Bangladesh
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Digital Innovation Fair focuses on commercially viable solutions

The daylong fair showcases 32 projects, top five get awards

Image: Collected
Image: Collected

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Speakers at the closing ceremony of the Telecom and Digital Innovation Fair 2025 underscored the importance of transforming creative ideas into commercially viable solutions to address real-life challenges and accelerate national development.

Held at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) headquarters in Dhaka on Wednesday, the daylong fair showcased 32 innovations from 20 organisations and concluded with distributing awards among the top five projects.

The exhibition featured a wide array of technological innovations and concepts presented by students from seven public and private universities, alongside entries from domestic and international IT and telecom firms.

Robolife Technologies secured the first prize for developing a prosthetic hand controlled by electromyography (EMG) signals to assist persons with disabilities.

The team, led by Lavlu Barua, received a cheque for Tk 300,000. Their broader showcase also included a compact solar-powered telecom tower and a digital security solution.

The second prize went to Ebitaan for enabling micro and cottage entrepreneurs to create e-commerce websites with a single click. They were awarded Tk150,000.

Edotco Bangladesh won both third and fifth positions, receiving Tk100,000 and Tk 50,000 for two separate initiatives-one involving telecom towers constructed from bamboo and existing electric poles, and another featuring a power backup solution for base transceiver stations (BTS) during load-shedding using Uber Power Cars.

Grameenphone's GP Accelerator earned fourth place, receiving Tk75,000.

Among other notable exhibits was "Durbin", an AI-powered image processing and smart device access system developed by Z-Tech at Jahangirnagar University with support from the Bangladesh Computer Council.

The Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) presented a digital twin concept and a futuristic model for remote physical block formation via 6G network.

The Islamic University of Technology (IUT) introduced several deep-learning solutions, including SPARK, a Bengali natural language-based handwritten answer evaluation system, Shonglap, a Bengali AI voice assistant, and Nabotarango, an AI-optimised mesh network for disaster-prone communication.

North South University's CSE department demonstrated a hybrid rural internet solution using multi-SIM capability with PTP microwave and LTE technology, while the World University of Bangladesh presented three project concepts.

Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) showcased innovations targeting the circular economy through improved waste management in the telecom and electrical sectors.

Other participants included SignTalk with an AI-based sign language technology, Smart Build with ArtPods-an inclusive network solution for marginalised communities-and Scrap Venture with futuristic telecom models. Organisations such as Red Digi, Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, Link3, and mobile operator Banglalink-who showcased a real-time violence detection system-also drew attention.

The top five winners were honoured at the fair's closing ceremony by ICT Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, who was present as the chief guest.

He was joined by Posts and Telecommunications Secretary (in routine charge) Zahirul Islam, BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd) Md. Emdad Ul Bari, and BTRC Commissioner Mahmud Hossain.

In his speech, the ICT secretary said that converting innovation into commercial products could play a vital role in the country's progress and that the ICT Division would fully support promising ideas.

BTRC Chairman Major General (Retd) Md Emdad Ul Bari said that while connectivity had improved significantly over the past 25 years, the challenge now lies in using data for meaningful outcomes.

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