Bangladesh To Establish First AI Training Centres In Sylhet To Equip Youth For AI, IT-Related Work: Commerce Minister Muktadir

🤖 Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Tuesday said the government will set up several artificial intelligence (AI) training centres in Sylhet — first of its kind — to equip young people with skills for AI and IT-related work. The announcement marks a significant step in Bangladesh''s efforts to develop the human capital needed to participate in the global AI economy — a sector that is increasingly driving productivity gains, business model innovation and economic transformation across industries.

📊 The decision to establish the AI training centres in Sylhet is strategically significant for several reasons. Sylhet is one of Bangladesh''s most export-oriented regions, with a large diaspora in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Middle East. The region has a strong tradition of overseas migration and a relatively high level of educational attainment. By establishing AI training centres in Sylhet, the government is positioning the region as a hub for technology skills development that can serve both domestic and international markets.

🏛 The global AI opportunity

The global AI market is one of the fastest-growing segments of the technology industry, with projections suggesting it could reach $1.8 trillion by 2030. AI is increasingly being deployed across industries — from financial services and healthcare to manufacturing, retail, and logistics — creating demand for workers with AI-related skills such as machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and data engineering.

For Bangladesh, the AI opportunity is particularly significant because it aligns with the country''s existing strengths in IT-enabled services, software development, and freelancing. Bangladesh already has a thriving IT sector with hundreds of thousands of freelancers and software developers serving international clients. By adding AI skills to this mix, Bangladesh can position itself as a competitive supplier of AI-related services — including data labelling, model training, AI application development, and AI-enabled business process outsourcing.

👥 Why AI training matters for Bangladesh

AI training matters for Bangladesh for several reasons. First, AI is reshaping the global labour market, with some jobs being automated and new AI-related jobs being created. Bangladesh''s large young workforce needs to be equipped with the skills required to participate in the AI economy — otherwise the country risks being left behind as competitors in India, the Philippines, Vietnam and other developing countries build their AI capabilities.

Second, AI skills are increasingly in demand from Bangladesh''s existing export-oriented sectors. The readymade garments industry is deploying AI for demand forecasting, supply chain optimisation, quality control and sustainability reporting. The pharmaceutical industry is using AI for drug discovery, clinical trial design and regulatory compliance. The financial services industry is using AI for credit scoring, fraud detection and customer service. All of these sectors need workers with AI-related skills to support their technology transformations.

Third, AI training can support Bangladesh''s broader digital transformation agenda. The government has been pushing for a "Digital Bangladesh" for over a decade, and AI is the next frontier of this digital transformation. By developing AI capabilities, Bangladesh can improve the efficiency of public services, enhance the competitiveness of its private sector, and create new export opportunities in technology services.

🌏 Sylhet''s strategic positioning

The choice of Sylhet for the AI training centres reflects the region''s unique characteristics. Sylhet has a large diaspora in the UK, US and Middle East — meaning that AI training graduates from Sylhet will have natural pathways to international job opportunities, freelance work for overseas clients, and even overseas migration for tech roles. The region also has a strong educational infrastructure, with several universities and technical colleges that can serve as feeders for the AI training centres.

Sylhet''s tea-growing heritage also provides a unique context for AI applications. The tea industry is increasingly adopting AI for crop monitoring, yield prediction, quality control and supply chain management — creating local demand for AI skills that the training centres can address. The region''s natural beauty and tourism potential also create opportunities for AI applications in hospitality, travel and customer service.

🤝 Implementation challenges

While the announcement is welcome, the success of the AI training centres will depend on how they are implemented. Key challenges include: developing curricula that are aligned with industry needs and international standards; recruiting qualified instructors who can teach AI-related subjects; ensuring access to computing infrastructure, software and datasets needed for hands-on training; and creating pathways from training to employment — including through partnerships with local and international tech companies.

Bangladesh will also need to ensure that the AI training centres do not become isolated islands of excellence, but are integrated into a broader national AI strategy that includes university programmes, industry partnerships, research and development investments, and regulatory frameworks for AI deployment. Without such integration, the training centres risk producing graduates who cannot find suitable employment or who migrate abroad to apply their skills.

💰 Looking ahead

The establishment of Bangladesh''s first AI training centres in Sylhet is a positive signal that the government is beginning to take AI seriously as a strategic opportunity. The coming months will show how the initiative is implemented — and whether it can serve as a model for similar centres in other parts of the country. If successful, the AI training centres could help Bangladesh capture a meaningful share of the global AI opportunity — creating high-skilled jobs, supporting the country''s broader digital transformation, and contributing to the diversification of the export basket beyond readymade garments.

For the young people of Sylhet and Bangladesh more broadly, the AI training centres represent a pathway to participation in one of the most dynamic segments of the global economy. The government''s commitment to investing in their AI skills development is a meaningful step towards ensuring that Bangladeshis are not just consumers of AI technologies developed elsewhere, but active participants in the global AI economy as creators, innovators and skilled workers.