Cyber Collaboration: BIGF Charts Bangladesh’s Digital Governance Future

The three-day Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) begins on October 30 at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka, focusing on digital governance, cybersecurity, and youth participation. The 20th edition of the forum will conclude with a workshop dedicated to “Building a Smart Future by Keeping Children Safe Online.” Over the three days, nine panel discussions—including two each on the opening and closing days—will feature national and international experts, policymakers, educators, technologists, and young entrepreneurs.

The forum will commence on Thursday afternoon with a session reviewing ongoing fellowship programs under the BIGF framework. The session, moderated by BIGF Secretary General Mohammad Abdul Haque Anur, will feature ICANN’s Global Stakeholder Engagement Manager Yas Agarwal as the keynote speaker. Discussants in the Q&A session will include Ashiqur Rahman Shunno, NetMission Ambassador, and Mohammad Kausar Uddin, Vice-President of ISOC Bangladesh Chapter.

Following that, a discussion on Digital Governance in Bangladesh will mark the official inauguration of the forum. Moderated by Associate Professor Md. Minhaj Uddin of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Jahangirnagar University, the session will feature solidarity remarks from Vinton G. Cerf—renowned as one of the “Fathers of the Internet” and currently Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. The welcome address will be delivered by A.H.M. Bazlur Rahman, expert on digital democratization and Responsible AI Ambassador.

The first plenary session will present the keynote paper on “A Framework for Inclusive and Intelligent Empowerment through Digital Governance in Bangladesh,” delivered by Professor Dr. M. Hakikur Rahman, Chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, International Standard University. The paper will be reviewed by Sharmin Khan, Head of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL). Esteemed discussants will include Syed Almas Kabir, Chairman of Bangladesh ICT and Innovation Network (BIN), and Suman Ahmed Sabir, Member of the APNIC Executive Committee. The session will conclude with a vote of thanks from Advocate Abdullah Al Noman.

The second day (Friday) will focus on youth and artificial intelligence (AI) under the theme “Youth Voices for a Safe Digital Future.” Chaired by Syeda Kamrun Jahan Reepa, Chairperson of Bangladesh Youth IGF, the session will feature Ridma Khan, Lecturer at North South University, as the keynote speaker.

A subsequent session will address bridging the digital divide through AI, followed by a discussion led by Zarin Tasnim Rafa and Sanjida Tasnim on digital empowerment of farmers and rural communities. The day’s final session will deal with cyber privacy and security, with Mahedi Hasan from Dhaka University ICT Cell presenting the keynote paper.

The closing day will open with a workshop on child protection and online safety, titled “Smart Kids, Safe Internet.” School students will participate in group discussions to promote awareness of safe online practices and demonstrate techniques to stay protected in the digital space.

Later sessions will cover the role of technology in preventing violence against women, featuring representatives from UNFPA and UN Women. This will be followed by a discussion on freedom of expression and the Cyber Security Act. Md. Al Amin Tushar will present the keynote paper on “Cyber Security Act and Freedom of Expression,” while Md. Yamin, Digital Verification Editor at AFP, will highlight the importance of digital verification in maintaining media credibility.

The closing session will feature A.H.M. Bazlur Rahman as the keynote speaker and be chaired by Md. Saimum Reza Talukder. Anja Gengo from the UN IGF Secretariat will deliver a solidarity address.