e-commerce
China fines tech giants for content exploiting children
China’s internet watchdog said Wednesday it has fined platforms operated by e-commerce company Alibaba and gaming firm Tencent for spreading sexually suggestive content involving children, as regulators seek to clean up content harmful to minors.
Platforms including Alibaba’s e-commerce marketplace Taobao, Tencent’s QQ messaging service, live-streaming site Kuaishou, microblogging platform Sina Weibo and social media and e-commerce service Xiaohongshu were fined for distributing sexually suggestive stickers or short videos of children, it said.
Also read: Gadgets for tech giants made with coerced Uyghur labor
The companies were ordered to rectify the issue and ban accounts that use such content to attract more traffic.
The crackdown on inappropriate content involving minors comes as the government ramps up scrutiny of technology platforms in the country. Regulators are investigating Chinese technology companies over a range of issues, including anti-competitive practices and data practices.
“With regards to the infringement of the legal rights and interests of minors, a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude will be adopted and enforced to clean up the online problems that endanger the physical and mental health of minors,” the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement.
In recent months, some Chinese media outlets have called out sexually suggestive photos of children used by certain stores on platforms such as Taobao and Xiaohongshu to sell clothing, as well as suggestive stickers of children on messaging apps.
Also read: China targets tech giants in app privacy crackdown
The internet regulator said its campaign includes the targeting of minors on live-streaming platforms, pornographic and violent content in courses on online education platforms and animations with violent or inappropriate horror themes.
Earlier this month, the regulator said it would probe ride-hailing company Didi Global Inc. over data security concerns. Alibaba in April was also fined $2.8 billion following an anti-monopoly probe, and food delivery giant Meituan is being investigated over alleged antitrust practices.
The internet watchdog also recently announced that it would require companies looking to list abroad to seek its approval first.
Globally, technology companies and governments are paying more attention to how to prevent the exploitation and abuse of children online.
Last year, a coalition of technology companies including Facebook, Google and Microsoft backed a plan to eradicate online child abuse.
The U.K. last month also issued a new guidance to companies on how they can protect children from sexual exploitation and abuse on their platforms.
Travel ban imposed on Evaly chairman, MD
The Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) Friday imposed a travel ban on Evaly Chairman Shamima Nasrin and Managing Director Mohammad Rassel as it has launched an inquiry into an allegation of embezzlement of Tk338.62 crore from customers and merchants.
"The commission has taken all steps to prevent them from leaving the country," ACC Deputy Director (Public Relations) Muhammad Arif Sadeq told UNB.
Read: BB to probe Evaly financial transactions, e-commerce activities
The anti-graft watchdog already notified the police's Special Branch and the Department of Immigration and Passport about the issue in a letter.
Earlier, the commerce ministry asked the ACC to launch an investigation into allegations that Evaly misappropriated Tk338.62 crore – received in advance from customers and merchants.
The ACC formed a two-member committee to investigate the alleged embezzlement after receiving a letter from the ministry, Arif Sadeq said.
Evaly's total liabilities were Tk407.18 crore, which they need to pay to consumers and merchants, the Bangladesh Bank said in an inspection report last month.
Read:e-CAB formed 7-member body to observe business of Evaly
After receiving Tk213.94 crore in advance from customers and Tk189.85 crore from merchants, Evaly was expected to have at least Tk403.80 crore in current assets, but it only had Tk65.17 crore.
The company can now deliver goods or return the money to only 16.14% of the customers with its current assets, the ministry said.
Paperfly to deliver rural women products across Bangladesh
Laalsobuj.com, an online marketplace driven by rural women under patron of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, has signed an agreement with homegrown tech based logistic company Paperfly to make it their delivery partner.
Laalsobuj.com Chairman- Sadruddin Imran and Paperfly Chief Marketing Officer and cofounder Rahath Ahmed signed the agreement recently regarding the service partnership, said a media release on Sunday.
According to the agreement, Paperfly will deliver the product of laalsobuj.com at buyers’ doorsteps leveraging its strongest doorstep delivery network across Bangladesh.
