Robi Privacy Avengers 2026 Champion DU 'Thought Police'

Robi Axiata PLC has awarded the top 10 teams in ‘Privacy Avengers 2026’, a competition designed to raise awareness of data privacy among young people and encourage them to develop innovative solutions. The University of Dhaka’s Thought Police team emerged as the champion with an AI-powered application-based solution, ‘Shoccho’, aimed at protecting customers’ personal information and ensuring privacy.

The final round and award ceremony took place on 5 November, Thursday at Robi’s corporate office in Dhaka. Following evaluations across several stages, 20 teams were selected as ‘Privacy Defenders’, of which the top 10 advanced to the final round. The competition offered a total prize pool of Tk 500,000.

The competition brought together students from universities across Bangladesh. Its objective was to increase awareness of personal data protection and encourage young innovators to develop practical and effective solutions. The initiative was organised as part of Robi’s ongoing efforts to promote the safe use of personal information amid the growing adoption of digital services.

 The finalist teams were Cive Voders, Thought Police, AgentOne, Sed_People, CU_ET_E Encrypted Waves, Aezakmi, Team Saddu, Team Black Coffee, TheCypherGirls and Project Red Sky..

The participants presented their ideas to address various real-life challenges related to personal data protection, customer trust, business needs and the use of emerging technologies. The winners received a total of Tk 5 lakh in prize money.

Thought Police emerged as the champion, while AgentOne secured the first runner-up position and Sed_People became the second runner-up.

Shahriar Hossen Fahim, team leader of the champion Thought Police team and a student of the University of Dhaka’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering, said the team earned the recognition with ‘Shoccho’, a customer-friendly, application-based solution.

According to Fahim, the AI-powered solution is designed to help Robi protect the confidentiality and security of customer information while complying with data privacy laws and regulatory requirements. His teammates in developing the solution were fellow students Muhaiminul Islam Ninad and Anindya Kundu.

Sakibul Hassan Shovon, team leader of Sad People, said the team developed a prototype application named ‘JIMMA', which would allow individuals to control how their personal data is used. His teammates were fellow students Nadia Rahman Athoy and Rabea Jessory Shorna.

Speaking at the event, Secretary of the ICT Division Md. Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan said, “We want young people not merely to remain users of technology, but to develop new solutions for digital security through their innovative thinking and talent. By harnessing their innovative potential, it will become easier to build a safe, responsible and trust-based digital ecosystem in Bangladesh. ‘Privacy Avengers 2026’ is an effective initiative to develop these capabilities among young people.”

Brigadier General Shahzad Pervez Mohiuddin, Director General of the Systems and Services Division at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), said, “Initiatives such as ‘Privacy Avengers 2026’ are encouraging young people to develop new and effective solutions in data privacy and cybersecurity. We hope that collective efforts by the government, industry and young people will help build a safer, more reliable and trusted digital environment in Bangladesh.”

Robi Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ziad Shatara said, “In today's digital economy, protecting customers’ personal information is not merely a policy commitment; it is one of the foundations of long-term digital trust and sustainable growth. As digital services expand and usage increases, the importance of responsible and secure data management continues to grow. Through our ‘Privacy First’ initiative and the ‘Privacy Avengers’ competition, we are encouraging the younger generation to develop innovative ideas and practical solutions in data privacy and cybersecurity.”

He added, “We firmly believe that building a generation that is aware, skilled and responsible in matters of data protection will help establish a safer, more inclusive and reliable digital ecosystem in Bangladesh.”

Beyond the competition, Robi is conducting a week-long series of awareness activities under its ‘Privacy First’ initiative. These activities target employees, business partners, customer service and call centre staff, suppliers and distributors. The programme includes discussions, quizzes and training sessions to reinforce the importance of protecting personal information across different levels of the organisation.

Robi believes that personal data protection is not simply a matter of legal compliance but a shared responsibility. By engaging young people and promoting responsible data practices, the company says it is working to strengthen customer trust and help build a safer digital environment in Bangladesh.

//DBTech/IH/SMP/MVNO//