The two day long 7th edition of INFOCOM, India’s biggest business, technology, and leadership event, themed “Sustainable Disruption”, concluded today in Dhaka.
The event gathered over 50 speakers from government, business, IT, media, academia, and other leaders from Bangladesh and India.
“INFOCOM Dhaka’s main objective is to drive collaborative growth in Bangladesh through the use of business strategy, technology and leadership and help alleviate the lives of its people,” a statement reads.
The event was a good opportunity to have important discussions and exchange ideas about the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.
The two-day conference focused on the theme “Sustainable Disruption,” aiming to create a positive impact on the planet, society, and the economy in the long term.
Sustainable disruption challenges traditional models and practices to bring positive change while ensuring long-term sustainability. Technology is important for sustainable disruption and improving traditional industries. Educating stakeholders about the benefits of sustainable disruption is crucial. This includes promoting a shift towards more sustainable practices.
Data protection and management for national sovereignty was a major topic at the Infocom conference in Bangladesh. State Minister for Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh Mohammad Ali Arafat connected data protection with sovereignty during the inaugural session yesterday.
“All the initiatives of the government are by-and-large technology driven … So, any threat to technology can become a big issue for the government,” said Arafat, while flagging off Infocom Dhaka, organised by the ABP Group, the publishers of The Telegraph, and the SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SAARC CCI) the telegraph reported.
Experts spoke about how rapid changes in technology are creating disruption and posing challenges to sustainability for corporate entities during the inaugural session, Arafat — a professor of management sciences — took the discourse to a different trajectory.
“If you don’t protect data, you don’t have sovereignty… We need to rethink data protection and management,” said the minister at the session.
“No development can be beneficial for society unless it is sustainable… And that’s the model followed by the prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Today, Bangladesh is ahead of several other countries in terms of its performance on achieving the sustainable development goals (set by the United Nations),” said Arafat, commending his government.
Dhruba Mukherjee, CEO of ABP Group, spoke at the opening of Infocom Dhaka and emphasized the importance of sustainability for achieving positive outcomes in society, especially during a time of rapid technological changes.
Other speakers at the event included Imran Kadir, national president of JCI Bangladesh, Shafquat Haider, chairman of the Council for Communication and IT at SAARC CCI, MD Jashim Uddin, president of SAARC CCI, Rudradeep Basu, partner at EY, and Huzefa Motiwala, director of Palo ALTO India and SAARC.
At the two-day summit, 50 speakers from India and Bangladesh discussed various topics related to sustainability and disruption. These include using technology to achieve sustainable development goals, the importance of digital trust for smart Bangladesh, the role of women in technology, digital banking infrastructure, and factors in cyber security.
After signing the global agenda in 2015, Bangladesh revised its planning process to achieve the SDGs. Many international agencies have acknowledged the country’s progress.
The event was supported by the Anandabazar Patrika Group (ABP), the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Daily Star, ISACA- The Dhaka Chapter, and JCI Bangladesh.
Infocom is an initiative of ABP Group started in 2002. It aims to be a leading event for information and communications technology development in the country and beyond.