The 3rd Bangladesh Annual Session of the 18th Internet Governance Forum ended on Saturday evening in the presence of around 200 participants from various stakeholders in 8 sessions over three days. It is a joint initiative of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum in collaboration with UNIGF, The Asia Foundation, Internet Society Foundation and Google.
On the concluding day, Bangladesh System Administrators Forum (BDSAF) President Md. Zobair Al-Mahmood Hossain presented the keynote address in the seminar on ‘Meaningful and Sustainable Internet Management’ conducted by BNNRC and BIGF Research Fellow Hiren Pandit. During his presentation, he highlighted various issues of internet connectivity. At the same time, discussed the Khawaja Tower fire and the risks to our Internet, and emphasized how to maintain a meaningful and sustainable Internet system by not deploying everything in one place, especially strong alternative servers.
Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) Secretary General Mohammad Abdul Haque Anu, Plexus Cloud CEO Mubarak Hussain discussed the main discussion.
IIT professor of Dhaka University Dr. Mohammad Shafiul Alam Khan, while speaking as the honored guest said, we all have to try to make this internet system sustainable. Together we are moving towards a smart Bangladesh. We all have to work from our place.
As a special guest, Brigadier General Mohammad Moniruzzaman Jewell, Director General of Spectrum Division of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission said, we have to eliminate the problems through concerted efforts. We need to maintain a meaningful and sustainable internet system with everyone including our mobile operators.
In the second session of the day, Bangladesh NGOS Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) Chief Executive Officer AHM Bazlur Rahman presented the three-day event organized by Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) Secretary General Mohammad Abdul Haque Anu.
The guest of honor Anya Gengo, NRI Focal Point and Associate Program Specialist, UN Secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) joined the session virtually from Geneva, Switzerland.
He discussed about arranging the Japan Kyoto IGF and UNIGF 2024 and Summit of the Future to be held next year. He also praised Bangladesh IGF communities.
Joining virtually from Delhi, India, Sameeran Gupta, Vice President of Government and IGO Engagement Asia Pacific and Stakeholder Engagement for South Asia, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICAN), said that ICAN is working with BIGF. He expressed his determination to work more intensively in the future.
In the last session, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh, Helal Hakim, was present in the program. Director General of Systems and Services Department of BTRC Brigadier General Mohammad Khalil-ur-Rehman was the chief guest at the meeting. Meanwhile, he said, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is working on internet governance, in the future how to effectively and sustainably take the internet to the doorsteps of the people and accelerate the progress of smart Bangladesh. Covid has also taught us a lot. We cannot return to the old world. We need to work together to bridge the generation gap and digital divide.
The three-day long 18th BIGF was declared over by distribution of certificates at the end of the ceremony.
