Gazette on 'Cyber Safety Ordinance' end of this month: Faiz

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser for ICT Division, expressed hope today (10 April) that the government will issue a gazette on 'Cyber Safety Ordinance' by the end of this month.

"We're working seriously on the ordinance. We have consulted various stakeholders and tried to address all concerns," said Taiyeb during his presentation on 'Digital Economy-Through the lens of Policymakers' at a city hotel.

Md Moinul Huq, country officer for Citibank NA, delivered the opening remarks at the event, organised to discuss inclusive digital growth.

Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb emphasised the commitment to providing all necessary policy support to businesses. He highlighted the importance of businesses addressing societal issues in collaboration with the government.

Rohit Jamwal, head of public sector solutions for Citi Asia South; Ruzan Sarwar, head of public policy at Meta for Bangladesh and Nepal; Otto Magne Risbakk, CFO of Gramophone; Yinfan Zhang, director of International Public Policy and Government Affairs; and Debdulal Roy, executive director of Bangladesh Bank, participated in a panel discussion titled 'Inclusive Digital Growth-Breaking Barriers through Policy and Technology'.

Mohammad A Akher, director and head of Treasury and Trade Solutions Citibank, N.A, Bangladesh moderated the session.

In his remarks, Moinul Huq highlighted the digital economy's resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. "It wasn't just a backup, it became the backbone," he said, citing how technology enabled remote work, powered e-commerce and kept people connected.

Huq also spoke on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), listing technologies like AI, machine learning, AR/VR, blockchain, and IoT as transformative forces shaping the future of industries and societies.

He said guided by the spirit as per the new draft of National Digital Transformation Strategy, by 2030 Bangladesh now aspires to be a leading AI and 4IR hub in South Asia.

Additionally, he said, by 2030 Bangladesh also targets to rank among the top 15 nations in e-Government Development index, to nurture and grow 7-8 million skilled ICT professionals, to increase startup funding by 50 percent and to boost our ICT exports to $5 billion.

While FDI in Bangladesh has historically focused on sectors like textiles, banking and energy, Huq said the digital sector is now attracting growing interest. Among the current $17.68 billion in FDI, telecommunications ranks fifth with $1.18 billion.

"Bangladesh is emerging as an attractive destination for digital investment across sectors like electronics, IT-enabled services, semiconductors and digital platforms. As we build an algorithm-driven digital economy, it's important to remember-every line of code still touches a human life," he added.