Government Working on a Policy to Bring Back the Skills and Investment of Talented Bangladeshis Abroad: Mahdi Amin in Agargaon

Mahdi Amin, the prime minister's adviser on expatriate welfare and labour and employment, has said many talented young Bangladeshis are working and investing abroad because of a lack of adequate opportunities at home. The government is working on a policy to bring their skills and investment back to the country, he said.

He made the remarks on Thursday (5 November) at the 'Bangladesh AI Business Summit 2026' at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Agargaon in the capital.

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly organised the one-day summit, the first of its kind in the country. The information came in a DCCI press release.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was the chief guest at the inaugural session. Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam, parliamentary standing committee chairman Ruhul Kuddus Dulu and International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh president Mahbubur Rahman also spoke at that session. Ministers, business leaders, local and foreign entrepreneurs, policymakers, teachers and students later spoke in three panel discussions on the current state of the AI sector, its obstacles and what needs to be done.

DCCI president Taskin Ahmed moderated the session titled 'Facing the AI Transformation: Application, Potential and Challenges'. He said AI is changing the way business is run, industrial production is carried out and institutional decisions are made, and its use is also growing in Bangladesh. But limited technological infrastructure, a shortage of skilled professionals, high implementation costs and cyber security risks are holding that progress back, he said.

Mahdi Amin was the chief guest at the session titled 'Connecting Industry and Education: Applying AI in Business Innovation'. He said many talented young people are working with distinction in various countries and have also invested there because of a lack of adequate opportunities at home. The government wants to create an environment in the country so that this investment and skilled manpower can be brought back, and work on an effective policy for that is under way, he said.

The session was moderated by former DCCI president Rizwan Rahman. He said curricula at educational institutions must be aligned with the demands of industry and business to create an AI-ready skilled workforce. He stressed AI literacy, data analysis and real problem-solving skills, and urged effective partnerships between the government, industry, educational institutions and development partners.

At the same session, businessman Syed Nasim Manzur said duty exemptions are needed to increase private investment in education and research. Updating the existing intellectual property law is also necessary to attract local and foreign investment, he said, adding that local entrepreneurs can launch AI-based services to solve industry problems. Transcom Group chief executive Simin Rahman said the use of AI needs to increase to raise industrial production and capacity.

At the third session, titled 'AI for All: Practical Steps Through Local Talent and Technology', State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam said AI agents must be made suited to Bangladesh's own language, culture and way of life to ensure the best use of AI in the country, and marginalised communities must also be included. She called for more diplomatic engagement and global partnerships to spread Bangladesh-made AI applications.

At the closing session, Science and Technology Secretary Md Anwar Hossain proposed forming a national AI ecosystem through coordination between the public and private sectors. Daffodil International University trustee board chairman Md Sabur Khan, Foreign Ministry director general Syed Muntasir Mamun, Dhaka University computer science and engineering department chairman Professor Md Abdur Razzaq, Brain Station 23 chief executive Raisul Kabir and Pathao managing director Fahim Ahmed also spoke at various sessions.

Bangladesh's national AI policy has not yet received final approval. At the World AI Conference in Shanghai, China, last July, Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said the government was working on a coordinated and inclusive national AI policy. Last month, a conference of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and the Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum demanded immediate approval of the policy. Meanwhile, on 6 October the UN Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a Bangladesh-led resolution on AI and human rights.

At the 'AI Business Expo' organised for the summit, around 150 stalls of local and foreign institutions displayed AI-based products and services. Young innovators from 20 public and private universities in the country also displayed their own inventions.