Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir inaugurated a training on AI applications in trade and economic analysis at Commerce Ministry. Photo : PID

DHAKA, Aug 9, 2026 (BSS) — A five-day training programme on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in trade and economic analysis began at the Ministry of Commerce today.

The training, being held from August 9 to 13, focuses on the use of AI in trade operations, policymaking, preparation and analysis of government documents, import-export data analysis, and analysis of international trade agreements.

UK International, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Commerce is jointly organising the programme.

 A total of 30 officials of the Commerce Ministry are participating in the first batch.

Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir inaugurated the training at a function held at the ministry’s conference room this afternoon.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the use of AI in government activities could make administrative operations faster, more efficient and data-driven, said a ministry press release.

“AI can play an important role in analysing import-export data, monitoring market conditions and demand and prices of commodities, and assessing the potential impacts of trade policies,” he said.

He said the technology would help the government take decisions more quickly and provide more effective services to businesses and the general public.

However, the minister stressed the need to ensure data security, privacy, transparency and human oversight alongside the use of AI.

Muktadir also emphasised making the best use of technology to build a modern and smart trade system.
The training sessions will cover the fundamentals of generative AI and its applications in trade, summarisation and analysis of government documents, prompt engineering, and preparation of letters, memoranda, speeches and press releases.

Participants will also learn about AI applications in import-export and market price analysis, supply chains, WTO agreements, and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs).

Strategic use of AI in global trade policy, policymaking and e-governance will also be discussed during the training.

The programme will conclude on the final day with capstone projects and live presentations by the participants.

UNDP Senior Economic Adviser Owais Parry and Transformative Economic Policy Programme-2 (TEPP-2) Project Manager Maruf Azam also spoke at the inaugural session.

The programme, funded by the UNDP, aims to enhance the AI-based skills of officials of the Commerce Ministry and ensure effective use of technology in government decision-making and policymaking.