The government is set to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-based market monitoring system to make agricultural production and market management more data-driven and effective, Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said on Friday.
The proposed system will analyze production data, weather forecasts, international market trends, import requirements and supply conditions to facilitate timely policy decisions, he told reporters after a prize-giving ceremony marking National Education Week 2026 at Sylhet Sadar Upazila Auditorium.
The event was organized by the Sylhet Sadar Upazila administration and the Upazila Secondary Education Office.
Muktadir said the AI-based platform would be developed in coordination with the ministries concerned, including agriculture, fisheries and livestock.
"Once operational, the system will make market monitoring more institutionalized, data-driven and effective. It will enable the government to respond more quickly to artificial shortages, abnormal price hikes and market volatility," he said.
The minister also announced that the government is implementing an integrated plan to develop Sylhet into one of Bangladesh's leading vegetable export hubs.
As part of the initiative, a modern packaging centre will be established in Sylhet, while farmers will receive training on international production standards and a traceability system will be introduced to meet export market requirements.
Although Sylhet produces large quantities of vegetables, export potential remains underutilized due to inadequate packaging and logistical facilities, he said.
"Removing these constraints will help transform Sylhet into one of the country's major vegetable exporting regions," he added.
Responding to a question on commodity prices, Muktadir said prices of most products in Bangladesh are determined by market forces. However, the government is working to formulate an effective pricing framework for essential commodities to maintain market stability.
The framework will be finalized following consultations with relevant stakeholders, he said.
Asked whether exports would increase this year, the minister said ongoing global conflicts and geopolitical instability have affected international trade and exports.
He expressed optimism that Bangladesh's exports would expand once the global situation stabilizes, adding that the government is also taking steps to ensure uninterrupted energy supply to the industrial sector.
The programme was chaired by Sylhet Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khoshnur Rubaiyat.
Among others, Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, Sylhet Development Authority Chairman Rezaul Hasan Qayes Lodhi, Sylhet Zila Parishad Administrator Abul Kaher Chowdhury Shamim, Sylhet Metropolitan BNP General Secretary Emdad Hossain Chowdhury, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Sylhet Md Shamsuzzaman and Sylhet Sadar Upazila BNP President Abul Kashem attended the event.
Earlier in the day, Muktadir distributed financial assistance from his discretionary fund, handed over wheelchairs to persons with disabilities, distributed goat feed among members of disadvantaged small ethnic communities, participated in a tree plantation programme in Sylhet Sadar and attended a Partner Congress organized by the Sadar Agriculture Office as the chief guest.