Bangladesh Declares Deep-Tech Vision at BEAR Summit 2025
Over two transformative days of innovation, dialogue, and declarations, Bangladesh unveiled its ambition to carve a sovereign niche in the global semiconductor, biotechnology, AI, and robotics industries. The inaugural BEAR Summit 2025 and Semiconductor Symposium, held at the Science and Technology Complex in Dhaka, concluded on the evening of July 17 with the formal reading of the “Bangladesh Declaration”, charting a strategic roadmap toward deep-tech leadership.
The closing ceremony was led by symposium convenor and Purdue University Professor Dr. Mohammad Mostafa Hossain. Joining him were notable diaspora scientists and global industry leaders including Professor Saif Salauddin of the University of California, Berkeley and researcher at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC); Dr. Anisul Khan, former Vice President of Applied Materials; Dr. Shatil Haque, Vice President at InnoVix; Dr. Mahbub Rashed, Vice President of Global Foundries; and Syed Badruddoza, Director at NXP. Dr. Mohammad Mehedi Hasan, Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council, also participated.
In the declaration, Bangladesh was described as “ready for deep technology leadership,” emphasizing a commitment to unleashing the talent of its dynamic youth. The declaration underscored that, in fields like biotech, AI, and robotics, “sovereignty and originality will prevail—there will be no blind imitation.”
It further stated, “A people-centric national roadmap will be designed to ensure a citizen-friendly semiconductor ecosystem that ensures empowerment of universities and fair recognition for taxpayers.” As part of this mission, a National Talent Force of 2,000 professionals under the BEAR initiative has been launched. The goal is to train 20,000 engineers, designers, and researchers by 2030 through a three-year VLSI program and development of digital twin infrastructure.
The declaration emphasized the formation of a research-driven, environmentally responsible, and globally competitive innovation strategy through transparent and accountable public-private partnerships. While welcoming international cooperation, it clearly stated that “no exclusive control or unchecked access to public funds” would be allowed. All foreign beneficiaries must compete fairly, while innovation freedom, intellectual property protection, and entrepreneurial autonomy will be safeguarded.
In his concluding remarks, Professor Mostafa Hossain said, “We dedicate this declaration to the martyrs of 1952, 1971, 1990, and 2024, and to the future builders of our nation. Our history is written with courage, and in 2025, we shall rise again. This document is our promise to those who have fallen and to those who now rise to build a sovereign, innovation-driven Bangladesh.”
Earlier, the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association (BSIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS). The agreement was signed by BSIA President M A Jabbar and IEEE EDS President Bin Zhao. The MoU aims to advance R&D, standards development, and professional collaboration in electronic devices and nanotechnology in Bangladesh.
In another session, M A Jabbar presented a strategic outlook for Bangladesh’s semiconductor ecosystem. A panel moderated by NXP Director Dr. Syed Badruddoza discussed end-to-end semiconductor design and manufacturing, embedded systems, digital twins, and non-silicon devices.
A high-level roundtable was also held, moderated by Dr. Anisul Khan, with participation from SK Hynix CVP Jin Lim, MediaTek CVP Patrick Wilson, SanDisk and Western Digital’s Technology Development VP Fumitoshi Ito, Global Foundries VP Dr. Mahbub Rashed, Tokyo Electronics VP Vaidya Bharadwaj, and InnoVix VP Dr. Shatil Haque.
With the adoption of the Bangladesh Declaration and renewed commitments from global and local stakeholders, the summit marked a pivotal step toward building a sovereign, inclusive, and innovation-driven deep-tech future for Bangladesh.