READ: Paperfly to deliver authentic beauty products of Shajgoj all over Bangladesh
From Laalsobuj.com, Director- Rubaiyat Bin Arif, Chief Operating Officer (COO) - Mohammad Nazmul Ahsan, Sr. Software Executive- Md Mahmudul Hasan Khan and from Paperfly, General Manager, Sales and Key Accounts- Sazzadul Islam Fahmy and Executive, Sales and Key and Accounts- Afsana Yasmin were present among others during the signing ceremony.
Regarding the partnership with Laalsobuj, Paperfly Chief Marketing Officer Rahath Ahmed said this online market place is driven by the rural women who have a great objective in social empowerment and Paperfly is proud to be part of this.
Chairman, Sadruddin Imran said the objective of laalsobuj.com is to make a significant contribution to the economic emancipation of women by bringing the products of millions of women entrepreneurs across the country to the digital buyers through e-commerce and thus empower rural women.
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This marketplace is dedicated for rural women entrepreneurs under TotthoApa project implemented by ‘Jatiyo Mohila Sangstha’ under the ministry.
Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute under Ministry of Commerce provides technical support to the ecommerce platform.
With the help of 1,470 dedicated TotthoApas (women who provide information services), these entrepreneurs scattered in remote areas of Bangladesh are showcasing their products in the marketplace.
READ: Paperfly celebrates 5-year of excellence
Since commencing market launching in early 2016, Paperfly came into limelight by introducing doorstep delivery, competitive price, best in class customer service and services like 1 hour merchant payment, Smart Return, Smart Check and much more. The robust network of Paperfly is capable of delivering any size of products or shipments anywhere in Bangladesh, said a press release.
Renowned online payment gateways in Bangladesh for domestic, international transactions
In Bangladesh, the digital payment methods are getting enhanced popularity day by day. As the country is moving towards a high internet penetration rate, now-a-days a good number of people prefer the internet banking to traditional offline banking system. This process has been accelerated by the rapid adoption of digital transfer and payment gateways in most of the leading stores and businesses in Bangladesh. The popularity of digital payment can be attributed to its user-friendly application, fast transaction, security, etc. In this article, we have discussed some of the best online payment gateways in Bangladesh.
Top 10 online payment gateways in Bangladesh
SSLCOMMERZ
Founded in 2010, SSLCOMMERZ is the oldest and also the largest digital payment gateway of Bangladesh. The initial plan of the company was drafted back in 2008 and it officially started its journey with DBBL in 2010 and BRAC Bank in 2011. Since then, the company has provided payment solutions for a range of businesses including banks and corporates.
The initial setup cost of SSLCOMMERZ is 15000 BDT. The internet banking commission rate stands at 2.5% for Visa and Mastercard and ranges from 2%-4% for various types of internet and mobile banking transactions. The platform is fully compliant with PCI and DSS and doesn’t collect any information that the customer doesn't give explicit access to.
Read Digital Currency: Benefits and Risks of the Cashless Economy in Bangladesh
PortWallet
The PortWallet gateway is one of the fastest and smoothest payment gateways in Bangladesh. The platform is one of the only to have an inbuilt API system and different internal process channels.
They have 2 different services, Starter and Business which costs an initial fee of 5000 BDT and 20,000 BDT. Other than that, the annual fee for a business solution is 24,000 BDT. However, the commission rate is on the high side with 3.5 % t0 3.8% on credit and debit cards and 2.5% to 3% for net banking. But the upside here is that there is no charge if you need to issue a refund. Due to its secure API integration, the platform offers the most secured system that is compliant with the PCI and DSS system.
READ: Mango Mania: The Fastest on Demand Mango Delivery Network by Chaldal.com
Aamarpay
Another local company in the payment gateway of Bangladesh, Aamarpay has been leading the platform due to its low commission rates and high-performance service.
The company has four different plans – aamar SME, aamar B2b, aamar Enterprise and aamar Corporate. Depending on the plan you choose, the initial setup fee ranges from 4000 BDT to 15,000 BDT. In addition to that, Aamarpay has a host of API that makes your transactions secure with proper safety measures.
Read Fintech MFS: Best Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh
Shurjapay
Shurjapay is one of the first PSO license recipients by Bangladesh Bank. The company operates with both customers and merchants to provide a secure transaction gateway.
