Bangladesh Youth Shine at World Bank Group Youth Summit 2026 in Washington
Bangladesh has secured a prominent place on the global stage at the 13th World Bank Group Youth Summit 2026, with two young innovators representing the country as official delegates at the prestigious international event.
The two-day summit, held at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C., brings together young leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and development experts from around the world under the theme “#FutureWorks: Designing Jobs for the Digital Age.”
Bangladesh is being represented by Tisha Khandokar and Md Toufiq Elahi, who are participating alongside global changemakers to address pressing challenges related to employment, skills development, artificial intelligence, and economic inclusion.
The summit officially opened with a keynote address by Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, who emphasized that creating quality jobs remains central to the institution’s mission of reducing poverty and promoting inclusive economic growth.
He was followed by Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), who stressed the importance of mobilizing private capital to create sustainable employment opportunities in emerging markets, particularly across South Asia and Africa.
One of the major highlights of the opening day was the panel discussion titled “Beyond the Pitch Deck: Both Sides of the Funding Table,” which explored how entrepreneurs secure investment and what investors seek beyond financial returns.
Representing Bangladesh’s innovation ecosystem, Nicole Mao, Founder and CEO of Tiger New Energy, participated as a featured panelist.
During the discussion, Mao described Bangladesh as an increasingly attractive destination for impact investment and technology-driven entrepreneurship.
“Bangladesh is no longer just a resilient market; it is an incredible frontier of technological adoption and scalable innovation,” she said, encouraging global investors to pay closer attention to the country’s rapidly growing youth-led startup ecosystem.
Her remarks reinforced Bangladesh’s emerging reputation as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic growth.
On the second day of the summit, participants will take part in the Innovation Lab, where young innovators will present practical solutions to a panel of international experts, policymakers, and venture capitalists.
Tisha Khandokar will present “AgriCredit,” an artificial intelligence-powered framework developed under the Youth Entrepreneurship pillar. The proposal focuses on improving access to finance for young entrepreneurs and addressing challenges faced by startup founders in developing economies.
Meanwhile, Md Toufiq Elahi will present “From Skills to Jobs: TVET Transitions,” an AI-driven strategy designed to address education and workforce readiness challenges. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between technical and vocational education and labour market demands, helping young people transition more effectively into employment.
With more than 1.2 billion young people expected to enter the labour market across emerging economies over the next decade, the participation of Bangladeshi delegates highlights the country's growing contribution to global discussions on the future of work.
Observers say the presence of Bangladeshi innovators at the World Bank Group Youth Summit demonstrates that the country's youth are increasingly taking leadership roles in shaping solutions to global development challenges.
Launched in 2013, the World Bank Group Youth Summit 2026 is the World Bank Group’s flagship platform for empowering young leaders aged 18 to 35 to develop innovative solutions to international development challenges.
The 2026 edition focuses on employment, artificial intelligence, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, and green innovation, bringing together thousands of participants from around the world both in person and virtually.
As discussions continue in Washington, Bangladesh’s participation is being viewed as another sign of the country’s growing presence in global innovation, technology, and youth leadership platforms.
