Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum 2025
Call for Session Proposal

Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum 2025 invites all stakeholders to submit proposals for Sessions for the 20th Bangladesh Internet Governance Forum (BIGF), scheduled to be held from 30 to 31 October & 01 November 2025 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. BIGF 2025 will be organised in a face-to-face format.

Proposals may also indicate a preference for the face-to-face mode only. However, it will be the discretion of the theme committee to allot based on available slots.

It is essential that the proposed Session proposals align with one of the four sub-themes, and the description of the Session proposal demonstrates a specific and focused approach to the chosen sub-theme.

Session Submission Deadline: 11 October 2025 23:59 BDT.

The overall theme for BIGF2025  is “Building Digital Governance in Global South.”

Session proposers are invited to make submissions under the following four sub-themes:‎

  • Digital Trust and Resilience
  • Sustainable and Responsible Innovation
  • Universal Access and Digital Rights
  • Digital Cooperation

We respectfully invite you to submit your session proposal, accompanied by a rationale of up to 500 words aligned with the BIGF2025 theme. Kindly ensure submission by 11 October 2025 to bigf2025@bangladeshigf.org

Criteria for Session Evaluation

The Session proposals would be evaluated based on the following criteria.

Relevance of the Proposed Topic

How relevant is the proposed topic to Internet Governance, the Bangladesh context and is it aligned with one of the 4 sub-themes and the overarching theme of BIGF-2025.

Session Content

Does the Session proposal clearly provide the requested information on the relevant issues to be discussed, the intended discussion outcomes, etc.? Is the Session description aligned to the topic proposed?

Inclusion and Diversity

Does the proposed Session represent viewpoints from multiple stakeholders and provide diverse cultural, gender and geographical perspectives including disability groups. Are there multiple stakeholder groups on the panel? Are the listed panellists qualified to represent various distinct stakeholder groups and the topic being discussed?

 

Noting the need for better representation of and from the technical community in the past editions of the BIGF, the Theme Committee encourages proposals that actively engage the technical community, fostering inclusive dialogue and driving innovation in internet governance. The BIGF aims to create a platform for diverse perspectives, including those from the technical community.

Engagement

Does the format selected, the number of speakers and the length of the proposed Session support participation from the audience? Does the proposal provide details of how the session will be run to promote discussion and engagement from the audience? Does the proposal state how to incorporate remote participation and contributions into the discussion? 

 

BIGF2025 Theme Committee strongly encourages a strong focus on submitting quality Session proposals to enhance the chance to be selected.

 

Upon evaluation the Theme Committee of BIGF 2025 may suggest selected Sessions with thematically similar proposals to form mergers. This is to accommodate more diverse and quality sessions on the program agenda. However, Session proposers are under no obligation to accept a merger but may carry a risk of losing the opportunity to conduct their session.

3.

Enhance Cybersecurity:

Raise awareness about cybersecurity threats and promote the establishment of robust cybersecurity measures to protect users.

4.

Protect Data Privacy

Advocate for policies that safeguard individuals' personal data and promote transparency in data handling.