesh”.
“Our goal is to create 10 lakh new jobs in the ICT sector over the next five years,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman considers the youth to be the core driving force of the nation’s future.
Anam further announced that the government and the ICT Ministry’s startup funds would provide full support to the most promising projects among the 145 AI projects developed by DIU students. He also highlighted various government initiatives to establish AI training centres and extend satellite-based internet facilities to the grassroots level.
The newly inaugurated state-of-the-art lab is equipped with 25 NVIDIA DJ Spark PCs and five specialised computers featuring RTX 3060 and 4090 GPUs. Managed by five full-time researchers, the lab has already produced groundbreaking solutions such as “AI Professor”, “AI Proctor”, and “AI Registrar”, with a “Smart Classroom” project currently underway.
Following the ceremony, the minister distributed prizes to 12 winning teams across six categories selected from the 145 exhibited projects.
The event was presided over by DIU Board of Trustees Chairman Dr Md Sabur Khan. Also in attendance were Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr MR Kabir, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Masum Iqbal and Prof Dr Md Sarwar Hossain Mollah, Head of the Department of Computing and Information Systems, alongside other faculty members and students.
