He started his career with CityCell, the first mobile operator of Bangladesh in 2014 after graduating from the Islamic University of Technology (OIC) in Electricity and Electrical Engineering. Joined Banglalink after a year of service. Meanwhile, he completed MBA from IBA of Dhaka University. He has also got his certification from London Business School. And in 2008, he moved to Egypt from Bangladesh at the head office of Orascom Telecom Holdings, the owner of Banglalink. After that, he came back home in 2012 after serving in top positions in top telecoms in Italy, Algeria and Lebanon. Then took charge as Head of Quality and Service of Banglalink Digital Communications. From there, Khondoker Tasfin Alam has been serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of e-commerce giant Daraz Bangladesh since 2018. Joined as Executive Committee Director of E-Commerce Bangladesh- e-CAB. Imdadul Haq, Executive Editor of DigiBanglatech.News talked to him about how he sees the fast-growing e-commerce sector from telecom, what is the future or why the e-commerce sector is stumbling.
DigibanglaTech: How is our e-commerce sector doing?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: The industry is doing well. New sellers are being added all the time. Converting from offline to online. We are getting new customers. Various MFS and food, rideshares are all constantly increasing their customer base. This is certainly a matter of hope. Besides, cash on delivery is also turning into cashless delivery. COD to cashless delivery has increased by 10-15 percent in the last one year. Even so, 60 percent still occur in COD. These types of transactions are more common in Facebook-based businesses. The big reason behind this is that there was a big scam last 2-3 years ago. Still the consumer trust is on cash on delivery. However, they are still comfortable with COD. Although, we once hoped that we could make more than 80 percent of transactions cashless. From there we may still be a bit behind our expectations. But since we are now in the trust building phase, the number is not bad.
DigiBanglaTech: Where is our position in the global context?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: Bangladesh is not behind in any way compared to the subcontinent. From the experience of operation of Daraz in 5 other countries, I can say that the condition of Bangladesh is very good. At least in South Asia. Year on year, we are seeing 100% growth in Daraz. This number does not apply to the entire industry. Since Daraz is the biggest market player in Bangladesh, the year-on-year growth is well in line with the world. But there is more to go. Because, even though we say internet penetration is increasing; But there is still a gap in 4G penetration. However, as a technology platform, e-commerce already correlates the customer experience with the Internet. Similarly, many of us still lack technical training. So, the more digital divide we reduce, the more sellers we can get onboard. Mostly, young or below middle age people are our customers. Apart from that there is a large part, who are school going; Still not earning, they are more tech savvy. So, when they enter the job market; As their buying capacity increases, this growth will increase by 2-3 times. Still, the contribution of ecommerce to the total economy is below two percent. The industry will not play a significant role until it exceeds 5 percent. All in all, the days ahead are very promising. Although, still in early growth stage.
DigibanglaTech: Are we able to maintain the momentum of the e-commerce sector after the COVID 19 pandemic?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: Many service industries have grown amid Corona. New services have been introduced at that time. They are still providing continuous services. After Corona, when the global market slowed down a bit, not everyone went back offline. If there were three orders during peak hours, now there are two orders. New customers are being added again. So, the total order did not decline. Platforms are getting double orders compared to 2020-21, both from existing and new customers.
DigiBanglaTech: Is it possible to deal with the shock of e-commerce scams? How are you coping?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: After the scam, the industry slowly turned around. Common customers are of late realizing that e-commerce is not a discount sector but the only way to improve our quality of life and get our favorite products at home. All the platforms that are actually involved in the e-commerce model are still providing their services and the scam-based platforms are slowly disappearing. But still, everyone should be aware, so that the old scams can’t mislead common buyers again under new name or new guise.
DigibanglaTech: Do you think e-commerce can give 100% customer satisfaction?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: When an industry is in growth phase there are many learnings. Eco-systems take time to develop. E-commerce buyers mainly decide to buy by looking at the product image. Now if the picture is with model, photo shoot in different environment, it will look different due to lighting. Practically the customer is dissatisfied when he receives the product. Again, buying for 50 taka, the value of 5000 taka is expected. It falls short of expectations. Actually; If you think that online means discounts or offers, then you must understand that your expectations are lacking. Yes, there are various campaigns or offers from partners online. This is definitely temporary. But if you think that if you buy online, you will get 50 percent discount, then it is a problem of expectation. So, the sellers have to be self-motivated and convince the customers about the quality-grade and features of the product. Price vs. Quality should be ensured. ‘Transparency’ is the most important thing here. So, when the gap between needs and wants is removed as much as possible, the level of satisfaction will increase.
DigibanglaTech: To what extent have the challenges of the e-commerce sector been aligned with the vision of Smart Bangladesh?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: E-commerce is the biggest pillar of smart Bangladesh. In this case, the smartness is to achieve growth by increasing the productivity to a much greater extent through the use of technology. And now all those involved in e-commerce are habituated with smart technology. The benefits of smart Bangladesh are now being delivered to the people by e-commerce. There is no substitute for e-commerce in building a smart Bangladesh. And the gaps that exist will be mitigated over time. So, the more sellers transfer from offline to online; Customers will go cashless from COD – the more growth we will get. Ecosystem will develop. As the e-commerce sector grows, so will the logistics. As a by-product of establishing smart logistics, supply chain management will be smart. Then it will be able to make a big contribution to the economy.
DigibanglaTech: What role is the e-commerce sector playing in balancing the market volatility?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: This type of market problem is not mainly distribution; of sourcing. Producers will not be able to give e-commerce benefits if they syndicate. But in this case, the market can be balanced by eliminating middlemen by nursing the source. And for this distribution, digitization is needed. Need proper data. Only then can demand and supply be fixed. For this, the digital silos should be brought into a centralized format. Each pillar should be brought to a common platform. Only then will we get the benefits of Smart Bangladesh. For this, we have to create a bridge between the government and us. And this initiative should be taken by the government. The matter is still at the policy level.
DigibanglaTech: What do you think is the reason why local leadership or domestic initiatives are not successful in the e-commerce sector?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: The main reason is that this business is very capex centric. The biggest challenge here is that it is difficult to enter and survive in this market without having enough money to continue the business for at least 2-3 years. Because the market is not yet mature. The cost of bringing in new customers in a limited market is very high. Therefore, if you cannot survive for 7-8 years, you cannot do business in this sector. It is not just in Bangladesh; The picture is the same all over the world. So, entrepreneurs who are dealing with a particular sector are doing well. But selling in e-commerce does not mean profit. Technology and business innovation are key here. This is where many lag behind.
DigibanglaTech: Why did you choose e-commerce as a career? What needs to be done to establish the e-commerce sector as a profession?
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: My entire career was in telecom. I started my journey as a fresh engineer after graduation. I spent about 15 years there. After that, we come to e-commerce as the closest sector to technology. A new sector can contribute more if it joins at the beginning; I chose this career from this idea. And the future will be of e-commerce. It is the demand of the future. Now is the age of technology. So, I would advise the young people who are now undergraduates to practice technology skills especially digital marketing, AI as well as develop basic business and personal networking skills.
DigiBanglaTech: Thanks for taking the time during the busy year-ending period.
Khondoker Tasfin Alam: Thanks to you too. Happy New Year in advance to DigiBanglaTech readers and well-wishers.