State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has said the US semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology companies have expressed interest in investing more than US$1 billion in Bangladesh.

"There is significant potential for international investment in Bangladesh's technology sector. In particular, the interest of US technology companies in investing more than US$1 billion in the AI and semiconductor industries will bring new momentum to the country's economy. 

The government is working to facilitate technology transfer, develop a skilled workforce and ensure an investment-friendly environment to turn this opportunity into reality," he said.

He made the remarks while addressing the 'CEO and Senior Executives Roundtable' held at a hotel in California, USA, on Monday local time, said a press release received here today.

The roundtable was organised under the theme 'Technology Investment and Strategic Partnerships for Bangladesh's Growth'.

Bobby said Bangladesh was placing emphasis on skilled human resources and international cooperation to keep pace with rapid changes in the global technology sector. Such global investment in AI, data infrastructure and high-tech sectors would create future employment opportunities, he added.

The roundtable discussion covered various aspects of AI and data infrastructure development, investment in the semiconductor industry, technology transfer, skilled workforce development, research, innovation, trade expansion and strategic partnerships. 

Participants also emphasised identifying practical areas of cooperation with international companies to enhance Bangladesh's technological capabilities.

Among others, the high-level discussion was attended by Bangladesh's delegation, including Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, and Prime Minister's Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and Science and Technology Rehan Asif Asad.

Shamim Mohammad, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer of CarMax, moderated the roundtable, which was attended by senior executives from the US technology sector.

The joint discussion featured productive exchanges on potential areas of cooperation in AI, the semiconductor industry, technology transfer and strategic partnerships.