Bangladesh and the European Union have agreed to deepen cooperation on cybersecurity and the digital economy, a practical move designed to make online services safer and help more people and businesses join the digital world. The agreement brings technical assistance, training programs, and policy guidance to strengthen data protection, secure key networks, and expand reliable broadband and 5G connections so schools, clinics, small shops and local services can work online with less risk. The talks were led by EU Ambassador Michael Miller and the chair of the national telecom regulator, Major General (retd) Md Emdad ul Bari, and both sides said the work will focus on protecting people’s rights while encouraging investment and innovation. Under the plan, experts will help build stronger rules for handling personal information, run joint training for regulators and technicians, and set up exercises to test how agencies respond to cyber incidents. The support also includes help to speed up last-mile connectivity projects so towns and rural areas get fairer access to the internet, and advice to help small internet firms meet common security standards without heavy cost. Officials expect the partnership to include simple tools and clear steps that local teams can use to spot threats, patch systems, and restore services quickly after an attack. A key aim is to build trust so more citizens will use online services like e-payments, distance learning and telemedicine, which can widen opportunity and boost small businesses. By pairing technical fixes with clear rules and hands-on training, the partners hope to create a safer environment that invites more investment into local tech firms and helps startups scale. The plan also stresses that security must not block fair access or slow useful innovation, so measures are framed to be open, proportionate and easy to follow. For workers and students, training programs promise new skills that can lead to digital jobs and better services in towns and villages. For public agencies, better coordination and shared drills will speed up response times when problems arise. If the cooperation moves ahead as planned, Bangladesh could see steadier internet service, faster recovery from attacks, and a widening of the digital economy to include more people and small firms. The partnership offers a clear, practical path: combine technical help, shared rules and skills training to make online life safer, boost business chances, and bring more citizens into a secure and inclusive digital future.