Shurjapay has a sign-up fee and integration fee which totals to 20,000 BDT for corporate and 15,000 BDT for the education platforms. The charge is a bit high compared to the other players in the market but, there is no annual maintenance fee involved. They charge a flat 2.5% for corporate cards and 1.5% for education. The net banking charge for corporate is 3.5% and 2% for education. They also have a multi-level verification process which makes the transaction more secure than ever.
Read Visa’s Fintech Initiative for Bangladesh: New Opportunities for Start-ups?
Paddle
Another prominent payment gateway that operates globally is Paddle. They work with both B2B and B2C. They work exclusively on SaaS making them a comprehensive player in the global transaction market.
The best thing about Paddle is that there is no sign-up fee and neither are there any monthly charges. A certain percentage of the transaction is deducted as commission and other than that, there are no additional fees. You will however need a VAT and sales tax document to sign up with the platform.
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Easy Pay Way
Easy Pay Way is the most flexible plan when it comes to pricing for different businesses. To start, they have 4 different plans for Basic, Starter, Professional, and Corporate. The setup charge ranges from 5,000 BDT to 20,000 BDT. For the corporate package, the commission is on quote meaning you will be able to get a flexible rate depending on your transaction.
Easy Pay Way also incorporates several features that are otherwise not seen in other ventures. They have dedicated risk validation, auto verification, payment validation as well as courier API to make your transaction more secure driving away any kind of fraudulent activity.
Read bKash customers can now add money from 29 banks, Visa, Mastercard
2Checkout
2Checkout offers multiple solutions for businesses. Not only are they one of the leading payment gateway, but they also offer a seamless global transaction with high revenue generation. You do not need any sign-up or annual fee to use this platform.
The commission rate on the platform is also moderate with a 3.9% charge and a cross-country fee of 1.5%. You will need to have a valid trade license along with VAT certification to sign up with the platform. They use all the established shield framework and refund requests are honored for up to 30 days.
Read FinTech gets BB nod to provide e-wallet service
Fast Spring
Fast Spring is one of the most reliable payment gateways when it comes to international transactions. If your business receives money from a foreign country, you can easily set up this gateway.
The best thing about Fast Spring is that there is no long-term contract involved with it. There is no signup fee as well as no commitment involved. The commission rate is determined based on the transaction limit with an 8.9% commission plus 0.75$ as a minimum and 5.9% and 0.95$ as max. The refund fee is stated at 5$.
You will need a host of verification documents like GST, Driving License, and VAT registration number to sign up with them.
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Stripe
Though you can operate on this platform for Bangladesh, you will need to have a foreign company registration to qualify to use this platform. They offer both, a payment gateway and payment processing.
Unlike other foreign transaction and remit platforms, they do not have a singular commission rate. You can expect a 2.9% on credit and debit cards. 1% on currency conve4rsiona and instant payments with 3.9% for international sales.
You will need to have documents complying with the country of origin of the business to be compliant with the platform.
Read bKash offers 1 pc cash bonus on receiving remittance
Paypal
One of the most notable platforms for B2C transactions across the globe is Paypal. Unfortunately, the service is not available in Bangladesh unless you have a foreign company registration. The unique aspect of Paypal is that they offer peer-to-peer transactions that are not available on other platforms.
There are several commission-structure based on the type of transaction. You can expect around 2.9% plus 30 cents on the online transaction, 2% on border cross, and 5.0% (domestic) to 5.50% (Cross-border) on micro pricing. To sign up with Paypal, all you will need is a valid address identification. The company is fully PCI compliant so you don’t have to worry about your data.
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Bottom Line
The payment gateway platform in Bangladesh is diverse with many key players across the board. Some of them are fully focused on domestic transactions, while others focus on foreign transactions as well. Regardless of the field of operations, the companies we mentioned here are some of most popular online payment gateways in Bangladesh. The stated commission rates are subjected to change depending upon respective company policies.
Read Shammi Quddus: A Talented Bangladeshi Woman in Google, Global Fintech Industry
Digital Commerce Policy, Lockdown, Eid: Perfect storm for e-commerce?
