Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Strategic Partnership in a meeting held at BTRC Headquarters on 9 April 2024 to accelerate the preparation of the Global Digital Compact, UN Summit of the Future 2024, and intervention in Internet Governance in Bangladesh, says a press release.

Bangladesh Initiative for Unified Voices on Global Digital Compact & Summit of the Future 2024, under the auspices of the Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) & Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), has been actively engaging stakeholders since 2022. This engagement encompasses various actors, including Parliamentarians, Government officials, the UN system, private sector representatives, Media, technical communities, civil society organisations (CSOs), academia, and youth communities.

Dhaka, Bangladesh, 9 April 2024 - The Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) are committed to accelerating the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implementation the Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) seek to strengthen their partnership by focusing on jointly selected priorities and by pursuing a more strategic and coordinated collaboration by leveraging their respective strengths and broadening their combined impact, building on existing and new collaborations.

The Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) were signed in a meeting held at BTRC headquarters between BIGF Secretary-General Mohammad Abdul Haque and Lt. Col. S M Rezaur Rahman, psc, sigs, Director - Systems and Services division of the BTRC.

Engr. Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Chairman; Md. Aminul Haque, Vice-Chairman; Engr. Sheikh Reaz Ahmed, Commissioner; Dr Musfiq Mannan Choudhury, FIDM, FCIM, Commissioner; and Md. Delowar Hossain, the Commissioner, Brig Gen Mohammad Khalil-Ur-Rahman, ndc, psc, te, Director General of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), and other senior Officials were present.

Hasanul Haq Inu (former MP and Minister) Chairperson, Mr. AHM Bazlur Rahman, Vice Chairperson of BIGF and Executive Coordinator of Bangladesh Initiative for Unified Voices on Global Digital Compact and UN Summit of the Future 2024, and Mr. Hiren Pandit, Policy Research Fellow of Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum were at the signing ceremony.

Engr. Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Chairman of BTRC, presided over the signing ceremony.

Brig Gen Mohammad Khalil-Ur-Rahman, ndc, psc, te, Director General of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) moderated the session.

In his speech Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu (former MP and Minister) Chairperson mentioned the signing of MoU will open further window for working with BTRC in a large scale to implement Summit of the Future 2024 and Digital Compact.

Engr. Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Chairman of BTRC said that the BRTC has been providing various supports to the BIGF in the last of couple of years and the signing of the MoU will strengthen our initiatives. The Memorandum of Understanding will be structured and advanced along the following eleven key focus areas: working in collaboration to implement the initiatives of IGF in Bangladesh; working together for Digital Inclusion and Connectivity so that all people, including all schools, can connect to the Internet; and ensuring Internet Governance to avoid internet fragmentation, safeguarding the mechanism of Data protection, data sharing and data privacy, promoting data innovation, open data, big data and data-driven decision-making for the public good, uphold human rights online, ensuring digital technology and security to prevent discrimination and the dissemination of misleading content, prioritizing the regulation of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies, promoting the digital commons as a global public good, accelerate the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other national and international development plans and supporting to organize the preparatory intervention on the Global Digital Compact and the UN Summit of the Future 2024.

Subject to their respective mandates, The Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF) and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) may inform and consult with each other, as appropriate, on additional issues of mutual interest in which cooperation may foster their respective and collective purposes.