Bangladeshis adopting e-commerce faster than ever amid pandemic
With the bad comes the nice as they say and this could prove true so far as the coronavirus pandemic and Bangladesh's e-commerce industry can be involved.
The outbreak of the highly contagious, lethal pathogen has generated new opportunities for the country's e-commerce market, according to various speakers at an online discussion styled, 'E-commerce calls in the service of humanity', held yesterday.
"Although it was unthinkable just one single month ago, persons now visit different sites for groceries and other essentials," said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi who joined in the virtual discussion organised by the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB).
Since people currently think it is challenging to take part in traditional commerce, that is a chance for the digital segment to thrive, he added.
However, through the discussion, a good number of e-commerce entrepreneurs raised concerns about the harassment of delivery personnel in the hands of law enforcers being on trips amidst the movement control order despite the fact that they have the federal government approval to keep operations.
In response, the commerce minister said the government is working on methods to remove all of the obstacles e-commerce entrepreneurs are facing.
"We hope that this issue will be resolved next few days. The ministry will always the stand by position and support the web commerce industry," Munshi added.
After the coronavirus juggernaut reached Bangladesh people's perception of e-commerce changed totally, said Anir Chowdhury, policy adviser of the a2i programme beneath the Information and Communication Technology division.
Bangladesh is a huge market, so entrepreneurs should ideally have the capability to focus on 50 lakh orders daily. However, they are able to currently only manage 50,000.
"Things started changing since the coronavirus dealt a blow to the economy. However, it has gone towards the e-commerce industry," Chowdhury said.
Since the nationwide shutdown took effect officially on March 26 with the expectation of flattening the curve on the novel virus which has so far infected 164 and killed 17 in Bangladesh, a lot of the rickshaw pullers, who tend to live from hand to mouth, have observed their livelihoods disappear into nothing.
Internet sites can hire those rickshaw pullers as deliverymen and it will benefit both parties, Chowdhury added.
However, Telecom Minister Mustafa Jabbar emphasised on the necessity to make certain that only quality products are for sale. He is also towards christening April 7 the National E-Commerce day from next year onwards if e-CAB places a request.
Bangladesh's web business industry has already been worth Tk 8,000 crore and has been growing at about 50 % annually, said e-CAB President Shomi Kaiser.
"We expect that following the coronavirus pandemic has ended, the industry's growth rate will be much higher than what it had been in the past few years," she added.
ICT Secretary NM Zeaul Alam; Postal Division Director General SS Bhadra; and Nazrul Islam Khan, advisor to e-CAB, also spoke through the session that was moderated by e-CAB General Secretary Muhammad Abdul Wahed Tomal.
At the function, e-CAB announced the forming of a charity to help the less fortunate through this difficult time. Anyone can donate to the fund at its online portal, manobsheba.com.