As city markets remained closed during the strict phase lockdown that entered into force on the very first day of Ramadan, as well as the Bengali New Year on April 14, buyers started moving to online shopping to purchase different items ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest festival for Muslims.
The business insiders said their sales have immensely boosted thanks to the covid-19 pandemic across the country. Even rural people also move here due to easy accesses and offer prices in different products including essential commodities, home appliances and apparel items.
They also sought the government’s support for the facilitation of uninterrupted e-commerce services throughout the country.
According to the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB), the sales of products through the digital platforms went up 70 percent year-on-year in 2020 thanks to the pandemic. More than 160,000 deliveries are made in a single day in the country.
Read Online shopping boomed but many falling prey to fraudsters
General Secretary of e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) Abdul Wahed Tomal said they have around 1,500 members. Consumers purchased around Tk 3,000 crore worth of commodities for their daily necessities in the last eight months of 2020.
“A new dimension has been created in the online business in Bangladesh following the pandemic. Though people can’t purchase desirable products ahead of Eid in festive mode as their income came down,” he also told UNB.
Tomal added that a good number of entrepreneurs has been created in the last one year, as many youths couldn’t join in jobs and many had been laid off.
“There are now around 500,000 (5 lakh) Facebook entrepreneurs here. Rural based many entrepreneurs have also made thanks to digital advancement. However, buyers are now uncertain following the lockdown whether the markets will be opened or not ahead of Eid,” he said.
Read Potential of e-commerce hemmed in by bottlenecks
He also said consumers are now purchasing essential commodities and Iftar items from online platforms. They will start to buy the Eid products from next week. Actually people are not now in festive mode to purchase products to enjoy. They also avoided buying Pahela Baishakh items. A rash of buying of products will begin soon.
“Though we get some fraud related allegations from consumers. But we are dealing with the government and traders to resolve the problems,” Tomal added.
Managing Director and CEO of E-valy.com Limited Mohammad Rassel said online shopping is getting popular in Bangladesh day by day. “Our order volume has got higher than earlier. It’s almost twice the previous year. We can’t reveal the exact order number. But in particular products, orders get higher in lockdown period than normal days. Now almost 40% orders are being generated out of Dhaka city. The number was around 20% before pandemic,” he added.
Rassel said they are getting higher orders related to Eid products including fashion items. “For delivery, we have a target to deliver them as soon as possible after successful order placement. We are delivering our products within 2 days. In some cases, it might take some extra time. Whatever, we have been working to deliver Eid products before the Eid,” he also added.
Read 'E-commerce market will be $3 billion big by 2023'
The E-valy chief said during lockdown, the main problem is to source products and deliver them at customers’ doorstep. Because maximum shops are shut and delivery service providers are often challenged by law enforcement agencies. So it is a big challenge now.
“The government is doing great for the boosting of e-commerce industry. We appreciate that they have already recognised this sector. In addition to that government is coming up with a law very soon. We hope that such law will bring benefits for e-commerce platforms, sellers and customers and mostly to the entire industry,” he added.
Talking to UNB, Shayantani Twisha, head of PR, media and communications at Daraz Bangladesh Limited said on a year-to-year basis, the order numbers have always increased exponentially. But in the last year of the pandemic, they have witnessed a new segment of people migrating to the e-commerce platform, leading to Daraz having 3-times more orders than the corresponding previous period in 2020.
“Eid has always been a festive season for us, one which promises a lot of shopping! Even amidst the strict lockdowns, we are going to deliver products within the promised delivery timeline, to any corner of the country,” she added.
Read Boom in e-shopping ahead of Eid - United News of Bangladesh
Asked to identify some bottlenecks in Covid times, Twisha said they have to face "specific area wise lockdowns" imposed by local residents. "Also, during the lockdown, some aspect of the supply chain gets disrupted for which it gets difficult to deliver within the timeline," she also added.
Sakina Begum, a resident of Maniknagar said she purchased different products including daily essentials from online shopping in the pandemic period. “Though, I have to wait for long days to get the products after ordering, I don’t have to leave home, that’s my benefit,” she added.
