BASIS senior vice president Farhana A. Rahman says the current pandemic provides a unique opportunity for implementing all the projects that will lead the country closer to the vision of a digital Bangladesh
The ongoing pandemic has impacted all sectors, causing everyone to doubt the financial security of their respective fields. The government has responded to counter the crisis and continuing to implement its disaster management policies. But Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Farhana A. Rahman says Bangladesh is enjoying the benefit of all the work that have been done in the past 10 years in IT development. However, the IT sector is not enjoying any government stimulus.
Because Bangladesh developed in the IT sector in the last 10 years, said Rahman, it has become easier for all sectors to transition into digital platform based work environment.
“Technology has kept us going even in the pandemic situation. To take this development forward we have to finish all the projects we took up in the last 10 years. The plan for 100 platforms to commemorate the Mujib Borsho should also be completed, along with other government projects,” Farhana Rahman said.
Because foreign investments are on a halt, the local market is closed and there is no procurement from the government sector, she said, it is necessary to drive these projects forward and gain procurement for them. “The industries can then get involved and as a result they will survive,” Rahman told Fintech.
Regardless of what strategies are followed by different companies, the bottom line is very simple, says the BASIS senior vice president. Companies can only go on and remain in the market if there is work and the market exist.
Since there is a new demand for digital meeting platforms, there is now room for developing local solutions in this area, thinks she.
“Some are working with telemedicine. So foreign software are being imported for this purpose. We will the local platform to localize these software services,” she said.
There is also the need to develop software for e-commerce, work from home platform and other areas. “People that never bought anything through the internet are using e-commerce site. We need to develop on this and attract investors in this area.”
Ultimately, the most crucial part of giving the local industries a lift is actually a matter of how government projects are being disbursed, said Rahman. “The government is the largest buyer. We expect that the government will retain the budget for the projects that had already been planned. The category and priority for these should be given the highest importance. This will provide the support that companies need.”
But individual businesses and entrepreneurs need to be proactive also, says Farhana A Rahman, an entrepreneur herself. “We have become entrepreneurs through our own hard work. And you will have to persevere to wade through the tough tide now. Ultimately, that is what will save your business,” she said.
