Tuesday, November 22
09:00 – 09:50 - Grand Ballroom
Plenary Session: From Papyrus to Python: Modernizing Education for Future Generations
09:50 – 10:40 - Grand Ballroom
Education is at the heart of a fair society. More people in the world today are educated than ever before. In 1820 only 12% of the people in the world could read and write. Two centuries later, only 14% of the world population in 2016 remained illiterate. Nevertheless, these figures overshadow the reality that the wealth of the nation, not talent, dictates children’s educational destinies. The quality of education in a developed nation and that of a developing nation appear to be worlds apart. Now, the pandemic has led to the worst crisis in the education of the last century. With such massive disadvantages and inequity of education in the developing world, we need to ask some difficult questions in order to come up with a sustainable and inclusive solution. How effective are the current education systems in place in the developing regions of South Asia? What are the most significant weaknesses, and how can they be addressed? How can nations provide quality education to the poorest and most vulnerable members of society? And in what way can technology be implemented to bolster the quality of education in the developing world?
Dr. Abdulla Rasheed, State Minister of Education, Maldives
Andres Ernesto Chiriboga Zumarraga, Vice Minister of Education, Ecuador
Sheikh Shahidul Islam, Former Education Minister, Bangladesh
Sabur Khan, Chairman, Daffodil International University, Bangladesh
Dr. Matiul Alam, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Erin Watson, Managing Director, Baker & York, and Board Director, Council on Australia and Latin America Relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia (Moderator)
Plenary Session: 8 + 2 TenT: the South Asian States, China and USA
10:40 – 10:55 - Grand Ballroom
Currently, South Asia is a divided realm when it comes to contemporary great power geopolitics. On the one hand, the United States has entered the fray with a strong message of democracy and multilateral security pacts. On the other hand, China is steadily expanding its economic influence, leveraging the advantage of geographic proximity to build up ancient trade routes once again, pining to return to the time when China was the center of the world. Whether it be through the maneuvering of the Indo-Pacific Strategy or the lofty economic ambition of the Belt and Road Initiative, the nations of South Asia now stand at a crossroads. What can be the way forward when the region is dominated by such strange bedfellows?
Dr. Ali Riaz, Distinguished Professor, Illinois State University, USA
Dr. Siegfried O Wolf, Research Director, South Asia Democratic Forum, Belgium
Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador, Pakistan
Anil Kumar Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, and Former Ambassador, India
Munshi Faiz Ahmad, Former Bangladesh Ambassador to China
Dr. C. Christine Fair, Professor, Securities Studies Program, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, USA (Moderator)
Speed Talks: Are we rightly managing and sharing the fish in the Bay? The transboundary fishery crisis in the Bay of Bengal
10:55 – 11:25
Dr. Md. Nahiduzzaman Scientist, ECOFISH II WorldFish Bangladesh
Dr. Md. Jalilur Rahman Scientist, ECOFISH II WorldFish Bangladesh
Tea / Coffee Break - Ballroom Foyer
11:25 – 12:15 - Grand Ballroom
Plenary Session: Development vs. Democracy: Roadmap to Development and Inclusive Growth
12:15 – 13:05 - Grand Ballroom
We are currently seeing unprecedented levels of infrastructure developments in the Bay of Bengal region. Multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) initiatives are already deep in development and promising to reshape the socio-economic reality of the region. However, such economic development does little to address the weakening state of democratic institutions and the gradual loss of people’s participatory powers in decision-making. The lines have been drawn in the sand, and schools of thought clash to determine whether development should take priority over democracy, or is development without democracy doomed to fail?