The Vice President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) SM Nazer Hossain said the sector is rising potentially in Bangladesh but consumers are suffering too.
“We receive huge allegations from consumers. Of them, 80 percent allegations come from e-commerce platforms. After getting the allegations, we call the number but get off. Actually they fraud with consumers in various ways,” he added.
Read Coronavirus bites into online Eid shopping
Nazer said many customers turn away from e-commerce due to hassle by the cheaters. It should be stopped. “More women and silent consumers are harassed more as they don’t want to share the matter with others. So fair business must be ensured to flourish it,” he also added.
He urged e-CAB to cancel members who defraud customers. And the government has to play a significant role to this end.
The Senior Secretary of Commerce Ministry Dr Jafar Uddin said they have already formed a digital commerce cell to implement the digital commerce policy.
“The final work of ‘digital commerce operation guidelines-2021’ is going on. We think to include the entrepreneurs of social media commerce in the guideline. The ministry took various initiatives to boost the sector,” he informed.
Read Bangladesh achieved commendable success in e-commerce
F-commerce entrepreneurs rising significantly: Palak
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Sunday said the participation of young entrepreneurs in F-commerce (Facebook commerce) is on the rise significantly.
“At least 400,000 new entrepreneurs are engaged in F-commerce. Bangladesh Bank is going to arrange small loans at 4 percent interest for the entrepreneurs who are engaged in F-commerce and Startup business,” he said at a virtual conference.
Also read: Govt planning to formulate data privacy protection law: Palak
The e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) arranged the virtual conference on Rural to Global E-commerce Policy Conference. LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Tazul Islam inaugurated the event.
Palak also highlighted different initiatives taken by the government for e-commerce and its entrepreneurs in the first session of the conference.
The LGRD minister said people are choosing e-commerce to sell and purchase goods, from food to luxurious products. “Though it (e-commerce) began small, now a sort of dependency (on e-commerce) has been created,” he said.
Also read: Palak unveils software to bridge jobseekers with disabilities ...
Addressing the function, Senior Secretary of Commerce Ministry Dr Jafar Uddin said the commerce ministry has formed a digital commerce cell to implement the digital commerce policy.
“The work is on to finalise the digital commerce operation guidelines 2021. We keep the matter of inclusion of social media commerce entrepreneurs in the guideline under the consideration of the Commerce Ministry,” he said.
Chief executive officer of Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) Obaidul Azam, deputy governor of Bangladesh Abu Farah Md Nasser and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Syed Almas Kabir, among others, spoke at the conference presided over by e-CAB president Shomi Kaiser, said a press release.
Read Startup Bangladesh Ltd to invest Tk 100 crore for 50 startups marking birth centennial of Bangabandhu and Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh
Huawei brings financial aid, free service for Asia-Pacific SMEs
Global ICT infrastructure and smart devices provider Huawei has launched "SME Support Program" with ecosystem partners in the Asia-Pacific to deliver more technical support for economic recovery amid the pandemic.
Each eligible Small and medium enterprise (SME) applicant could receive coupons worth up to $3,000 and free professional consulting service including cutting-edge cloud solutions for a variety of industry scenarios including financial service, education, e-commerce, gaming, IoT, application development, and enterprise applications.
SMEs that have an account on the Huawei Cloud official website but have never used any paid service could apply for the SME Support Program page and receive consultation from cloud experts.
Also read: Huawei posts 3.8% growth in 2020
Applications will be reviewed based on the company's cloud needs and the readiness of workloads for cloud deployment. This programme will continue until December 31 this year.
SMEs are the engines of growth and innovation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) region. They account for over 97% of all business and employ over half of the workforce across Apec economies.
They contribute significantly to economic growth with their share of total economic output ranging from 40-60% in most economies of the region, according to Apec.
Also read: Technology can be engine for human progress: Huawei’s Senior Vice President
The pandemic has forced businesses to accelerate their digital transformation and move to the cloud one to three years ahead of schedule.
"Huawei Cloud is now working with over 19,000 partners and 1.6 million developers and is committed to strengthening the digital economy to support a sustainable economic recovery. It offers over 220 services in categories such as storage, network, security, big data, AI, and IoT," read a press release.
