Digital Public Infrastructure must be inclusive, and open to all, Palak says

Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the state minister for the Information and Communication Technology Division, highlighted the importance of inclusive, competition-friendly principles of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) that do not exclude any societal divide.

"Our forthcoming goals include the implementation of the Smart Bangladesh Stack, which aims to provide an extensive array of verification and authentication choices for our digital identity system," he was addressing the conference on "DPI and AI for #ZeroDigitalDivide" at Hotel Intercontinental on Monday.

He also stressed the potential of DPI and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in fostering prosperity and sustainability. While Bangladesh has made substantial progress in establishing DPI, he acknowledged the need for continued efforts to strengthen these initiatives.

While inaugurating the two-day conference, Planning Minister M A Mannan, said the digital divide needs to be bridged to ensure the sustainable development of the country by 2041.

"After the implementation of Digital Bangladesh, the country is moving towards building Smart Bangladesh. Bangladesh is now one of the fastest-growing countries in the world," he added.

The conference, organised by Aspire to Innovate-a2i and the Division of Information and Communication Technology, featured 14 special sessions. These sessions explored the feasibility of achieving an inclusive and digitally empowered world through the optimal utilisation of DPI and AI in Bangladesh.

The event attracted united high-level representatives from various states, United Nations agencies, development organisations, private sector leaders, and donor organisations, emphasising the importance of international cooperation in this endeavour.

Md Shamsul Arefin, secretary of the ICT Division, has articulated a compelling vision for a "Smart Bangladesh," centred on the integration of cutting-edge technology to foster innovation and digital inclusion in daily life.

Crucially, Smart Bangladesh is dedicated to establishing an equitable nation where equal rights and opportunities are the norm, with a commitment to bridging the 'Zero Digital Divide' both nationally and globally.

Arefin expresses gratitude to all stakeholders and encourages collaboration to utilise technology for the greater good.

Dr Vinton Gray Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, along with Mei Lin Fung, Chair of People-Centred Internet, emphasised the critical connection between technology and people. 

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and chairman of Infosys Limited, stressed the importance of building an interoperable software layer on the internet.

Keynote speaker David Eaves, a professor at Harvard and UCLA, explored the significance of DPI on a global scale, and Anir Chowdhury, policy advisor, a2i, explored its implications and perspective for Bangladesh.

Mohammad Navid Safiullah, an additional secretary at the ICT Division, underscores the game-changing potential of DPI, especially for low and middle-income countries, estimating its impact on economic growth at 20% to 33%.

Later, a ministerial conference, themed "Responsible AI for Shared Future", took place at the event.