Dhaka: The International Trade, Investment and Technology (ITIT) Wing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened the third virtual national Townhall on AI Governance and Global Technology Architecture on Wednesday. This event marked the final national consultation before Bangladesh assumes the Presidency of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in September 2026.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the session, held under the theme ‘Structural Engagement in UN Processes: Securing Global South Compute Sovereignty and Navigating International Technology Ecosystems’, was chaired by Dr Syed Muntasir Mamun, director general of the ITIT and ICT Wings and Chief Innovation Officer of the ministry. It attracted multilateral diplomats, senior officials, representatives from United Nations agencies, international think tanks, academics, private-sector leaders, and civil-society and Internet-governance representatives from Bangladesh and other countries including Armenia, Ethiopia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and across the African continent.
The townhall completed a three-stage national process. The initial session on 13 July 2026 focused on a global review of the Geneva digital convergence. The second session on 27 July 2026 was dedicated to designing Bangladesh’s domestic institutional architecture, including the proposed Bangladesh AI Observatory and five thematic working groups. The third stage aimed to formulate a structural approach to engage with United Nations mechanisms to advance sovereign AI and compute sovereignty for Bangladesh and the broader Global South.
During the session, Dr Muntasir Mamun emphasized the shift in global AI governance from non-binding ethical declarations to the critical physical infrastructure such as semiconductors and energy grids. He stressed the importance of compute sovereignty, stating, “You cannot buy artificial intelligence. Maybe you can buy compute, but you cannot buy AI. You have to train AI, you have to build your own AI.”
The session delved into the global technology stack across four physical verticals-AI models and compute, semiconductors, energy grids, and space and satellite infrastructure. It also assessed two competing international platform ecosystems: the US-led Pax Silica initiative and the China-led World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). Participants agreed that these ecosystems should be treated as operational rather than ideological blocs, suggesting that Bangladesh should engage with both while avoiding excessive dependence.
AHM Bazlur Rahman of the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) highlighted the importance of building national capacity to evaluate, negotiate, govern, and shape technology, rather than merely attracting it. The session brought forward a significant conceptual advancement by expanding the notion of sovereignty. Participants argued that compute sovereignty, while necessary, is insufficient on its own. Sovereign AI was redefined as a layered construct, making partial sovereignty attainable within existing fiscal constraints.
The townhall endorsed three upgrades to Bangladesh’s domestic institutional framework, including the expansion of the Bangladesh AI Observatory’s mandate and the establishment of a Sovereign AI Investment Platform. Additionally, gender and social inclusion were emphasized as cross-cutting design principles, with a focus on ensuring women’s active participation in AI governance.
Participants adopted an 18-month diplomatic roadmap for the UNGA 81 Presidency, with plans to present the Global South vision for compute sovereignty and table a draft resolution for a UN Working Group on International Compute Equity. Engagement will span various UN platforms, with coalitions built with the G77, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the African group.
The session concluded with the adoption of key deliverables, including the UNGA 81 Diplomatic Position Paper, an upgraded charter for the Bangladesh AI Observatory, and a Multilateral Compute and Energy Investment Framework. The technical outputs from all three townhalls will be compiled into a final outcome document for presentation at the National AI Consultation scheduled for late August 2026.