Read Huawei joints with BUET to make ICT talent ecosystem in country
Best Online Book Selling Websites in Bangladesh
Who doesn’t love to buy books from book fairs or even from a bookstore? But, due to multifarious responsibilities of family and career in hectic urban life many of us cannot manage time. Heavy traffic jam is another barrier for city residents to visit bookstores physically. If you are a booklover, no one can stop you from buying books in alternative ways. Buying books online is the only alternative way to avoid buying from a bookfair or bookstore. Therefore, we have listed the best online book-selling websites in Bangladesh.
Top eCommerce Book Sites in Bangladesh
Rokomari
Rokomari is the pioneer of online bookselling in Bangladesh. Established in 2012, Rokomari has become a leading online book-selling store. They have the largest collection of books from home and abroad.
You can buy books within a few clicks from your computer or from the phone. They have mobile apps for both Android and iOS.
The ordering process is very simple. You can just select your book, provide your delivery address, then select the payment methods. Rokomari offers cash on delivery as well as online payment. Once you confirm your order, they will send the books to your doorsteps within a few days with a delivery charge of Tk. 30 or even the next day if you select express delivery for 100 taka.
You may also return the books you bought within three days if you don’t like them. Rokomari has a wide category of books such as fiction to nonfiction, religion to history, children to adult, local to international, and so on. Some books also come in ebook format. However, you can also send books as a gift to your friends or family or the dearest ones.
Read Books VS Kindle: Which Is Better For You?
Daraz
Although Daraz is an e-commerce website popular for everyday lifestyle products, they have a notable collection of books. Currently, Daraz has more than 60,000 books from local and online publishers. It offers books from history, literature, fiction, nonfiction, religion, science, and more.
However, Daraz sells 100% genuine books. Therefore, you may not find the pirated books. The ordering process requires you to select the books first, then they will ask you the address you intend to send, and they confirm the order. You will get your books delivered within 3-10 days with the 7-day return policy.
The payment method is online via digital wallets or credit/ debit cards, and cash on delivery is also available.
Read more: How to Make Money with Amazon Kindle Publishing: A Step by Step Guide
BoiBazar.com
BoiBazar has a vast online book inventory. They claimed to have millions of brand-new books as well as out-of-print old books. Usually, BoiBazar offers books from thousands of booksellers across the country.
Apart from offering books from different categories, they also offer academic books as well as stationery products.
The best thing about BoiBazar is they can even provide you with books from the 15th century. However, it is not firm that you will get those old books, but they try to search them for you. You can order online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Like other online bookselling stores, BoiBazar also offers the same delivery process with the online payment and cash-on-delivery option.
Read more: Who was the world’s first named author?
BookShopBd.com
BookShopBD is an excellent choice for academic books. You can get any kind of academic books from Bangla medial or A levels, from textbooks to question papers, from engineering to medicals.
Anyone can order the book from anywhere in Bangladesh for just 50 taka. Besides the academic books, it offers novels, literature, and other books. They offer one-day delivery inside the cities. The payment method includes bKash and cash on delivery. However, they do not offer credit or debit card payments.
Read more: Benefits of Reading Habit for Mind and Body
BoiBoiBoi
BoiBoiBoi is an online academic bookstore for the English medium students for Cambridge and Edexcel Curriculum. Besides, you can also buy storybooks from their 25000+ book collections.
Nevertheless, BoiBoiBoi offers stationery items for the Chittagong buyers only. The best thing about BoiBoiBoi.com is they offer free delivery for Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, and Sylhet city area for orders over 1000tk. They claim to offer the books at the lowest price.
You can order the book via their website as well as a Facebook page. Cash on delivery and prepayment is available.
Read more: Tracing the Roots of Ekushey Boi Mela
Wafilife
Wafilife offers only Islamic books online. You can buy Holy Quaran, Hadith books, Muslim history, and other related Islamic for children and adults. Besides, the Islamic books Wafilife also sells toys for the kids.
They also offer promotions from time to time, for example. Currently, Wafilife offers free premium bookmarks for orders of Tk. 499+.
