Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Minister for Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam

Calls for Stronger Global Cooperation to Ensure Children’s Safety in the Digital World
Dhaka :
Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Minister for Science and Technology of Bangladesh, Faqir Mahbub Anam has emphasized the importance of global cooperation, joint initiatives among stakeholders, and the exchange of international best practices to ensure the safety of children in the digital environment.
Minister made the call while delivering Bangladesh’s statement at the Business IT Breakfast titled “Digital Childhood Without Borders: Best International Practices for Child Safety Online”, held in Moscow, Russia, 8 October , (Thursday).
Representing the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh at the event, he also conveyed, on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, his appreciation to the Global Digital Forum and the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment for undertaking this timely initiative.
Minister said that Bangladesh is undergoing rapid digital transformation, enabling children to benefit from the online world for education and personal development. At the same time, however, they are increasingly exposed to new and evolving forms of online risks. Ensuring children’s digital safety is no longer the sole responsibility of parents or teachers; rather, it is a shared responsibility of all stakeholders, including governments, online platforms, technology companies and civil society.
He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh is working to strengthen the relevant digital protection laws and legal frameworks, including the Cyber Security Act, with a view to protecting children’s data and preventing online exploitation.
However, he noted that such challenges cannot be addressed through legislation alone. In this regard, sharing international experiences, best practices and effective solutions that can be implemented on a broad scale is critically important.
Referring to the review of the Draft Joint Statement and Terms of Reference of the proposed Global Alliance to Protect Children in the Digital Environment, Minister congratulated the Russian Federation for taking this important initiative.
He further said that the proposed document presents a comprehensive, child-rights-based framework in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Minister expressed Bangladesh’s strong support for the three core principles of the proposed initiative and said that the best interests of the child must be given the highest priority; the shared responsibility of all stakeholders must be ensured; and experiences and best practices must be exchanged through international cooperation.
He emphasized that it is important to establish a multilateral stakeholder framework ensuring equitable representation of different geographical regions, including the Asia-Pacific region. Such a framework would provide opportunities for the realities, challenges and experiences of developing countries like Bangladesh to be appropriately reflected in the formulation of global strategies. At the same time, Bangladesh welcomes the proposal to establish a Digital Childhood Safety Index and a dedicated platform for research and the exchange of best practices.
Faqir Mahbub Anam said that enhancing digital literacy among children, parents and teachers is also a crucial foundation of this initiative. He observed that developing the necessary knowledge and awareness in line with the rapid advancement of technologies, including artificial intelligence, can help establish an effective preventive mechanism against online harms.
He said that Bangladesh remains firmly committed to the principles outlined in the Joint Statement of the Global Alliance to Protect Children in the Digital Environment. Bangladesh is keen to work closely with the Alliance to protect children from online bullying, sexual harassment, data theft and other forms of digital harm. The Alliance can play an important role in building a bridge between national policies and global cooperation, he added.
Telecommunications Minister said that Bangladesh is ready to work with all relevant stakeholders to build a future where every child, regardless of nationality, can explore the digital world safely, creatively and without fear.
He said that today’s collective initiative is an investment in future generations, and that the digital future we build must be not only connected, but also safe, inclusive and child-friendly.
It may be mentioned that representatives from more than 100 countries participated in the international forum.

-Press Release