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Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has said young people are the main driving force behind the emergence of a new civilisation in an era of rapidly advancing technology.
“With the knowledge and experience of the past, it is difficult to address the new challenges emerging every day in the changing ecosystem, including the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Therefore, it is the responsibility of every country to equip young people with the right knowledge and skills,” he said.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at an event marking International Youth Day 2026 at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly organised the event, held under the theme “2026: Different Contexts, Common Aspirations”.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque chaired the programme.
Swapon said the unprecedented advancement of technology, particularly AI, is a major blessing for human civilisation, but it has also created entirely new challenges.
“The evolution of technology and knowledge is happening so rapidly that it is difficult to predict what comes next,” he said.
He noted that knowledge is no longer static, as it is continuously evolving. The older generation, he said, needs to recognise that young people have the strongest natural capacity to adapt to the rapidly changing technological ecosystem.
Emphasising the need to strengthen youth skills, Swapon said technology-driven challenges are being added to longstanding problems such as unemployment, food security, natural disasters and climate change.
However, he said, appropriate institutional mechanisms for providing young people with knowledge and skills related to emerging technologies have yet to fully develop globally.
International organisations, including the United Nations, should therefore prioritise young people in efforts to transform emerging knowledge into practical skills, he said.
Referring to the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Swapon said the government had demonstrated through various initiatives that it has confidence in the capabilities of young people.
The government is taking positive and forward-looking measures to promote sports, foster creativity and engage young people in addressing global challenges, including environmental protection and climate change, he said.
Young entrepreneurs, students and youth representatives from various professions, senior officials from the ministries of Youth and Sports and Foreign Affairs, and foreign guests attended the event.