Jovan Ratcovic, Former Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of Serbia
Muhammed Aziz Khan, Chairman, Summit Group, and Honorary Consul General of Finland
Dr. Ahsan H Mansur, Executive Director, Policy Research Institute
Lee Jang – Keun, South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh
Leonardo Paz Neves, International Intelligence Analyst, International Intelligence Unit, Getulio Vargas Foundation, Brazil
Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Plenary Sessions: New Grammar of Geopolitics
13:05 – 13:30 - Grand Ballroom
The language of geopolitics is hard to understand, and it is like so on purpose. Treaties are signed with strategic ambiguity in mind. However, the conflict in Ukraine has resulted in a remarkable decline in diplomatic prose. World leaders step forth on live television and pronounce peace, only to declare war the very next day. Rhetorics embitter to the point where nuclear superpowers can only communicate through threats and fingerpointing. Rivalries between governments seep down into hatred among people. Violent words have violent ends. How can true peace and coexistence be achieved when the fires of hatred are stoked so eagerly?
Dr. Nancy Snow, Founder & Director, Global Persuasion Strategies (GPS), East Asia and USA
Suhasini Haider, National Editor and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu, India
Asif Durrani, Former Diplomat, Pakistan
Touhid Hossain, Former Foreign Secretary, Bangladesh
Greg Simons, Associate Professor, Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden
Ali Aslan, International TV Presenter, Moderator, and Journalist, Germany (Moderator)
Sounding Board: Addressing the Dilemma of Labor Skill Development in South Asia
13:30 – 14:30 – Lunch at Ballroom
The South Asia region’s primary selling point in the world market is the ready availability of cheap unskilled and semi-skilled labor. However, due to modernization, the necessity of technical capacity building will inevitably affect the export price competitiveness of the region as a whole. How can this dilemma be addressed while maintaining avenues of upward mobility for the future workforce of South Asia?
Eng. Ghulam Mohammed Alomgir, Chairman, Max Group, and Director, FBCCI, Bangladesh
Dr. Suthikorn Kingkaew, Director of Research, Future Innovative Thailand Institute
Dr. M Abu Eusuf, Professor of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Conversations over Lunch: Rise of New Media: Fighting Against Fake News at Surma
The term “fake news” is perhaps one of the most influential terms of the century. The trust that people once had in traditional academia and journalism seems to be at an all-time low. As the internet has taken over everyone’s lives, a vast constellation of new media sources now clutters the airwaves, mostly unregulated, spreading opinions and news that may or may not abide by normative considerations of journalistic ethics. How did trust in traditional media begin to decline in a more advanced and well-educated world? What might be the implications of this brave new unregulated media environment on shaping public perspective over controversial issues? And what is the threat of corporations and nations utilizing new media platforms to either control narratives or silence critics?
Ayesha Kabir, Head of English Web, Prothom Alo, Bangladesh
Dr. A J M Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, Professor of Television, Film and Photography, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Clement Kanamugire, Policy Analyst, National Health Service, United Kingdom
Faruq Faisel, Regional Director for Bangladesh and South Asia, Article 19
Leo Wigger, Editor, Zenith Magazine, Germany (Moderator)
Nationalism vs. Multilateralism: Making the world a Multipolar Megacity took into account the morbid reality? at Meghna
Nationalism is on the rise once again. The trend lines across the world all point to the same direction, whether that be through the rousing rhetoric of former US president Donald Trump or the homegrown backstory of Narendra Modi; all across Europe, South America, and Asia, it would seem that right-wing conservative agenda are in the zeitgeist. Yet there was once a time when it seemed that the idea of a modern and deeply interconnected world would be the aspiration for the future. What factors have led to the faltering spirit of multilateralism in today’s world? Was it always a bubble ready to burst? Or was it merely wishful thinking that never took into account the morbid reality?
Dr. Mahbubur Rahman, Professor of Political Science and Sociology, North South University, Bangladesh
Nathalie Chuard, Switzerland Ambassador to Bangladesh
Hadza Min Fadhli Robby, Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Islamic University of Indonesia
Dr. Asif Shahan, Associate Professor, Development Studies, University of Dhaka and Senior Fellow, Centre for Governance Studies, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Role of Education in Alleviating Poverty at Chitra
Studies show that an estimated 171 million people might be lifted out of severe poverty if all students in low-income nations learned only basic reading skills. We could lower the global poverty rate in half if all adults finished secondary school. For this reason, the United Nations has designated quality education as one of its Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. How far along has the Bay of Bengal region met this shared development goal? And how far do we still have left to go?
