PM Pledges Tech Roadmap Implementation

Pledging state patronage for indigenous scientific research and technological engineering, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman committed to executing the comprehensive innovation ecosystem roadmap outlined by keynote researchers.

The policy commitment was delivered during the inaugural session of the 'Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026' on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

Reflecting on the keynote titled 'Sustainable Innovation Ecosystem and Trillion-Dollar Economy' presented by the first Bangladeshi UNESCO Chair and BUET Professor Dr. Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder, the Prime Minister stated, "The topics presented by the preceding speakers before everyone have broadly defined our action plan for the coming days." He further remarked, "If we can gradually implement the points he highlighted in his presentation, we will be able to achieve our target. No further speeches are needed here. The remarks from previous speakers have clearly established what the future roadmap of the government and the country ought to be. Therefore, on behalf of the government, I seek the full cooperation of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and scientists. The government will make every effort from the highest level to achieve the targeted goals outlined in the presentation."

Elaborating on macro-engineering strategy, Dr. Anisuzzaman stated, "To reach a trillion-dollar economy by 2034, we now require a 200-billion-dollar jump. Achieving industrial expansion demands an innovation- and research-supported financing strategy. Through an industry-academia joint partnership ecosystem, we must attain robust intellectual property capacity before 2029. To diversify exports, 1 percent of GDP must be invested in research and development." Addressing institutional functionality, he added, "We possess numerous institutions, but they are not operating at full capacity. The unutilized capabilities of BUET, Dhaka University, BCSIR, and the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission must be actively mobilized."

Proposing dedicated scientific infrastructure, the UNESCO Chair observed, "We now need a research-focused post-graduate university where we can integrate non-resident Bangladeshi scholars and international partners. Simultaneously, unified platforms must be built, including a national institute platform dedicated to Artificial Intelligence. Both DPDP and NSD must be substantially enriched." Outlining research financing channels, he explained, "A funding continuum is essential to finance projects seamlessly from basic research through to commercialization, because without primary research, incubation and innovation cannot materialize." Connecting technological capability to national security, he affirmed, "To implement 'Bangladesh First', national security and sovereignty must be ensured. There is no alternative to innovation-led technology development. We aim to build sovereign innovation capacity not merely as consumers, but natively on our own soil, transforming every national sector."

Presided over by Bangladesh Atomic Energy Scientists Association (BAESA) President Dr. A S M Saifullah, the opening session was attended by Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr. M Moinul Islam, and the Prime Minister’s respective adviser Rehan Asif Asad as special guests.
//DBTech/IH/SME/MIST//