Global Experts to Convene in Dhaka for Data Governance Summit

An important international conference on data governance is set to take place in Dhaka on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, focusing on building trust and ensuring sustainable development through secure and ethical data use and institutional accountability. The conference, titled "Building Trust and Sustainability through Data Governance", is jointly organized by the ICT EDGE) project of the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB).

The event will be held at the Bangladesh–China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFC) and will gather domestic and international experts to discuss policies, implementation, and the role of data governance in professional accounting practices. The three technical sessions will cover practical implementation of data protection policies, benchmarking against global standards, and empowering professional accountants in data stewardship and compliance.

The inauguration session will feature Chief Guest Foyez Ahmed Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology. Special Guest Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division, and Distinguished Guests Jean Pesme, Division Director at the World Bank Bangladesh & Bhutan, and Jean Bouquot, President of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), will also attend. The welcome address will be delivered by Faculty of AIUB and Sponsor Director of Infinicon Consulting Limited, Rumi Tarek Mawdud, and the session will be chaired by ICMAB President Mahtab Uddin Ahmed.

The first technical session, “Implementing Data Protection and Governance Policies: Preparation, Challenges, and Action”, will be chaired by Shish Haider Chowdhury, with speakers including S.M. Shafayat Hossain (Joint Secretary, Legislative & Parliamentary Affairs Division, Ministry of Law), World Bank Digital Specialist Suparna Roy, and BCC Executive Director Md. Abu Saeed. This session will be hosted by ICMAB Past President Arif Khan.

The second session, focused on benchmarking data protection and governance against global standards, will feature keynote speaker Sheila Tasnim Haque, Senior Governance Specialist, UNDP Bangladesh. Speakers include Moinul Haque (City Country Officer, Citi Bank N.A.) and Alauddin Ahmed (CEO, MetLife Bangladesh), with the session moderated by AKM Fahim Mashrur, Co-founder and CEO of BDJobs.com Ltd.

The third session, emphasizing empowering professional accountants in data stewardship and compliance, will feature keynote speaker Shams Zaman, Country Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Bangladesh. Discussants include Selim R.F. Hossain (former MD & CEO, BRAC Bank PLC), Jinnia Tanzina Hock FCMA (CFO & Finance Director, Univer Bangladesh Limited), and Major General Md. Nasim Parvez (Commandant, Military Institute of Science & Technology). ICMAB President Mahtab Uddin Ahmed will moderate this session.

Experts expect the summit to provide new directions for promoting transparency, credibility, and adherence to international standards in data usage across Bangladesh’s IT and financial sectors.

DBTech/IH/MIUM/OR