Meta considers opening Dhaka office

Meta is interested in opening an office in Dhaka and will review when and how it could establish a local presence in Bangladesh, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed said.

“There has been a very good meeting with Meta. We had a very good discussion about opening an office in Dhaka, and they are interested,” she said at a press conference at Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on September 22.

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Shama said Meta was interested in establishing a focal point in Dhaka, as Bangladesh has a large Facebook user base.

“Bangladesh is the eighth-largest Facebook user,” she said, adding that the country has a larger number of Facebook users than India.

She said the meeting also discussed Bangladesh’s new Cyber Security Act and ways Meta could work with the government on issues related to digital safety.

Meta also expressed interest in supporting the expansion of e-commerce and online businesses in Bangladesh, she said.

“Our e-commerce and online businesses—Meta will cooperate in expanding these,” Shama said.

The company also wants to work with educational institutions in Bangladesh, she added.

Digital harassment was another key issue discussed during the meeting, according to the state minister.

“We talked about the digital harassment that is happening in different ways—not only in Bangladesh, but in different places—and how Meta can help reduce digital harassment in the social context of Bangladesh and work with the government and different government agencies,” she said.

Shama said Meta representatives had also appreciated the government’s emphasis on e-commerce and technology in the current national budget.

She said the company was “very much interested” in working closely with the Bangladesh team in the future.

“They will review when and how they will open an office in Dhaka,” she said.

The meeting with Meta was held during the Bangladesh delegation’s visit to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Shama said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was scheduled to attend the meeting with Meta but could not join because of another engagement.