BTRC & TikTok Jointly Hosts Bangladesh's First-Ever Digital Safety Summit
In associate with social media platform TikTok, The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) organized the Digital Safety Summit 2025, first-ever in Dhaka, bringing together representatives from government and non-government organizations, law enforcement agencies, technology experts, and digital influencers. The day-long conference was held on Monday (February 17) at Le Méridien Hotel in the capital.
The summit focused on addressing the growing challenges of digital security, online safety, digital literacy, misinformation awareness, and responsible digital behavior. Speakers highlighted strategies such as fact-checking propaganda, taking screenshots and preserving links for victims, and fostering responsible content creation to combat hate speech. The discussion also emphasized aligning policy and practice to balance rights and freedoms. Additionally, recommendations were made on ensuring digital connectivity during times of crisis, even without access to the global internet.
Moderated by Abu Nazam Mohammad Tanvir Hossain, Principal at Strategem, the seminar featured key speakers, including Police Superintendent Khaleda Begum of Bangladesh Police's Cyber Support for Women, Miraj Chowdhury, Managing Director of Digitally Right, cybersecurity expert Suman Ahmed Sabir, and content creator Mahim Ahmed.
The Digital Safety Summit Bangladesh 2025 was jointly organized with social media platform TikTok. BTRC Chairman Major General Md. Emdadul Bari inaugurated the event in the morning, emphasizing that BTRC aims to enhance the digital space rather than control it. In his opening remarks, he stated, “Social media plays a crucial role in today’s world. It is not just a platform for entertainment or networking but has also proven to be an essential tool for economic growth, social empowerment, and civic engagement. Hence, instead of imposing control over social media platforms, BTRC is focused on creating a supportive regulatory environment, fostering responsible innovation, ensuring user safety, and promoting transparent regulations.”
He further stressed, “Enhancing digital security does not mean restricting or suppressing freedom of expression. Instead, our goal is to create an environment where creativity and innovation can flourish while ensuring that users are protected from harmful content and fraudulent activities.”
Highlighting BTRC’s efforts to expand network infrastructure, provide affordable internet access, and ensure digital services for all segments of society, he reiterated that BTRC encourages a regulatory environment that supports responsible digital innovation and user safety rather than direct control over social media platforms.
In her welcome speech, Sidra Jalil, Manager of Outreach & Partnerships at TikTok, revealed that the platform removed 11.6 million videos uploaded from Bangladesh in 2024 due to policy violations. According to TikTok, "99.6% of the removed videos were taken down automatically, and 96.7% were removed within 24 hours." Ferdous Al Mottakin, Head of Public Policy & Government Relations for South Asia at TikTok, reaffirmed the platform's commitment to prioritizing user safety.
During the keynote presentation, Brigadier General Mohammad Khalil Ur Rahman, Director General of BTRC's Systems & Services Division, stated that BTRC maintains regular discussions with international platforms to ensure compliance with Bangladesh’s data protection regulations. “Our primary objective is to develop a framework where user data is managed responsibly, ensuring its secure collection, storage, and processing,” he said.
Underscoring the need for a multi-stakeholder approach in combating cybercrime, he added, “Addressing such threats requires close collaboration between BTRC, law enforcement agencies, internet service providers, and technology platforms. Education and awareness are equally crucial. That is why BTRC conducts nationwide awareness campaigns to promote responsible digital behavior.”
