As a new government prepares to take office, Bangladesh faces a critical choice: become a low-cost outsourcing hub or build global tech companies that lead the future. The foundations are in place. Now is the time to invest boldly in innovation and create a digital economy that exports products, not just people.
At VivaTech 2025 in Paris, Bangladesh’s presence reflected quiet confidence. Under the banner “Bangladesh 2.0: Innovating Locally, Scaling Globally,” the country showcased its ambitions. With national strategies covering AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and semiconductors, Bangladesh is signaling a serious commitment to becoming a global tech player.
The country’s youth is its greatest strength. More than half the population is under 28, and nearly 25,000 ICT and engineering graduates enter the workforce each year. This deep talent pool is already attracting companies from Europe, the U.S. and Australia. But supplying coders alone will not transform the economy. Building globally competitive tech companies will.
Bangladesh should look to China for inspiration, not India. While India became a global outsourcing hub, China invested in innovation and created companies that dominate entire sectors. Bangladesh must follow a similar path, developing frontier technologies and producing its own unicorns.
The government has taken important first steps. A national data repository is being developed to unify ministries under a single digital infrastructure. New legal frameworks aim to safeguard digital activity, while the recently formed National Data Governance and Interoperability Authority will help regulate and scale AI adoption. Policies are in place, but now they need resources to match.
To succeed, the next government must increase public and private investment in startups, strengthen infrastructure, simplify business regulations, and promote venture capital growth. Bangladesh should not settle for being a back office for foreign companies. It must aim to become a global leader in fintech, edtech, health tech, and beyond.
The opportunity is real. Bangladesh has the talent, momentum and policy groundwork to leap ahead. What it needs now is vision and investment. If the next government meets this moment, Bangladesh can build companies that not only serve the world, but change it.