Consider a young lady living in a village outside of Rajshahi. She operates a small home-based tailoring business. Facebook is used to place orders, and she uses WhatsApp to send clients photos of her work. She hopes to expand her clientele and possibly launch a YouTube channel to share her designs. The catch is that she can't afford to buy a good smartphone all at once, and her old feature phone hardly supports the apps she needs.
For millions of Bangladeshis today, this story is not unique; it is their reality. As our nation works toward its goal of becoming more digital, we need to pause and consider what is preventing our people from fully participating in the digital economy.
The majority of Bangladeshis, in actuality, are unable to purchase these gadgets outright. Additionally, most people do not have access to credit cards, which are the conventional means of making installment payments. Less than three million credit cards are in use nationwide, according to data from Bangladesh Bank. Less than 2% of the population is represented by that. In their current form, credit cards are only available to those with urban addresses, steady banking histories, and salaried jobs.
These formal requirements are frequently not met by Bangladesh's core population, which includes farmers, informal workers, small business owners, and women entrepreneurs in rural communities. They are thus excluded from financial models that provide access, flexibility, and dignity.
A similar pattern used to exist in India, across the border. However, a quiet revolution has occurred in recent years. Equitable monthly installments, or EMI services, are now available without requiring credit cards. Instead of relying on antiquated bank statements, customers can enter a store, pick up a smartphone, and leave with a payment plan based on straightforward identity checks or digital behaviour.
This strategy has altered consumers' purchasing habits, but more significantly, their economic engagement. In order to handle orders, a Delhi delivery worker can now own a better phone. For online education, a student in rural Bihar can afford a laptop. Additionally, a small town shopkeeper can now use a smartphone to accept QR payments.
Bangladesh is at a comparable point. Modern phones are not only in high demand, but also urgently needed. There are currently over 125 million mobile phone users in the nation. However, only about 40% of mobile users use smartphones, even with this sizable base. The remainder continue to use feature phones that are unable to support secure communication, e-services, or the majority of apps.
A lack of interest is not the reason for the gap. Lack of financial flexibility is the root cause.
With a smartphone costing Tk15,000, many families are forced to choose between the gadget and essentials. However, what if that expense could be divided into smaller, Tk1,500 or less monthly installments? Being digitally connected or excluded could depend on that minor change. A schoolboy watching lessons on YouTube, a mother using an app to access health information, or a farmer researching market prices before selling his produce could all be examples. These advantages are not merely theoretical. They are transformative, quantifiable, and real.
Cooking, tailoring, crafting, and selling through Facebook pages or WhatsApp groups are just a few of the home-based businesses that many women in semi-urban and rural areas are quietly operating. However, they are far too frequently using old phones that they have borrowed from their siblings or husbands.
They gain autonomy, privacy, and control over their expanding businesses when they purchase a modern phone on a manageable installment plan. They can use digital payments, banking apps, and even online training thanks to it. It transforms them from neighbourhood vendors into online business owners.
Farmers could also gain a lot. They can get real-time weather updates, crop disease alerts, new planting methods, and even details about government subsidies with a smart device. When a farmer has access to information, he plans instead of speculating. And the change from reaction to strategy can have a significant effect on income and productivity.
Freelancers and students are no exception. Although Bangladesh's young people are talented and vivacious, many are prevented from joining the global digital workforce due to a lack of appropriate resources. The link between local potential and global opportunity is a good laptop or smartphone. Many people who have been waiting on the sidelines can now access that bridge thanks to flexible payment options.
Payments help people establish informal credit histories, which pave the way for future access to bigger, more official financial products. In this sense, inclusivity is not only social but also economic. It transforms citizens who are invisible into active participants.
All of this has a deeper emotional significance as well. Installment payments are more than just a convenient option. It has to do with trust. "We believe you will pay," it says. It grants them self-respect, independence, and a feeling of mastery."You can demonstrate your responsibility without a credit card," it states.
And that conviction -- that fundamental regard for people's capacity to fulfill their obligations -- can have a greater impact than any kind of grant or subsidy.
Of course, a number of factors must coincide for this vision to succeed in Bangladesh. Retailers are required to provide fair and transparent installment plans. Manufacturers of devices ought to look into joint ventures that facilitate financing. Fintech companies need to create tools that evaluate behavior in the real world, not just on paper. Additionally, government organizations can encourage these models by implementing wise policies, particularly for low-income families, women, and students.
A more digital Bangladesh will not happen only in terms of infrastructure and technology.
People are the true foundation. It will be individuals prepared to participate in the digital world, empowered, and included that will bring about the greatest change. Being able to afford a smartphone could be the first step toward that empowerment. Not with a credit card they don't possess, but with a manageable payment schedule.
Let's not pass up this chance. Let's acknowledge that digital payment access, particularly those that do not rely on antiquated credit models, is more than just a new development. It is essential. It serves as a link between adversity and opportunity, isolation and inclusion, and potential and power.
Let no one be left behind because they were unable to pay all at once.
Yemad Fayed Ahmed is a public relations professional.
