Digitally Right is excited to announce the Bangladesh Tech Policy Fellowship 2025. This fellowship offers emerging professionals a unique opportunity to engage deeply with technology policy and digital rights.
The 2025 program focuses on how regressive tech policies affect freedom of expression and the right to privacy. It also looks at the expanding landscape of media and internet censorship across South and Southeast Asia. Applicants interested in this fellowship will be required to submit research proposals which will play a crucial part in the selection of the most qualified candidates. While there is a wide array of tech policy topics to consider, the four overarching themes of this cohort will be:
- Content governance and online censorship;
- Personal data protection and privacy;
- Access to information and services; and
- AI governance
In its upcoming edition, the fellowship program expands its scope to bring in key insights from four Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and The Philippines, to undertake comparative analyses of existing policies, systems, and contexts shaping and influencing people’s access to and participation in the digital space. We will select 8 fellows—4 from Bangladesh and 4 from Southeast Asia. Each Southeast Asian fellow will be paired with a Bangladeshi fellow, creating 4 collaborative pairs, who will map the shared challenges and contexts experienced by people and communities in their respective countries. We encourage joint applications from pairs consisting of one Bangladeshi and one Southeast Asian applicant. If you cannot find a partner, individual applications are also welcome, and we will pair you with a suitable fellow. Throughout the program, fellows will work closely together and exchange perspectives across borders.
Who Should Apply
We welcome applicants who:
- Are early to mid-career professionals or researchers interested in technology policy, digital rights, and governance
- Have experience in research, policy analysis, advocacy, or related fields
- Possess professional or academic experience in law, journalism, or civic advocacy
- Are motivated to examine how technology impacts freedom of expression and the right to privacy from policy, public, and infrastructure perspectives
- Are committed to collaborative, cross-border work
What’s in It for You?
- A 3-day workshop
- Opportunity to publish research papers under expert mentoring
- Showcase your work to an esteemed audience
- Become part of a regional network of tech policy enthusiasts
- Receive a modest stipend for your work
Duration and Format
The fellowship will run for 3 months, combining virtual sessions with hybrid workshops. Fellows will receive mentorship from experienced policy practitioners and opportunities to connect with regional and global experts.
Application Process
Registration Link: Click here.
Applicants are also required to upload their CV. Applications can be submitted individually or as a pair.
Deadline for submissions: 15 January 2026
Join us for the Bangladesh Tech Policy Fellowship 2025 and help shape the future of freedom of expression and the right to privacy in Bangladesh and Southeast Asia!
