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A call for safer and more responsible use of technology by children and young people featured prominently at the Twimble Youth Connect Summit 2026 and the gala and award ceremony of the Junior Startup Challenge – Season 1, held at the 71 Auditorium in the capital.
The event was jointly organised by Twimble, Youth Hub Foundation Malaysia, Youth Connect Foundation and Teens Saver Bangladesh, bringing together young entrepreneurs, technology experts, educators, mentors and industry representatives to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), digital safety, education, future skills, innovation and youth entrepreneurship.
The Junior Startup Challenge was organised for the first time in Bangladesh for young entrepreneurs aged between 10 and 19 with innovative business ideas. The competition was held in several phases from May to July, with 13 promising ventures selected from different categories.
The organisers said the initiative was designed not only to encourage young people to engage with technology but also to develop their creativity, leadership, problem-solving and business skills and prepare them for future entrepreneurship.
The platform also aims to build an entrepreneurial network by connecting promising youth-led ventures with mentors, judges, investors and other relevant stakeholders, giving participants an opportunity to develop their ideas and present them to potential investors and partner organisations.
M Nurul Alam FCS, independent director of The Premier Bank PLC, delivered the keynote address at the Twimble Youth Connect Summit 2026.
Muhammad Yasir, founder and chief executive officer of TESL Bangladesh, and Israk Mujbin Prithil, lecturer at Daffodil Health Institute, attended the summit as special guests.
A panel discussion focused on making technology safer, simpler and more responsible for children and adolescents.
Speakers highlighted the rapid development of technology and AI and stressed the importance of digital safety, responsible technology use, education, future skills and innovative thinking among young people.
The panel featured Mohammad Kawser Uddin, president of Technology Media Guild Bangladesh; Kazi Nasrin Siddika, executive director of ECS-Education and Cultural Society Bangladesh; Ariful Hasan Apu, president of Space Innovation Camp and adviser to NASA Space Apps Challenge Bangladesh; and Mohammad Shah Alam, executive director of ACI PLC’s Adommo Medhabi Programme.
Manzur Mohammad Shahriar, project director of the Digital Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Development project under the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, attended the gala and award ceremony as the chief guest.
Special guests included Mohammad Shah Alam, executive director of ACI PLC’s Adommo Medhabi Programme; Kazi Nasrin Siddika, executive director of ECS; Md Dewan Adnan, assistant vice-president of SBL’s Impact and Ecosystem Division; and Dr KM Hasan Ripon, executive director of Skills and Employment Ecosystem at Daffodil Group.
The challenge’s mentor panel comprised Abdur Rashid Sohag, lead mentor of the University Innovation Hub Programme; Humayun Rashid, head of human resources at Confidence Group; Sajib Ashraful Islam, founder and managing director of Greentech Solar; and SM Belal Uddin, chief executive officer of Texort. The panel was moderated by Rudra Chowdhury Turjo, founder of Teens Saver Bangladesh.
The jury panel included Md Altamis Nabil, chief executive officer of Youth Upskill Network; Khan Farhana, founder of Farhanas Brainstation; Abdullah Hasan, founder of Happy Venture; and Arefin Mizan, head of technology at STS.
The programme was led by Twimble founder Shamim Ashraf and implemented by Rudra Chowdhury Turjo, founder of Teens Saver Bangladesh, and Tashdid Hossain Chowdhury, organising secretary of Youth Connect Foundation.
KIDLON was the title sponsor of the Junior Startup Challenge – Season 1, while Malaysia-based MD Global Resources supported the programme as a special sponsor.
The organisers said they hoped initiatives such as the challenge would help develop a generation that is not merely proficient in using technology but also capable of becoming responsible innovators, problem-solvers and entrepreneurs.
They also pledged to continue joint efforts to promote youth innovation, entrepreneurship, technology education and responsible use of digital technologies.