Bangladesh hosted the final round of its first-ever AI-driven art competition — the National AI Art-A-Thon — at the ICT Tower in the capital's Agargaon today.

Designed to make artificial intelligence more reflective of the country's diverse culture and society, the event brought together creative minds and tech enthusiasts from across the nation.

Organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under the ICT Division, this initiative was part of the "Partnerships for a More Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh" project, supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka.

Held over two days, the competition gathered students, professionals, artists, designers, architects, content creators, and technologists to produce AI-generated artworks that represent Bangladesh's rich cultural heritage.

The event was supported by key international partners, including Microsoft, the University of Toronto, the University of Cambridge, BacBon Limited, and Peace Maker Studio.

Speaking at the event, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, emphasised the importance of crafting inclusive AI policies.

"Our team is advancing key reforms — from data protection to cybersecurity — while proactively shaping a comprehensive AI policy to ensure its ethical, inclusive, and safe integration in Bangladesh," he said.

"As AI increasingly intersects with the creative sector, preserving the voices of our ethnic communities and cultural narratives becomes a vital ethical obligation. Creatives hold a profound influence over social harmony, making their role in guiding AI's values even more critical."

UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller and Secretary of the ICT Division Shish Haider Chowdhury also spoke.

From over 2,000 initial applicants across the country, 380 final submissions were received in two categories — Professionals and Students. Of these, 21 finalist teams were selected, with each category producing a winner and a runner-up. Their work exemplified the power of human-AI collaboration in reimagining local art.