Bangladesh and South Korea Sign $13 Million Agreement to Establish AI Training Center in Dhaka

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 25, Bangladesh and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed a $13 million grant agreement to establish an artificial intelligence training center in Dhaka. The project aims to strengthen Bangladesh's AI talent pool and enhance the employment competitiveness of the country's technical professionals in both domestic and international markets.

The agreement is officially titled "Fostering Innovative Technology Experts with a Focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Bangladesh" (AI-Hub Project). The signatories include KOICA, the ICT Division under Bangladesh's Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, and the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance. The Korean government is providing a $13 million grant through KOICA.

The AI center will be located within the Software Technology Park-2 (STP-2) in Kawran Bazar, Dhaka, and will be implemented by the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA). The project period runs from 2026 to 2029. The center will offer advanced AI education and applied research facilities, and will establish a collaboration platform for universities, enterprises, and government agencies.

According to project documents, the center plans to train 865 AI and digital technology experts, establish 30 AI startups, publish 10 international AI research papers, and achieve an 80% trainee employment rate. The project also includes Korean language training for 230 trainees. The initiative aims to enhance the AI skills of Bangladeshi technical professionals and improve their employment prospects both domestically and internationally, including in South Korea.

KOICA's Country Director for Bangladesh stated at the signing ceremony: "This reflects a shared vision of investing in people, investing in skills, and investing in the next generation of Bangladeshi technology leaders." A senior official from the ICT Division described the center as "a cornerstone of Bangladesh's AI capacity building". Additional Secretary Masuma Akter of the Economic Relations Division signed on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh, while KOICA Country Director Jihoon Kim signed on behalf of the Korean side. Earlier, in January 2025, KOICA and the ICT Division had signed a $28.5 million memorandum of understanding as a preliminary framework for the project.