Home Ministry Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Friday said that the socioeconomic status of many Bangladeshis has changed due to the government’s “Digital Bangladesh” campaign.
“In 2008, Prime minister Sheikh Hasina said she would change Bangladesh...said she would build Digital Bangladesh. Many of us, who are ignorant about it (technology), did not realize her plan. But now we can see the benefits of this campaign,” the minister said.
He was addressing the two-day conference of Women and e-Commerce Forum (WE) – a popular Facebook-based platform with over 450,000 women entrepreneurs, in the capital.
WE President and E-CAB Joint General Secretary Nasima Akhter Nisha explained how the Facebook group gained around 1 million members during the Covid-19 pandemic and became Asia’s largest platform for small entrepreneurs.
“Our business model has gained popularity across the world. Some countries have expressed interest in replicating our model,” she said, adding that the women entrepreneurs needed technological, delivery and fund support to grow their businesses.
WE provides networking, training, and other opportunities for the entrepreneurs. Its social media community has over 1.3 million members, many of whom joined the Facebook group during the pandemic when thousands of housewives and students started small online businesses to recover from economic hardship.
Earlier in the day, Liberation War Affairs Minister Mozammel Haque inaugurated the event at 10am at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Some 2,000 women entrepreneurs are attending the event, being organized for the fifth time this year. They are showcasing their products at a fair and attending business seminars and workshops during the event.
ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak will distribute the Joyee Award among 20 women who are successful in different sectors, including entrepreneurship, on the second day.
A total of 30 guests are taking part in discussions on the two days of the conference on various topics, including easy and uninterrupted internet access for entrepreneurs, adapting themselves to the logistics ecosystem and financing for business expansion, Facebook marketing, and photography. A total of eight sessions will be conducted online since many of the entrepreneurs may not be able to join the program in Dhaka.
On the second day, a “fashion show” will be held with various products and services made by the WE entrepreneurs. Again, these entrepreneurs will host a cultural event.