Bangladesh Invites Apple to Operations

Bangladesh has officially extended an invitation to US tech giant Apple to initiate operations within the country, with initial discussions already showing positive progress. On Tuesday (November 10),  Rehan Asif Asad, Advisor to the Prime Minister on the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, disclosed this information as the chief guest at Grameenphone’s flagship event, the "Futuremakers" Gala Night.

He highlighted that following the ready-made garment sector, consumer electronics, semiconductors, and device manufacturing hold top priority for the government.

Delivering his speech, Rehan Asif Asad stated, "I strongly believe that what we have achieved in the garment and manufacturing sectors, we will be able to take our electronics manufacturing industry to that same height over the next five years. Following the changes in the previous budget, we have made significant progress in electronics manufacturing. I can inform you that except for Apple, almost all high-end Android phones are currently being manufactured in Bangladesh."

He further remarked that, like other global corporations, Apple typically takes two to three years analyzing market dynamics before entering a new region. "Our preliminary discussions focused on how Bangladesh can become a partner in their journey, how Bangladesh can assist them, or how Bangladesh can serve as a center for their future innovation and production."

Major General (Retd.) Md. Emdad Ul Bari, Chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), attended the program as a special guest. Also present were Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen, Grameenphone Chief Executive Officer Yasir Azman, Chief Human Resources Officer Syeda Tahya Hossain, senior corporate executives, tech experts, and participating students.

During the event, awards were presented to the winners of the "AI for Social Good" competition. "Team Labdub" claimed first place for their innovation "EcoClip," a device attachable to standard stethoscopes to detect early signs of heart disease. "Team River Sentinel" secured second place by developing an AI-driven system to predict riverbank erosion and issue early warnings for vulnerable zones. "Team Jinxed" took third place with "Spashto AI," an AI-based speech therapy app designed to assist individuals with speech impairments through home exercises and progress tracking. //DBTech/SMIH/RESME/FOPTE//