Bangladesh published its National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence in March 2020, driven by the slogan "AI for Innovative Bangladesh". The strategy identifies seven national priority sectors: public service delivery, manufacturing, agriculture, smart mobility and transportation, skill & education, finance & trade, and health.
To create a sustainable AI ecosystem, the strategy outlines six strategic pillars: research and development, skilling and reskilling of AI workforce, data and digital infrastructure, ethics, data privacy, security & regulations, funding and accelerating AI startups, and industrialisation technologies.
The strategy includes a five-year roadmap for AI development. Under Strategy 4, "Ethics, Data Privacy, Security & Regulations," the government plans to create new AI ethics guidelines addressing fairness, safety, cybersecurity, and transparency. By 2023-2024, its ICT Division and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs intend to formulate a Right to Explanation Guideline for AI algorithms.
In July 2023, the national Parliament passed the Agency to Innovate (a2i) Bill 2023, establishing a2i as Bangladesh's national innovation agency. This aligns with the Smart Bangladesh Vision 2041 and its 20-year Perspective Plan, which aim to utilise technology for societal advancement by 2041.
In February 2024, Minister of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Mr. Anisul Huq announced plans to draft a law on AI, emphasising the intention to consult international stakeholders. In March 2024, Minister Huq led discussions on the draft framework, stressing the importance of addressing human welfare and ethical use of AI. The proposed draft is expected to be completed by September 2024.
Bangladesh proposed a draft Data Protection Act in 2022. The draft faced criticism for potentially granting authorities broad powers to access personal data without judicial oversight.
In November 2023, the Cabinet approved the Draft Data Protection Act 2023 in principle. The revised Act addressed stakeholder feedback on transition periods and data localisation requirements, but the definition of personal data remained unaddressed. The Act provides for the establishment of a Board to oversee data protection in the country.
While Bangladesh has not publicly declared adoption of a Human Rights framework for AI policy, its national AI strategy acknowledges challenges related to machine learning transparency. The strategy explicitly states support for GDPR-style regulations, a 'right to get an explanation', and the need for a strong legal and ethical framework for AI implementation.
Since 2008, Bangladesh has issued a National Identity Card (NID) with biometric data, compulsory for citizens over 18 to access various services. In 2016, the government began issuing "smart NID cards" with encrypted biometric data.
Freedom House ranked Bangladesh as "partly free" in 2024, with a score of 40/100 for political and civil rights. The report highlights issues such as political power consolidation, harassment of opposition and media, and weakened anti-corruption efforts.
In January 2024, UN experts urged the Bangladesh government to implement significant human rights reforms, expressing alarm over attacks on civil society, human rights defenders, journalists, and political activists during recent elections.
The Digital Security Act, replaced by the Cyber Security Act in September 2023, has been criticised for its use in targeting dissenting voices. In 2022, 433 people were imprisoned under this Act, representing a 21% year-on-year increase.
Bangladesh has not endorsed the OECD AI principles. However, it has endorsed the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, though implementation remains to be seen.
This country report is our interpretation and summary of the "CAIDP Artificial Intelligence & Democratic Values Index 2023". The full report can be found here - https://www.caidp.org/reports/aidv-2023/