It is often said that inspiration strikes when you least expect it -- and I couldn’t vouch for this saying more.
It was 2008 and I was going through Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s election manifesto when a slogan “Digital Bangladesh” caught my attention.
She wanted a Bangladesh where every service could be obtained digitally -- and without any cumbersome paperwork. So simple, I couldn’t get it out of my head.
So much so that the slogan went on to govern my career decisions, all of which culminated in my current role as the founder and managing director of Nagad, Bangladesh’s disruptive mobile financial service provider.
Simply put, without her, there would not have been any Nagad today -- and I would not have been the technology entrepreneur that I am today.
In the age of mobile phones, emails, instant messaging, courier services, and banks, the Bangladesh Postal Department was losing its relevance. But the honourable prime minister was adamant that the storied institution would not go the way of the gramophone, cassette, telegram, and so on.
She urged the lumbering institution to evolve for current times, in keeping with the Digital Bangladesh slogan. This opened the doors for delivering financial services through mobile phones, the dominant technology then, by the post office.
After that, it was serendipity that brought me and the post office together to start Nagad. It was a complete meeting of the minds: We both wanted to empower those who were not dealt a good hand in life.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went on to inaugurate Nagad and encourage my team and I every step of the way.
For instance, in January 2020, she issued an order mandating that all government allowances and stipends be distributed through Nagad. Then, during the upsurge of Covid-19, when the destitute got financial assistance from the prime minister, Nagad was in charge of the disbursement.
It is such trust in Nagad that inspires us to do more and make her proud. Just like she has made the nation proud with her nonpareil leadership.
Once thought of as a “bottomless basket,” today Bangladesh is a model for development. Bangladesh was among the 10 fastest growing economies over the past decade and is all set to graduate from the United Nations’ least-developed country category in 2026. It is expected to become an upper-middle-income country within the next decade.
Bangladesh, and by extension, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, achieved all that without compromising on ideals, dignity, character, and word, all of which were in full display in the making of the Padma Bridge.
She vowed to get the bridge over Padma built, come what may -- and she delivered.
Delivering on her pledges is what we can all learn from her. Today, we can see that practically all aspects of Bangladesh have turned digital. From property registration to healthcare services, everything is now conducted on digital platforms.
Even the remotest pockets of our country now have access to sophisticated communication tools and networks.
In addition, a significant change has occurred in terms of digital transactions. Even a few years ago, barely 30% of the population had access to formal financial services.
But this has changed now as 53% of the population in Bangladesh is engaged in formal financial services, according to the Global Findex Database. Nagad has played a significant role in bringing individuals inside this canopy of financial inclusion.
The possibilities are endless -- which is what she reminds us every day through example and by leading from the front.
Today is the birthday of this superwoman. On this special day, I extend my warmest greetings to her on behalf of the Nagad family and the people of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh will not stray as long as she is around -- long may she live.
Tanvir A Mishuk is Founder and Managing Director of Nagad, a disruptive mobile financial service carrier in Bangladesh.