The ordering process is simple, like other online bookstores in Bangladesh. You may choose home delivery or pick up from their physical shop. Once your order is done, Wafilife will call you for further confirmation and process the order. Currently, they offer bKash and cash on delivery only.
Read more: Some Popular Bookstore and Reading Cafes in Dhaka
Eboighar.com
Eboighar is another online hub for academic books, especially for the medical, BCS, and IELTS/ Toefl.
Besides, they also sell Islamic books, medical tools, and stationery items. However, they also sell a limited number of fiction and nonfiction and novels too.
Eboighar ships the ordered books in 1-3 business days for just 60 BDT in Dhaka city. They also deliver all over Bangladesh within 2-5 working days for 100 taka. The payment process is cash on delivery and bKash.
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BookHouseBD.com
BookHouseBD started its operation with the aim to provide a wide range of books from Bangladesh and abroad. It offers children books, law, competitive exams, university, medical and other books.
With the 50-taka shipping fee, you can order any kind of book at a discounted price. BookHouseBD doesn’t offer cash on delivery now. Instead, you can pay online via bKash, Rocket, Visa, and MasterCard.
Conclusion
Bangladesh has been becoming digitalized day by day. As a result, people become more used to online shopping, and buying books online is not indifferent. If you wish to experience hassle-free buying books online, you can choose any of the websites we have mentioned above.
Read 7 best books on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Zero Investment Business Ideas to Try Amidst the Pandemic
Business requires investment. But due to the multifarious effect of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, it is difficult for many people to start a business with huge investments. What if you want to save money and simultaneously want to start a new business? Interestingly! some business ideas require creativity and exclusive ideas rather than lump sum money! Here are a few zero investment business ideas to try amidst the pandemic.
Low investment business ideas
Starting a Dropshipping Store
E-commerce hasn’t seen a surge quite like 2020 as the pandemic has forced many at home. With many retail outlets shut and lockdowns becoming routine in some parts of the world, the online platform was the immediate option for shoppers globally, while delivery services were working overtime.
Dropshipping is a business model that resembles e-commerce, but the goal is to be a third-party distributor that coordinates with suppliers, locally or globally. When supplied to your e-store, customers can enjoy your catalogue of products with an altered price based on your targeted figure.
Read Work from Home, Earn and Be Your Own Boss
Without any investment, this becomes a solid way to serve as a platform for affordable goods and experiment the demand for certain products within your demographic. Committing to a small portion for a couple of months is a safe start and feeling your audiences from there would give you a better indication of which suppliers are better suited to your needs.
Committing to a niche range of products in a specific market has its pros and cons: One of the biggest pros would be reducing your competitors, establishing a better organized network of suppliers and a better understanding of your customers. The cons would be its toll on your company’s branding during the early phase, being overshadowed by newer trends and unprecedented costs as suppliers change prices.
Read How to Earn Money from Instagram
Design and Sell Printed Merchandise
Kind of dropshipping, but headed towards a niche. Websites like Redbubble and Society 6 offer brandless products such as bags, mugs, t-shirts and much more to consumers - strictly online. But the twist is that these companies collaborate with artists from all over the world who want to showcase their art pieces on a commercial scale. The term is Print On Demand (POD) and designers who successfully sell their pieces online receive a cut from each sale, giving consumers the flexibility to be the selling party as well.
Also Read: Bangladesh achieved commendable success in e-commerce during pandemic
Designs do not necessarily have to equate to art; logos, doodles and even texts can make their mark as the next big thing on your platform, while you get to keep at 70% to 90% margin. If you choose to go down this path, getting suppliers of your brandless products becomes easier and harder at the same time. Easier because you can go for the absolute cheapest products in the market as its quality is superseded by the print on them.
It gets harder reading the market and knowing the print industry, as certain products will be in demand that you might have missed out on, or certain products that have already been procured may translate print poorly. To commit to this field also means incentivising artists to upload their work on your platform, rather than your competitors - which is where assessing your costs and risks delicately becomes incredibly important.
Read How to Earn Money from YouTube Channel
Sell For a Charitable Cause
This is where product sales can start to go offline if retail restrictions are not hindered in your area.