Mariyam Nasir, Director General of Quality Assurance, Ministry of Education, Maldives
Rasheda K Choudhury, Former Adviser to the Caretaker Government, Bangladesh
Dr. Mohammad Mahboob Rahman, Professor and Adviser for Business and Executive Programs, BRAC University, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Plenary Sessions: Creating a Bottom-up Demand for Good Governance
15:20 – 15:50 - Grand Ballroom
Corruption is a major challenge in almost all regions of South Asia. All South Asian countries except Bhutan scored below the global average in the 2021 corruption perception index. Against this background, how can the civil society of South Asian nations develop call-for-action plans for engaging the private sector in an inclusive, accountable, and corruption-free system of governance? What are the shared development challenge and experiences faced due to corruption among South Asian nations? And is it possible to learn from common trends to create region-specific models of solutions?
Faris Hadrovic, Business Development and Government Relations Professional, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary, SHUJAN, Bangladesh
Usama Khalilieh Saud, Development Expert and Management Consultant, Palestine
Sheela Tasneem Haq, Advisor, Political Governance, Democratic Governance Cluster, UNDP Bangladesh
Dr. Abdullah Al Mamun, Research Director, Centre for Governance Studies, Bangladesh
Mamun Rashid, Managing Partner, PwC, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Sounding Board: Evaluating the state of trade and connectivity in South and East Asia
15:50 – 16:40 - Grand Ballroom
The economic interdependence in and between the nations of SAARC and ASEAN has the potential to tap into the region’s latent socio-economic potential, harnessing disparate stages of development to augment each other. Potentials lie in trans boundary power trading between the BBIN sub regions, while Myanmar can act as the bridge between the South and the East. Many diplomatic attempts have already been made to facilitate the various bilateral and multilateral initiatives possible in the broader region. However, efforts to form an effective multilateral cooperation framework have all but stalled. How can we tap into the untapped benefits of such trade in the absence of a concerted strategy to remove barriers?
Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary, Bangladesh
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Bhardwaj, Professor of South Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Plenary Session: Refugees of the times: Past Precedence for the Ailing Present
16:40 – 17:10
The war in Ukraine, the genocide of the Rohingya people, and the drastic effects of climate change may lead to a population displacement of unprecedented magnitude. In all likelihood, the global refugee population has reached a new high in 2022, surpassing 30 million people. But what is the appropriate response from the UN and developed nations? Aid and donations are band-aid solutions. The art of handling a refugee crisis needs to be one that must be mastered by the human race, as any mistake may lead to generations of strife, conflict, and economic ruin. What can we learn from the experiences of the past? And is it possible to form an optimal model for handling refugee situations that will not place the burden on just a handful of host nations?
Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh
Yousef S. Y. Ramadan, Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh
Ambassador Waliur Rahman, Former Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and Distinguished Fellow, Bangladesh Heritage Foundation, National Security and Counter-Terrorism
Mustafa Osman Turan, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh
Achim Troster, German Ambassador to Bangladesh
Irfan Yar, Founder, Afghanistan Security Institute (Moderatior)
Tea / Coffee Break - Ballroom Foyer
17:10 – 18:00 - Grand Ballroom
Plenary Session: Net Zero: The South Asia Model
18:00 – 18:10 - Grand Ballroom
Reducing global carbon emissions to zero is a noble and lofty goal kept alive by the tireless efforts of the Conference of the Parties (COP). However, the path to net zero is still a matter of intense debate, with very little progress being made over the board. As one of the most rapidly developing regions of the world, South Asian nations will soon face the challenge of transitioning from fossil fuel to green energy. Sustainable green transition roadmap. There might be a genuine opportunity here to form a model of sustainable regional growth that does not result in expanding humanity’s carbon footprint. The question now is whether the optimistic promises of future technologies can be met while considering the region’s economic realities.
Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Chairman and Professor, Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka (Moderator)
Mozammel Babu, Chief Editor, Ekattor TV
Dilruba Haider, Program Specialist, Climate Change Adaptation, UN Women, Bangladesh
Mir Nasir Hossain, Former President, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Advisor, Centre for Governance Studies, Bangladesh
Iqbal Habib, Environmental Activist, and Architect, Bangladesh
Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh
Ministerial Speech:
18:10 – 18:20 - Grand Ballroom
Nurul Islam Sujan MP, Railway Minister, Bangladesh
Speed Talks: Key to Success in Human Life
18:20 – 19:10 - Grand Ballroom
Sufi Mizanur Rahman, Chairman, PHP Family, and Honorary Consul of Indonesia
Plenary Session : Soliloquy of the Sea: Tough Challenges in Rough Waters
19:10 – 19:40 - Grand Ballroom
One of the biggest faultiness for conflict in Asia is the issue surrounding Taiwan. There might have been a time when people would be comfortable believing that verbal jousts between rival nations would not result in an all-out war. But the invasion of Ukraine has doused such naïve thoughts. War is a reality that the modern world has reacquainted with. As what was seen happening between Russia and Ukraine, the rhetoric between the USA and China is becoming increasingly hostile. Provocative diplomatic visits and daring military drills dominate headlines. Troubles are brewing in the Taiwan Strait. What could be the possible fallout effect on the region if a conflict arises? How would a compromise in the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea be addressed through diplomacy? And how should we prepare for a potential decoupling of two of the world’s most influential nations?
Lt. Gen. Arun Kumar Sahni (Retd.), Former General Officer Commanding in Chief, Indian Army
Brig. Gen. (Retd. ) Dr. M Sakhawat Hussain, Former Election Commissioner, and Advisor, Centre for Governance Studies, Bangladesh
Dr. Mohd Aminul Karim, Retired Lieutenant General, Bangladesh Army
Dr. Satoru Nagao, Non Resident Fellow, Hudson Institute, USA
Air Commodore Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury (Retd.), Security Specialist, Bangladesh
Dr. Saira Khan, International Relations and International Security Expert, Canada (Moderator)
Sounding Board: The Interplay of the Global North and the Global South in Geopolitics and Development
19:40 – 19:50 - Grand Ballroom
There are several explored hypotheses related to the phrase "Global South." Because many of the nations deemed to be part of the Global South were initially colonized by countries from the Global North, they are at a historical disadvantage in terms of PROGRAM PROGRAM 30 developing as rapidly. According to dependency theorists, vital information in science and industry is distributed top-down, with the Global North receiving it first before the Global South. Although many of the Global South nations rely on political or economic assistance, this allows for the development of Western bias and academic reliance. There is an argument that the essential background of Third World/Global South poverty and underdevelopment is not rooted in their traditionalism, but in the dominance-dependence relationship between rich and poor, powerful and weak countries. Now the question is, how can nations of the Global South raise their voices, and strive to become less dependent as they eventually develop and modernize?
