ECommerce at Covid-19 Times
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh’s e-commerce sector experienced unprecedented growth as lockdowns and movement restrictions drove consumers online. Digital platforms became essential for purchasing groceries, medicines, and daily necessities, leading to a surge in online transactions. Local e-commerce businesses, including small retailers and startups, adapted by enhancing delivery logistics and digital payment systems. The government also supported the sector by classifying e-commerce as an essential service, allowing deliveries during lockdowns. However, challenges like delayed shipments, fraud incidents, and cash-on-delivery dependency persisted. Despite these hurdles, the pandemic accelerated digital commerce adoption in Bangladesh, shaping a more technology-driven consumer landscape.
Issues covered in the Digital Commerce Policy
* Digital commerce organizations must comply with the existing provisions regarding consumer rights, accurate description of the products presented for sale on the e-commerce site and the quality of the product, return of the product sold according to the rules of digital commerce organization, refund, display terms Has built confidence in commerce.
* Initiatives to implement interbank and mobile financial services (MFS), digital financial services (DFS) transactions in all banks, the launch of ‘ESCROW Service’ for the security of digital commerce-related payments, banking and mobile banking, pre-paid Real-time fund transfers with all payment methods, including cards, connected to the National Payment Switch, Travelers Quota and online for legally expanding international online card-based transactions.
* The Central Digital Commerce Cell of the concerned ministry or department will take action against all cyber-crimes related to digital commerce, including piracy, hacking, internet banking, mobile banking, etc. They will also be responsible for identifying existing and emerging risks, including management and supervision.
* Misuse of financial transactions in e-payment systems, financial institutions, clearinghouses, and law enforcement agencies will take necessary steps to identify fraud in coordination with the Central Digital Commerce Cell.
* Misuse of financial transactions in e-payment system, financial institutions in case of fraud detection, clearinghouse, and law enforcement agencies will take necessary action in coordination with the Central Digital Commerce Cell.
Overall, 60 short, medium, and long term tasks have been identified in the Digital Commerce Policy Action Plan. These are divided into 14 thematic objectives and the initial implementing agencies and the expected results are mentioned.
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According to the proposal, the government has taken various initiatives to build information and communication technology infrastructure, develop human resources, establish e-governance, and develop the IT industry through the construction of ‘Digital Bangladesh’. Mobile technology is playing a very helpful role in this.
Currently, the country is covered by 3-G network and 4-G network has already been launched. It is to be noted that by setting up Union Digital Centers across the country, ICT network connectivity has brought marginalized people under the purview of e-services and mobile banking.
Initiative to keep e-commerce dynamic during the Corona Crisis
1. SOPs have been created for the delivery persons of e-commerce organizations from the ICT Division. and the supply and transportation of food, medicine, and emergency goods have been sanctioned from the beginning of the public holiday, which restricted the people’s movement.
2. Especially during the month of Ramadan, many people prefer to eat the food prepared by the restaurant for Iftar and Sehri. For these reasons, Food delivery services have been approved. In this way, the buyers got the food of their choice sitting at home. The restaurants have got the opportunity to keep their kitchens open.
3. Some organizations have got the opportunity to recruit new workers from the villages with special permission.
4. During Eid-ul-Fitr, the government allowed the sale of clothing, gazettes, and electronics products in compliance with health regulations. At that time, at least 50,000 people in Dhaka took these services every day from home. For the same reason, garment-based e-commerce, gazette retailers, and electronics retailers have been able to return to business. Its impact on the country’s economy is visible.
5. Because of the corona, on the one hand, the mango growers were worried, and on the other hand, the buyers were worried whether they would be able to eat chemical-free mangoes. The e-Cab and Ministry of Commerce have taken the initiative of online “AM Mela” (Mango Fair) to stand by the mango garden owners, and on the other hand, online companies have got the opportunity to sell alternative products. Thus, the government’s prompt decisions and various government agencies have helped keep the digital economy afloat.
6. When the experimental and complete lockdown was announced in two areas of the city, daily services were provided to 100,000 families every day under the direct supervision of the E-Commerce Association.
7. Usually, in our country, there is a massive crowd at the cattle market during Eid-ul-Azha. It is tough to maintain social distance here. At this time, the sale of animals on various platforms across the country began.
8. 2020: the onion price went up due to sudden negative news about onion imports. The same thing happened this year. It is heard that onion import from nearby sources has been stopped without any prior indication. The price of onion began to rise. Simultaneously, the government took immediate action and decided to sell onions online at Tk 38, which was Tk. 90 in the local market. This reduces the price of onion in the market overnight. In the wholesale market alone, the cost of onion is reduced by Tk 20 in 24 hours. And yet it is declining, and also it didn’t go as close as last year’s price.
The challenges of digital commerce at the moment:
1. The marginalized people of the village should be made the beneficiaries of digital commerce. Although e-commerce has reached the rural level, its scope has not increased. To ensure this last-mile delivery service, it is necessary to expand the service at the rural level to integrate the e-commerce supply chain and rustic products. Bangladesh Postal Department has already taken some initiatives.
2. While the normal growth of e-commerce was 25% per annum, in the case of cross-border e-commerce or export-oriented e-commerce, it was 74%. There is something to be done here. Hopefully, if these are implemented quickly, the Bangladeshi housewife’s flower handkerchief or Nakshikantha will reach foreign buyers’ hands more easily.
3. Ensuring an environment for the growth of small digital commerce enterprises proliferating and transforming the ever-adding new consumer into one of the digital commerce industry with the right services.
4. Improving the quality of service by integrating all e-commerce platforms and initiatives in the country under a single supply chain and bringing the entire country under the digital commerce network by delivering services to marginal people.
