On February 16, in the Ekushey Boi Mela, Pathao released a book, titled, Ogrojatrar Ogrodoot, to celebrate their 10 year anniversary and to commemorate their journey thus far. Though the book is not their first, this iteration still stands as a proud testament to Pathao’s impressive career as one of the leading companies in Bangladesh and a digital industry giant.
Pathao boasts over one crore users, linking over 10,000 restaurants, with an upwards of five lakh people employed in their network. There is no denying the cutting edge work Pathao has put in to connect technologies and everyday services with people all over Bangladesh, as they now have Pathao service hubs in more than half the country’s upazilas.
Written in Bangla, the book itself sits at less than a hundred pages. Nonetheless, Ogrojatrar Ogrodoot packs in 25 chapters of earnest personal accounts from people whose lives are now interwoven with the Pathao service. And while these people also have many gains to boast thanks to Pathao, Ogrojatrar Ogrodoot tells more than just a story of mere numbers -- it gives us a glimpse into the people’s hopes and dreams, and the efforts needed to achieve them.
Here with you
The unifying theme in this otherwise diverse collection of testimonies, is Pathao’s commitment to the Bangladeshi people. The sheer number of genuine stories only serves to demonstrate Pathao’s impact and the lives they have touched.
The stories range from the voices of office employees, riders, and delivery people, to a whole other plethora of business oriented people and users.
Some dig deep, reflecting on life-changing moments, grateful for Pathao in such trying times. Then there are those writing love letters over their fateful encounter with Pathao, its utility, and the joys it brought them. Some make great claims of their independence, while others speak of the communities they’ve seen grow.
But there is a clear message in them all; for each of these people, Pathao was truly there with them. And in that same spirit as the company’s tagline, the stories display that the people also took pride in giving back to the community however they could.
The sheer number of genuine stories only serves to demonstrate Pathao’s impact and the lives they have touched
The foundations to support a nation
The first couple of chapters give us direct insight into the core decision making among the executives, namely, Fahim Ahmed and Sifat Ahmed Adnan, the current CEO and the co-founder, respectively, and their inspirations which became integral to the company’s identity and progress.
Fahim did not shy from sharing the difficult times of the company. Like many others, Pathao faced great setbacks during Covid and tough calls had to be made.
Staying true to the company’s tagline, the Pathao execs admirably refused to downsize or fire employees in order to meet financial constraints and instead chose to take pay cuts themselves. With patience and dedication to the vision, the company gradually rose back up to being profitable.
Fahim applauded the decision to change leadership at the time as the first brave move that was necessary to bring in a fresh approach.
He noted their choice to expand nationwide as the second critical choice -- after all, demand for digital services such as theirs was still present, especially in more remote areas. The risk taken on this front had paid off with great dividends.
The third big decision, for him, was that of incorporating fintech services. With solutions like digital payments, digital credit, instapay, Pathao advance, he hailed Pathao as a pioneer on this front.
The chapter closes with a detailed entry of Fahim’s support and involvement during the July uprising in 2024. He cited the disheartening brain drain epidemic of our nation as what made him feel strongly about the need for political stability in the country -- how else can we ensure that students can dream for Bangladesh instead of abroad?
With his wife as a university teacher, he also often found himself in the heart of rallies. He details a day-to-day account of his experiences and feelings at the time. As he journalled the shocking death of Abu Sayed, all his emotions were laid out on the page.
Even in such chaotic times, he found himself emboldened enough to offer support such as sheltering students, aiding them with supplies, or assisting them in writing speeches and demands. All he remains grateful for is having been able to stand with the students.
In the next chapter, Adnan reminisces all the way back to his childhood and recounts how he fell in love with making video games on computers and learning programming. A vital part of his game development journey was in how he and his friends would exchange them and bond over them.
But throughout his professional software career, Adnan couldn’t help feeling isolated from the users of his software. It was only when he worked in a start-up environment that he finally understood what it meant to be directly connected with his users and to be able to address their needs and concerns.
So, when he and his friends started Pathao, it stemmed from the intention of looking to solve problems faced by people. Coming full circle to his experiences of sharing games with friends as a kid, he then realized that solving the problems they themselves faced in their own lives would allow them to fulfill solving the same for others.
Arif Sifat, another Pathao employee, wrote a chapter dedicated to the relationship he formed with a rider he met over a chance encounter, Merajul. His sincere concern for Merajul is exemplary of how Pathao hopes to create opportunities for those underserved. His chapter serves as the prime example of the support found within the internal team of Pathao.
When Merajul’s village suffered from severe flooding in August last year, Arif and other team members pooled together funds and immediately marched over to deliver aid and relief in the area.
These stories show just how deeply encoded the will to help and empower the Bangladeshi community is within the Pathao company structures.
These stories show just how deeply encoded the will to help and empower the Bangladeshi community is within the Pathao company structures
For salvation and opportunity, love and independence
The remaining 22 chapters are mini chronicles of people who are served by Pathao in some form. Whether they're small businesses or restaurants requiring courier or delivery services, or if they're moto or car drivers utilizing ride share services, Pathao has played a meaningful part in all their lives.
There’s the story of the mother and wife, Aisha, who was forced to rise up against all odds and support her family after her husband's injury and layoff. Pathao’s courier service enabled her to fully utilize her amazing biryani cooking skills and save her family from the brink of peril.
Then there’s the Toya Mart couple, whose business bloomed along with their love. Pathao’s courier service streamlined their business dealings and added that layer of security and guarantee.
This same stability and consistency gave many motorbike or car drivers the confidence to escape their torturous day-jobs and opt instead for Pathao full-time after finding success in their initial part-time efforts.
One inspiring story of a female rider, Masuma Akhter, tells of how Pathao empowered her to live out her childhood dreams of driving a scooter, even against all the social stigma she had to face. For her, the feeling was akin to that of being a gladiator.
There are even drivers like the retired army professional, Fakhruddin, from the final chapter, who enjoy the daily interactions he had with different people. Even with many lucrative job offers, he’d much rather stick with Pathao as it allows the freedom and flexibility of being your own boss and setting your own schedule.
When reading these stories, one might find some to be eerily familiar, while others might open up a whole new perspective. Regardless, all these stories, grounded in reality, are sure to pull readers back in touch with the daily lives and aspirations of the Bangladeshi people.
It is befitting that Pathao has earned the trust and loyalty of those who contributed their stories to this book. While Ogrojatrar Ogrodoot sets out to celebrate Pathao’s many heroes, it also signifies Pathao’s own heroics in advancing this nation towards a more accessible and equitable future.
Tasawar Sattar is an Editorial Assistant, Dhaka Tribune.
