Page 73 - IBT October 2020
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The Government of Bangladesh
 approved online payment in   commerce where a business   Post Pandemic-   transactions and if basic transactions   been around since before Covid   online and amenities are listed
 2009 and the Bangladesh Bank   decides to buy raw material   can be done with simple taps on the   but has seen an increase in   out. Pictures are provided as
 approved the use of debit and   from another business to use   the New Normal  mobile phone, it does make bank runs   viewership during the lockdown.  proof and payment is collected
 credit cards for online payments   in the final product of their   Fortunately or unfortunately, due   quite redundant.  Buying and selling of “pre-loved”   online. The rise of this new
 in 2013. E-commerce in   own. Consumer to consumer   to the pandemic, e-commerce   Another sector that this pandemic has   or used goods has become   phenomenon in the
 Bangladesh has been   e-commerce deals with buying   through Facebook and other social   forced into electronic evolution is the   something of a trend. While   holiday/tourism industry has
 non-taxable since 2016 and has   and selling of mostly used   media has expanded. Due to   field of medicine. While it may seem   vintage goods had always held a   given serious and unexpected
 gained momentum ever since.   goods between two odd   restrictions on going out in public   obvious that hospitals and doctors   certain appeal for people in the   competition to residential hotels
 Around 10 billion takas worth of   consumers. Mobile commerce   gatherings, Facebook sellers as   make the most money out of almost   West and yard sales are not just   and the hospitality industry.
 transactions take place each year   and Facebook commerce are   well as sellers with their own   any life endangering tragedy, there is   accepted but looked forward to,   Bangladeshis have not only listed
 from the E-commerce website.   relatively new phenomena and   websites have been able to rope in   more to this, at least this time, than   Bangalis had mostly turned up   their homes here but also actively
 While there are many different   have gained more momentum   more and more customers,   meets the eye. While hospitals are   their noses to such products. This   seek vacation homes instead of
 kinds of e-commerce, the ones   than any of the other branches   including the online shopping   jam-packed and doctors have their   mindset is now changing. As   hotel rooms fueling this up and
 that stand out most in the case   of e-commerce in a much   sceptics who had thus far refused   hands full with Covid patients, for   millennials instinctively lean   coming trend further.
 of Bangladesh are business to   shorter period of time. Buyers   to give in to the temptation.   every doctor out on the frontline saving   towards economization, they see
 consumer (B2C), business to   and sellers on Facebook have   Exceptional customer service from   lives, there are as many as 10 others   no harm in using products that   Come What
 business (B2B), consumer to   increased multifold during the   most of these sellers has gained   who have stopped doing regular hours   have been used a few times but
 consumer (C2C), mobile   pandemic, but that is not to   the trust of all those stuck home   at their chambers thanks to the   still has enough life in them to   May
 commerce (M-Commerce) and   say that the number was any   and looking for necessary wares.   pandemic. What also plays a part in   last them through their time of   Everything in life is fluid and
 Facebook commerce   less significant even before the   Sellers have also seized the   their decision to not hold chambers   need. This includes everything   susceptible to change. Commerce
 (F-Commerce). Business to   arrival of the new normal.   opportunity to deliver to homes   physically is the lack of patients.   from used books, loved clothes   is no different. What was once a
 consumer commerce is easy to   Mobile commerce is simply an   those products that were until   Non-covid patients, unless in a state of   that no longer, jewelry bought on   simple barter has come a long
 understand as it follows the   evolution of tradition for   now not delivered home, like   emergency, prefer not going to hospitals   way to finally rest at virtual
 conventional practice of buying   certain business sectors like   groceries and medicine. The sector   teeming with covid patients. They   trade. No doubt, this too is
 A buzz word in the world   from a business or manufacturer.   the banking sector and the   confirm sales and have laid out   that has possibly gleaned the   choose to stay home and call the   Door to door service has   temporary and will change.
 of commerce,   Business to business   financial sector in general as it   most advantage from this   doctors over telephone. Doctors have   been availed by a staggering   However, what makes the country
 E-commerce moves away   e-commerce however, is a   deals with mobile payments   detailed supply and delivery   pandemic situation is the delivery   managed to find a silver lining to this   number of people due to   nearly 10 billion takas each year
 systems for seamless service.
 from the orthodox   slightly different model of   and mobile banking.   sector. Door to door service has   awful situation in the form of   is significant enough to be mused
 methods of buying and   The entire process is run mostly   been availed by a staggering   telemedicine where patients can take   restrictions placed on getting   upon and discussed at length.
 by housewives and women who
 selling and does the   E-commerce   number of people due to   appointments with them online by   out of homes and suddenly,   Bangladesh is a developing
 same activity online. The   want to put their   restrictions placed on getting out   paying them through mobile payment   the delivery service became   country. While we hoped to be a
 entrepreneurial skills to use.
