Though COVID-19 has been a catastrophe for most segments of the global economy, it has aided the growth in few sectors such as digital finance and digital commerce. This blog highlights the impact of the pandemic on e-commerce and f-commerce in Bangladesh and how the FinTech industry can utilize this opportunity.

As part of the i3 Program in Bangladesh, we met Khushi, a micro-merchant in Khilgaon, Dhaka. Khushi’s story reflects the journey of more than 2 million micro-merchants who transitioned to a digital mode of payment and kept their businesses running during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the low- and moderate-income (LMI) segment had a direct impact on their day-to-day life. We reflect through Kabita, an LMI customer in Bangladesh, on the barriers LMIs faced during the pandemic and how DFS nudged them towards building resilience.