The APNIC Elected Leaders series celebrates the journeys and contributions of individuals who have stepped up to serve in volunteer leadership roles, helping to advance Internet operations across the Asia Pacific region. Through their stories, we hope you’ll gain insight into what motivates them, feel more connected to our community, and be inspired to get involved and help shape the future of the Internet.
Sumon Ahmed Sabir has been a fixture of the Asia Pacific Internet community for more than two decades. Active in APNIC activities since 1998, he has been a regular participant at APNIC conferences since 2005 and served as Policy SIG Chair from 2017 to 2020. His experience bridges Internet operations and governance.
Outside APNIC activities, Sumon is Chief Information Officer at Fibre@Home Limited, where he oversees one of Bangladesh’s largest telecommunication transmission networks and Internet gateways. Earlier, as Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of BDCOM, he helped shape the economy’s early Internet landscape. His broader service includes ongoing roles on the boards of Bangladesh Internet Exchange (BDIX), Bangladesh Network Operators Group (BDNOG), the Internet Society Bangladesh Dhaka Chapter, and the South Asia Network Operators Group (SANOG) core committee, as well as serving on the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Multistakeholder Advisory Group (2016 – 2018).
Serving the community through the APNIC EC
Sumon is currently serving as an APNIC Executive Council (EC) member until March 2026.
“In general, the APNIC EC is the governing body of APNIC. Our primary role is to represent Members and act on their behalf. As a member of the Finance, Risk & Audit Committee (FRAC), I also have additional responsibility for oversight in financial and regulatory matters.”
His decades in Internet operations continue to shape his EC work.
“Being a technical person, I like to engage in technological improvement as well. My technical skills in Internet operations, long community exposure, and experience in the Internet governance area help me the most in the role of EC. Apart from that, my experience in senior roles helps me to deal with regulatory and financial matters.”
For Sumon, leadership is not about position, but about service and commitment to others.
“To reach a leadership role, you must have the mentality to help others by sharing knowledge, helping with their difficulties, and a hunger to learn new things with patience.”
Early steps in Bangladesh’s Internet journey
That mindset goes back to his earliest professional experiences, when Bangladesh was not yet connected to the global Internet.
“My first job after university was a challenging one — to set up and run an offline email service in Bangladesh back in early 1996, when the Internet was not yet present in the economy. It was a satisfying experience, and since then, I have stayed in the Internet industry.”
A defining milestone came with the creation of BDIX in 2004.
“Technically, it was challenging. There was no reliable transmission network connecting ISPs across the city, and most ISP engineers had little Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) experience. But the biggest challenge was bringing all the ISPs together and getting them to agree on common rules. This experience taught me that hard work can overcome technical obstacles and that solutions can be found with persistence,” Sumon says.
He adds that the experience was as much about people as it was about technology.
“During BDIX’s setup, I also learned how to navigate differing perspectives and business interests, build consensus, and ultimately gain the trust and support of peers.”
Connecting the Internet community
What continues to drive Sumon is the sense of shared purpose within the Internet community.
“I really value engaging with the Internet community — from NOGs, to APNIC and APRICOT conferences, IGF, and of course, my local Internet community. These interactions offer a wealth of knowledge and experience, and being able to contribute in even small ways is deeply rewarding. Serving on the EC provides an opportunity to connect with the broader community and play a more active role, which is what motivates me.”
Continuing the journey
Sumon is now focused on ensuring continuity of leadership and preparing for the challenges ahead.
“An important goal for me is to try to find new leaders for the Internet community. It’s a bit of a worry that I can see fewer young people coming up with deep passion and patience.”
He also highlights several key issues facing the region.
“In general, the community is struggling with a few major issues that include cybersecurity, complex Internet governance issues like state control, censorship, and surveillance, and data sovereignty. IPv6 deployment at a satisfactory level is not yet reached, so a part of the community is struggling due to IPv4 unavailability.”
On IPv6, Sumon’s message is clear.
“I think it’s unfortunate that IPv4 remains the dominant transport protocol on the Internet. It reflects a collective shortfall across the ecosystem. While IPv6 adoption has grown considerably in recent years, there’s still much work ahead. It’s time for the Internet community, including governments, to establish a clear and time-bound roadmap to complete the transition to IPv6.”
Sumon’s journey demonstrates how far a dedication to technology and community development can take you. From helping establish Bangladesh’s earliest email services to contributing to key infrastructure projects like BDIX, and now serving the Asia Pacific community through the APNIC EC, he remains focused on supporting emerging leaders, strengthening Internet governance, and advancing IPv6 deployment to sustain the Internet’s future growth.
The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.