Don't stop at Pathao seeing Uber, create own Uber: Prof Mustafa Hussain urges youth
How Bangladesh Will Become a 'Nation of Innovation'
- Silicon River vision ushers in semiconductor and deep-tech footprint globally
- Strategy to mobilize 65 million youth for Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show
- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman assures full government backing on the spot
Chief architect of the 'Silicon River' vision, Professor Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain, has called upon the new generation to scale up startups and forge their own paths rather than remaining confined to building local replicas like Pathao after seeing Uber. He emphasized that by bridging the gap between business leaders, expatriate researchers, innovators, and the youth, Bangladesh can emerge on the global stage as a true 'Nation of Innovation'.
On July 26, Sunday, the stellar professor from Purdue University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering presented this visionary roadmap at the inauguration of the two-day 'National Semiconductor and BEAR Summit 2026' held at the Novotheatre in Vijoynagar, the capital.
Addressing Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the event, Mustafa Hussain said, "This time, we must bring our own Uber concept, which the rest of the world will follow." Drawing from his 25-year silver jubilee career in the global semiconductor industry, he outlined the 18-month roadmap to transform the riverine nation into a 'Silicon River' inspired by Silicon Valley. He noted that 10 Bangladeshi-origin professors serve in the top 5 US tech universities, while over 3,000 expatriate Bangladeshis work in the US semiconductor industry, holding primary inventor status for over a thousand patents.
Currently, 21 companies in Bangladesh are designing semiconductor chips, employing over 1,200 engineers. Explaining how Bangladesh will evolve into a 'Nation of Innovation', he announced plans to mobilize the country's 65 million youth and represent the nation as 'Bangladesh Innovate' alongside 117 countries at the prestigious Consumers Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, presenting the top 10 technological innovations before 70,000 global investors. To achieve 'Brain Gain', he urged the government to reduce the import duty on training and research equipment to zero percent for academicians.
Mesmerized by the professor's captivating pitch, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman called him closer and assured that the government would do everything possible to implement this vision of a self-reliant, tech-driven nation. On the spot, the Prime Minister directed Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam Swapon, ICT Advisor Rehan Asad, and Secretary Md. Anowar Hossain to take immediate administrative actions.
//DBTech/IH/EDP//
