He made the call while speaking on behalf of Bangladesh at a business IT breakfast titled ‘Digital Childhood Without Borders: Best International Practices for Child Safety Online’ in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday. He represented the Bangladesh government at the event and thanked the Global Digital Forum and the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the initiative.
The minister said that due to digital transformation, children are taking advantage of online facilities for education and development. At the same time, they face online bullying, sexual harassment, data theft and other risks. Therefore, ensuring children's digital safety is not only the responsibility of parents or teachers; it is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, including the government, technology companies, online platforms and civil society.
He said Bangladesh is strengthening relevant laws and legal frameworks to protect children's data and protect them from online exploitation. However, this challenge cannot be tackled by law alone. Exchange of international experience, best practices and effective solutions is also necessary.
Expressing Bangladesh's support for the proposed joint statement and Terms of Reference of the Global Alliance to Protect Children in the Digital Environment, Fakir Mahbub Anam said priority has been given to the best interests of the child, the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, and exchange of experience through international cooperation. He also emphasized ensuring fair representation of various regions, including Asia-Pacific, in this initiative.
Mentioning the need to increase digital literacy among children, parents and teachers, the minister said awareness must be increased in keeping with the rapid development of technology, including artificial intelligence. At the same time, Bangladesh welcomes the initiative to establish a Digital Childhood Safety Index and a platform for research and exchange of best practices.
He said Bangladesh is ready to work with international partners to achieve the goal that every child can use the digital world safely, creatively and fearlessly. Representatives from more than a hundred countries participated in this international forum.