Dr. Sanjay K Bhardwaj, Professor of South Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
Dr. Erin Watson, Managing Director, Baker & York, and Board Director, Council on Australia and Latin America Relations at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
Asif Saleh, Executive Director, BRAC, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Ministerial Speech:
19:50 – 20:40 - Grand Ballroom
Md. Tajul Islam MP, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Bangladesh
Plenary Session: Lessons From the Lockdown: Impact of COVID19 Measures on Economy and Society
20:40 – 21:00 - Grand Ballroom
The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the modern world for more than two years. This pandemic has triggered severe social and economic disruption around the world, including the largest global recession since the Great Depression. Widespread supply shortages, including food shortages, were caused by supply chain disruption. During this time, nations and economies took drastic measures to safeguard their population and formulate emergency fiscal plans to protect society. We have undergone years of social distancing, leading to an untold amount of damage to mental health. We have discovered the viability of remote offices and remote education. We are also now suffering from economic inflation that most probably stemmed from the PROGRAM PROGRAM 31 covid 19 fiscal measures. They say hindsight is 20/20. But lessons from history must not be disregarded. We must now ask the difficult questions: How beneficial and/or harmful has government fiscal policy been during the height of the lockdown? And what possible measures, if any, could have been taken to reduce the s pread without damaging the economy to such an extent?
Faris Hadrovic, Business Development and Government Relations Professional, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Taskeen Ahmed, Managing Director, IFAD Autos, Bangladesh
Dr. Jamaluddin Ahmed, Former General Secretary, Bangladesh Economic Association
Yoshikazu Kato, Research Fellow, Rakuten Securities Economic Research Institute, Japan
Mario De Pinto, Consultant in Strategy Public Policy and Communication, Italy
Dr. Habibul Haque Khondker, Professor of Sociology, Zayed University, UAE (Moderator)
In Conversation :
21:00 – 22:30
Dr. Nizam Uddin Ahmed, Vice Chairman, GAVI CSO Steering Committee
Dr. Mohammad Mainul Islam, Professor of Population Sciences, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Dinner - Grand Ballroom
Conversations over Dinner: The Sun Rises in the East: South Asian Culture, Art and Cinema at Surma
South Asian art and culture are ancient, rich, and diverse. Rapid changes in technologies and the proliferation of the World Wide Web are leading to the increasing commercialization of media industries. Modern art and culture are dominated by large corporations, tailoring art forms for mass consumption. In such a context, how are the artists of South Asia faring in comparison to their predecessors? And has the golden age of South Asian art, cinema, and music just begun, or has it already passed?
Papa CJ, Stand-up Comedian, India
Mehreen, Singer, Bangladesh
Nayeemul Islam Khan, Chief Editor, Daily Our Time, Bangladesh
Dr. Asif Nazrul, Bangladeshi Writer, Novelist, and Academician
Dr. Stefania Petruzzelli, Contemporary Culture Expert, Italy (Moderator)
Digital Rights for the Digital Age at Meghna
The Orwellian surveillance state has already materialized, and it is far more effective than the nightmarish vision of 1984. Due to technological progress, governments and corporations can now collect vast swathes of data from a mostly unaware public. Existing consumer protection and privacy laws are struggling to address this new unexplored dimension of digital surveillance. How can the slow and cumbersome process of law keep up with the dynamic changing reality of digitalization? And how can nations balance security needs with citizens’ rights to privacy?
Zahir Uddin Swapon, Former Member of Parliament, Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Barrister Shah Ali Farhad, Senior Political Associate, Centre for Research and Information, Bangladesh
Zeina Jallad, Lawyer and Human Rights Scholar, Palestine
Zahirul Alam, Head of News and Current Affairs, NTV, Bangladesh (Moderator)
Role of the Individual in Combating Climate Change at Chitra
Climate change is considered one of the greatest existential threats to humankind. And yet, the scale and scope of climate change are not entirely understood by the average person. The threat of climate change remains an abstract concept to most people. What are the important steps we as individuals can take to slow or reduce the effects of climate change? What kind of adaptation and mitigation actions are the most effective? And can PROGRAM PROGRAM 33 personal contributions towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions truly make a dent in the systematic reality of global emissions?
Abdullah Hil Rakib, Director, Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association
Shameem Haider Patwary, Lawyer and Member of Parliament, Bangladesh
Kamakshi Wason, Vice President and Director of Academic Programs, Tillotoma Foundation, India (Moderator)