Dhaka, 23 October 2025— The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh hosted the opening of BdREN’s two-day training workshop “Generative AI for Productivity & Innovation” delivered in two batches on 15–16 October and 22–23 October 2025 at UGC Bhaban, Dhaka. Professor Dr. Md. Saidur Rahman, Member, UGC, attended as Chief Guest, with Dr. Md. Fakhrul Islam, Secretary, UGC, as Special Guest; Md. Omar Faruque, Director, ICT Division, UGC, presided over the session, and Muhammad Nazmul Islam, Additional Director, ICT Division, UGC, delivered the welcome address. 

The sessions were led by Khandakar Rashedul Arefin, General Manager (Systems & Services), BdREN, and Abu Naser Md. Nafew, Manager (Innovation), BdREN. 

Designed specifically for UGC officials, the program covered core GenAI concepts, prompt engineering (with hands-on use of the CRAFT framework and related methods), and practical applications for official communication, report and presentation development, research/data analysis, and department-wise solution design. The curriculum was structured over two days—Day 1: Foundation & Core Application (demystifying GenAI, mastering prompts, GenAI for effective communication, and supercharging document creation) and Day 2: Advanced Applications & Strategic Implementation (GenAI for research and analysis, department-specific brainstorming labs, solution presentation/feedback, and the way forward)—with an explicit mandate to empower UGC officials for the digital future. 

Building on UGC’s operational needs, the workshop emphasized measurable benefits for government higher-education administration including streamlined reporting, enhanced official communication, faster data sense-making, Bangla–English translation support, and time savings on routine documentation so participants can apply GenAI responsibly to improve daily workflows and policy support functions. 

Participants were highly enthusiastic throughout and requested additional training, including advanced tracks tailored to specific roles and use cases.