Bangladesh should move beyond being primarily a consumer of imported technology and build the capacity to produce and export higher-value digital products and services, Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam said on Saturday. Speaking at an ICT and Innovation Awards 2026 event, he highlighted artificial intelligence, semiconductor design, software, data centres and digital services as areas with export potential.

The idea is to extend the “Made in Bangladesh” label beyond traditional manufacturing into knowledge-intensive technology. That will require more than coding courses or individual start-ups. Research funding, skilled engineers, university-industry collaboration, access to growth capital and internationally competitive digital infrastructure all have to develop together.

Artificial intelligence and chip design are expanding rapidly worldwide, but entry barriers are high. Bangladesh has a large young workforce and experience in software services, yet it needs stronger laboratories, deeper links between research and industry, clearer intellectual-property systems and long-horizon investment if local ideas are to become globally marketable products.

Reliable electricity, fast connectivity, data protection, predictable regulation and an environment that retains technical talent will also shape whether the ambition becomes commercially credible. If those foundations improve consistently, technology exports could diversify Bangladesh’s economy and create more high-value employment rather than leaving the country dependent on low-margin digital outsourcing.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). Featured image: illustrative; Unsplash/Steve A Johnson.