Regardless of what you sell, the marketing strategy is to highlight the cause of each purchase and how much of the money will go to a charitable organization. Collaborating with various charities is a good way to raise awareness for the specific field - where your company becomes a bridge for charities and the average consumer, while still getting to make a profit. Much like the design idea, a cut of each sale will go to your partner and making 100% of the sales is something to avoid expecting when getting into this area of business.
Read Quarantine Income Opportunities: How to Earn Money during Lockdown Period?
The most important strategy to get started on this business model is to find a charity that truly resonates with you. Whether it is the elderly, students who can’t afford an education or abuse victims, finding “your calling” is the key to making the entire business process seamless and even exciting.
Believing in a cause and spending some time with the charities before approaching the marketing and sales angle will give you more insight into ways the profit can actually help the organizations. Consumers love to be informed and giving a cost breakdown with testimonials added to the mix can make all the difference in the success of your business.
Read Best Personal Loans in Bangladesh to Make Your Dream Come True
Sell Digital Services
The online world is vast; so vast that your options to start up a digital service are almost endless. A mix of software knowledge, understanding of the market trends and creativity are all needed to pull this off.
Although it may seem intimidating at first, the large pluses stem from not needing to coordinate with suppliers, distributors, manufacturing and shipping. Providing an online service doesn't have to be a radically new idea that revolutionises the commercial market; it can also be a massive improvement on a digital platform that already exists.
Also Read: How to Earn Money from Facebook
Whether it is photo editing, project management, fitness scheduling or even music editing - the key is to find the niche that best suits your talents and interests, then set up from there. A user-friendly interface can be considered as the meat and potatoes of your selling point to begin with.
Notice certain companies making stellar business models on desktops that poorly translate mobile? Your digital service can take advantage of this and provide consumers with hassle-free solutions. Innovation doesn’t come easy, but market statistics have never been more transparent, which allows you to identify gaps in certain\ industries that will let you make your mark seamlessly.
Read How to Create a Personal Website on WordPress.
Bottom Line
The pandemic has turned a lot of businesses over on their heads; with certain industries taking the brunt of the global economic downturn, while other unassuming businesses rising to demand spikes globally. Pay cuts and layoffs have made the economy an intimidating place for new businesses to strive while struggling workers turn their attention to more cost-effective fields to make ends meet. In this article, we have discussed some low investment business ideas that you can try during the pandemic situation. Pick the idea that suits most your interest, passion, and creativity. Hope it helps!
Read F-commerce entrepreneurs rising significantly: Palak
Paperfly to deliver authentic beauty products of Shajgoj all over Bangladesh
Paperfly, a home delivery service network in Bangladesh, has signed an agreement with an E-commerce platform Shajgoj to deliver its beauty products all over Bangladesh
Shajgoj has been selling authentic beauty products of different national and international brands.
From now on, Paperfly, with their strongest delivery network in Bangladesh, will be responsible for delivering all of these products to the doorsteps of the customers.
Also read: Paperfly celebrates 5-year of excellence
Shajgoj’s Chief Operations officer Milky Mahmud and from Paperfly Reaz Uddin Khan, General Manager, Sale, and Md Sazzadul Islam Fahmy, General Manager, Sales signed the agreement in this regard, said a news release from Paperfly.
Shajgoj’s head of CRM & Retail Operations-Azmeeri Binte Rezaq, Senior Executive Accounts Apurba Mondol, and Paperfly’s assistant managers Oli-Ur-Reza and Maksuda Akter Tonny -were, among others, present on the occasion.
Read Fair Mart picks Paperfly as a nationwide delivery partner
Starting from hair products, personal care products, and skincare products to make up one, Shajgoj has all types of beauty products. Brands like Ponds, Neutrogena, Tresseme, Body shop, and much more are available on their website.
Founded in 2016, Paperfly is the homegrown leading logistic solution provider in Bangladesh. Over the past 5 years, the company has introduced smart return, smart check, smart log, in-app call, and cashless pay features. They have also introduced the revolutionary 1-hour merchant payment for the Facebook Merchants on their SellerOne package recently.
Read: India’s Ecom Express invests Tk 100cr in Bangladesh’s Paperfly