 World Wide Web is vast   BC (Before   of homes and suddenly, the   options like Bkash. While patients still   an essential service rather   middle income nation by 2021,
 and thus offers a bigger   Corona)  E-commerce has given them a   delivery service became an   need to visit the hospital facilities for   the pandemic has forced us to
 platform through which they
 marketplace for buyers   essential service rather than a   running tests, most of the diagnosis   than a simple matter of   retrace our steps, pause, and
 and sellers to come   Online businesses had been on   can attract and connect with   simple matter of convenience, and   can take place over video calls. While   convenience, and delivery   re-evaluate our economy and its
 like-minded customers.
 together and do business   the rise in Bangladesh before   delivery men became unsung   not ideal, the pandemic has given   men became unsung heroes   loopholes. However, Bangladesh
 thanks to local,   the pandemic, with women   Imitating the layout of Amazon   heroes without capes. Delivery   doctors and patients with trivial   without capes.  is resilient and ambitious, traits
 and Barnes and Noble,
 traditional marketplaces.   entrepreneurs behind the   apps that thus far sold only food   problems or routine issues a means to   that we can see in our topic of
 It draws on financial   steady climb of the   Rokomari.com has come forth   now expanded to deliver parcels   continue the doctor-patient relationship   e-commerce. What was once a
 to sell Bangla and English
 technologies such as   phenomenon. According to the   and medicine too, becoming a one   and service even while maintaining   foreign concept has not only been
 electronic funds transfers   e-commerce association, there   books. Following in the   ‘site’ fits all platforms.    distance and ensuring each other's   a whim and no longer wanted, to   understood by the entrepreneurs
 footsteps of Amazon, is the
 and management   are about 8000 or more   Bangladeshi Jadroo.com, selling   The pandemic has also helped   safety.  baby food processors, walkers   of this country but embraced and
 strategies such as supply   e-commerce pages on Facebook   a variety of homeware and   mobile commerce to gain   and other expensive things that   juiced out to the maximum.
 chain management and   only. From baby care goods to   other goods. Other platforms   momentum. Bangladesh has had   International and   are essential but grown out of as   Thousands of apps get written
 inventory management   dresses to accessories to   like Daraz.com have also done   mobile payment apps like Bkash   fast.   and launched each day and
 systems. It relies on an   electronics, women have   well in Bangladesh, despite not   and Rocket for a while now. The   National B2C and   Another great example of C2C   mostly all of them serve to make
 intricately woven door to   stepped up to supplement their   being local sites. Aarong,   pandemic has given rise to the   C2C E-commerce  e-commerce is the concept of   the lives of their users easier or
 door delivery system   earnings and capitalize on the   Ecstasy and Cats Eye are a few   new normal of cashless   Airbnb. Home owners post their   more interesting. While reigning
 which serves as a   comfort and convenience of   local clothes brands that have   transactions, making apps like   Certain apps like Ali.express and   homes online and invite   ideas like Uber and Amazon are
 backbone to this   the buyers to shop from home.   laid the foundation for online   Bkash and Rocket more and more   Amazon allow customers in Bangladesh   vacationers to live in them. These   still foreign, apps like Pathao
 relatively new9, yet   Surely and steadily, these   clothing stores and others have   successful. Previously cash heavy   to order and receive goods from other   homes may be uninhabited by   have emerged from the
 exponentially growing   entrepreneurs have taken   confidently followed suit.   transactions like paying cab fares   countries by paying a small shipment   the owners or shared by owners,   masterminds of this very country
 field.   advantage of platforms such   and paying for food delivery are   surcharge. Thanks to the pandemic,   at a time when holiday makers   and are making us proud all over
 as Facebook to go live, show   Thanks to the wide variety of   also seen to be using these apps   and the closing down of theatres   decide to pay and live in them.   the world now. Therefore it would
 off their wares, receive   goods, exceptional customer   to avoid hand to hand transfer.   indefinitely, online platforms like iFlix   Usually more personal and   not be overly ambitious to
 feedback, and answer queries.   service and unwavering quality   Online banking has gained even   have cropped up to satiate the   homelier than hotel rooms,   assume that come what may,
 They have drawn on the   of goods, more and more   more popularity as these times   entertainment needs of the audience.   vacationers now have whole   e-commerce in Bangladesh is here
 wonders of mobile commerce   customers have chosen to order   call for distancing rather than   Following in the footsteps of global   apartments and houses at their   to evolve and stay around for a
 to receive advance payment to   in, rather than step out of their   stalwart Netflix, the Bangali iFlix has   disposal. Homes are advertised   significant amount of time.
 homes.   queueing up for financial

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