Bangladesh and Google explore partnership on education, AI

A high-level Bangladesh ministerial delegation visited Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, on Monday, and discussed potential cooperation in education modernization, artificial intelligence, digital skills.

Also on the agenda were cloud computing, cybersecurity and responsible technology use, said the Ministry of Foreign Affaris in a press release issued Tuesday.

The visit was facilitated by the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Los Angeles, the release added.

The delegation was led by Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, adviser to the prime minister for finance and planning, and included Shama Obaed Islam, state minister for foreign affairs; Bobby Hajjaj, state minister for primary and mass education; Rehan Asif Asad, adviser to the prime minister for science and technology; Tareq Md Ariful Islam, ambassador of Bangladesh to the US; and Kazi Muhammad Jabed Iqbal, consul general of Bangladesh in Los Angeles.

The Google side was led by Divya Jani, vice president for strategy and operations at Google for Education, and included Google executives and specialists including Mara Ritucci, Abu Saleh, Grace Kelly and Maria Tubio.

The discussion focused particularly on Google for Education and the potential use of technology and AI to modernize Bangladesh’s education system, strengthen teachers and improve learning outcomes.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam emphasized the importance of a long-term Bangladesh-Google partnership in skills development, institutional capacity and responsible use of technology, with practical benefits for Bangladesh’s young population.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj outlined Bangladesh’s priorities for modernizing primary education through curriculum development, teacher training, digital connectivity, improved monitoring and technology-enabled learning.

The meeting discussed potential development of an integrated digital education ecosystem, including Learning and School Management Systems, student assessment, digital educational content and a technology-enabled school inspection and monitoring system. Potential cooperation on AI-supported teacher training, digital safety, teacher certification and responsible classroom use of AI was also addressed.

Google representatives shared international experiences in teacher training, AI-supported learning and measurable educational outcomes. The discussion covered Google Workspace for Education, Google Classroom, Gemini for Education and approaches to strengthening educators through training and certification.

Adviser Rehan Asif Asad highlighted opportunities for cooperation in AI, virtual learning, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data science, including structured training for students, teachers, professionals and young people. He emphasized the importance of building Bangladesh’s technological capacity through sustainable partnerships.

Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir stressed the importance of connecting education, technology and skills with employment, productivity and sustainable economic development. He highlighted opportunities to build a globally competitive talent pool and develop locally relevant AI and digital content, including Bangla-language AI capabilities reflecting Bangladesh’s history, culture and social context.

The two sides also discussed Bangladesh’s growing YouTube creator ecosystem, including opportunities to take Bangladeshi education, culture, entrepreneurship and creative content to global audiences. The Bangladesh side emphasized creator skills, responsible content, digital safety and sustainable monetization.

The meeting concluded with interest in establishing working groups between Google and relevant Bangladesh Government authorities, identifying priority initiatives and developing measurable cooperation in education, AI, digital skills, cloud computing, cybersecurity and responsible digital content.

The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Los Angeles, which facilitated the visit, will coordinate follow-up with Google and relevant ministries and agencies in Bangladesh to translate the discussions into concrete proposals and implementation pathways.