Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam has stressed the importance of experience sharing, institutional capacity building and mutual partnerships among countries of the Caucasus, Central Asia and Asia-Pacific regions. 

The minister made the remarks while delivering welcome address on behalf of 12 countries participating in an interregional project at the United Nations Public Service Forum (UNPSF) 2026 held in Tbilisi, Georgia, said a ministry press release today.

He noted that the global failure rate of digital transformation initiatives stands at around 70 to 80 percent. 

To overcome this significant challenge, he said, there is no alternative to sharing mutual experiences. 

Faqir Mahbub Anam said such peer-to-peer and South-South Cooperation is not merely an element of development but one of its core components. A successful solution in one country can inspire innovation and progress in another, he said.

Highlighting this year's forum theme, "Transforming Public Institutions: Advancing Innovation, Accountability, Participation and Inclusion", the minister shared his views on innovation, accountability and inclusion.

Presenting Bangladesh's progress and future plans, the minister said a citizen-centric digital transformation process is advancing in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. 

To meet citizens' expectations, he said, Bangladesh is adopting a Service Delivery Maturity Model and a Product Management approach for greater agility. 

Alongside technological changes, efforts are also underway to transform the mindset of government officials and build transformational leadership, he said.

Referring to the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the minister said that while AI offers enormous opportunities to improve the quality and efficiency of public services, ensuring AI governance, transparency and fairness remains essential. 

He said Bangladesh is currently working jointly with UNDP on the practical application of AI in public services, policymaking and sandboxing. 

At the same time, the country is working on AI sovereignty, responsible use, impartiality and institutional preparedness within limited resources.

Later, the minister held three important bilateral meetings with Cambodia's Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Vandeth Chea, Executive Director of Azerbaijan's ASAN Innovations Centre Vusal Rustamov and Chairman of Kazakhstan's Astana Civil Service Hub Alikhan Baimenov.

During the meetings, the minister highlighted Bangladesh's success in citizen-centric digital achievements through a2i and called for international partnerships for the next phase of modernization based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). 

Several important and forward-looking outcomes were secured during the meetings.

Under the Bangladesh-Azerbaijan partnership, the two countries agreed to establish a sustainable and structured bilateral cooperation framework by utilizing the experiences of Azerbaijan's globally acclaimed ASAN Service and Bangladesh's integrated digital service platform. 

This cooperation is expected to further strengthen citizen-centric service delivery and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in Bangladesh.

Under the Bangladesh-Cambodia digital exchange initiative, a joint framework is being developed to expand technology-based services to the grassroots level and promote the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government operations to achieve common goals. The exchange of technical knowledge and study visits will be conducted under UNDP and international platforms.

The most significant outcome of the meeting with the Astana Civil Service Hub was the decision to establish a completely new Innovation Agency in Bangladesh, building on the success of a2i. 

The Astana Hub will provide technical and strategic support for the establishment of the agency, research activities and modern leadership development training for government officials.

Through these meetings, Bangladesh not only received international recognition for its digital achievements but also paved the way for stronger global partnerships and technical support in building AI in Governance and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for future smart governance.

The Bangladesh Minister expressed special gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Korea, the country's Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Information Society Agency (NIA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Astana Civil Service Hub for their support.