Assignment On Electronic Commerce

Topic: the future of Ecommerce in Bangladesh

Submitted To: Moktar Ali Course Teacher Department Of Marketing University Of Dhaka Submitted By: Afroza Ahmed Roll no: 94; Section: B BBA 12th Batch Department Of Marketing University Of Dhaka. Date of Submission: April 28, 2010

FUTURE OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE IN BANGLADESH

Now a days use of technology in each and every sector has been very common. In this era of globalization we can hardly find any sector operating without using technology. So there is no doubt and it is quite natural that business world will also use technology effectively as well as efficiently and take the greatest advantage which is offered by technology. Internet is one of the largest blessings of technology, which enables people from the distant parts or county to interact or communicate easily. It has made the whole globe a single village. A new horizon has been opened up for trade and commerce, namely electronic commerce (e-commerce) by none other than one and only internet. E-commerce entails the use of the Internet In the marketing, identification, payment and delivery of goods and services all are done by e-commerce using internet. This paper highlights the future of ecommerce and constraints to e-commerce development in Bangladesh. Here the challenges in implementing e-commerce in Bangladesh are discussed. Major legal, regulatory and institutional constraints to e-commerce are needed to be identified to make the implementation of E-commerce success. Specific policy changes aimed at bringing improvements to the legal and regulatory environment affecting e-commerce is another important issue. The advancement of technology is a continuous process. In recent age it has given birth to a digital age. Now the buyers and sellers both have much power because of the massive use of many powerful technology as well as internet. Most of the business todays are operating under the e-commerce criteria over digital networks. Internet connects the people with companies. It has provided easier ways to serve its customer in a superior way and build stronger customer relationship by creating value for customer. (Kotler, 2008:493)

To discover the future of e-commerce in Bangladesh, we must have a clear idea about what e-commerce is: DEFINITION OF E-COMMERCE: In a word e-commerce can be defined as performing business activity via internet or any other electronic network. Book defines Electronic commerce is an emerging concept that describes the process of buying and selling or exchange of product, service, and information via compute network including the internet.(Turban, 2004:04) From the definition above we can say that performing any type of business activity through internet is e-commerce. BENEFITS OF E-COMMERCE: There is some significant benefit of e-commerce to some particular people or parties. They are mentioned bellow: 1. E-commerce provides benefits to organizations. 2. E-commerce provides benefits to customers and 3. E-commerce provides benefits to the society.(Turban,2004: 14) CLASSIFICATIONS OF E-COMMERCE: E-commerces different dimensions can be categorized as the following five ways: 1. B2B (business to business) 2. B2C (business to customer) 3. C2C (consumer to consumer) 4. B2E (business to employee) 5. Location commerce Or L.C

CURRENT STATE OF E-COMMERCE IN BANGLADESH: In Bangladesh there is a limited application and use of B2C e-commerce .This field is not yet much developed in Bangladesh. There are many reasons behind it one simple reason is this country is not so developed and most of its citizens are poor and uneducated. It is quit natural that there are few customers who is willing and can shop in internet. It will take years to be developed this sector in bd. The telecommunication infrastructure any country affect the Internet services directly, cause it is largely depended on it. Telecommunication sector in Bangladesh is characterized by: 1. Poor level of penetration 2. High cost to access and 3. A lengthy waiting period The Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB) Is the one and only provider and enjoying monopoly in providing basic telephone connections. The private sectors are now involving in cellular phones and also working as Internet Service Providers (ISP) .It is very essential although easy and affordable access to Internet services, BTTBs pricing and regulatory strategy on ISPs are restrictive. Due to many reasons B2C e-commerce will not be able to be of much use in the near future in Bangladesh. The reasons are: 1. Low per capita income 2. A weak infrastructural and legal environment 3. Lack of trust between business and consumers. 4. Non-availability of international credit cards 5. Foreign currency remittance restrictions

6. Delays and informal payments at customs clearance. (http://www.jobsproject.org) The above reasons contribute greatly for the non operation of B2C e-commerce in Bangladesh. On the other hand, In Bangladesh B2B e-commerce is already in operation for years. Export sector has the great use of it. A major field of the use of e-commerce is ready made garments (RMG) sector. They use internet for searching potential buyer and supplier. There some local websites which provides facility of C2C e-commerce in Bangladesh. In those websites both the customer or buyer and seller can interact directly with each other. (http://www.jobsproject.org)

OPERATING SECTORS OF E-COMMERCE IN BANGLADESH: Currently there is some field where e-commerce is running successfully in Bangladesh. Although this sectors are operating in our country in very limited operations due to the lacks of adequate customer still it has many potentials to be pervasive. Anyway the sectors are: 1. Online banking 2. Hotel booking 3. Airline ticket booking 4. Ready made garment.( http://www.american.edu) 5. Oil and Gas Sector

MAJOR CONSTRAINTS TO E-COMMERCE: There are various constraints to e-commerce in particular in respect of Bangladesh. If we can overcome this barrier there is possibility that we can successfully implement and

operate e-commerce. So in order to make the future of e-commerce in Bangladesh prosperous we have to have careful watch on those. The constraints are: 1. Inadequate telephone connections in Bangladesh 2. There is no strong independent telecommunication sectors regulatory body 3. Lack of encryption law that precludes acceptance of digital signature. 4. There are no other options of Letter of Credit (L/C) to conduct international transactions. 5. Bangladesh does not issue international credit cards for cross border transactions. 6. Interest rate ceiling on export loans. (http://www.jobsproject.org) The status and performance of the telecommunications sector holds the control of entry, value, and the image of Internet services. Bangladesh is characterized by poor level of penetration (0.4 telephone for every 100 persons, Graph 1), high cost to access, $341 connection fees each telephone, one of the highest in the world, and a lengthy waiting period -- average waiting period for a new telephone connection varies from three months to ten years. Its very difficult o establishing a strong and independent regulatory body. Perfect framework can be of immense whereby volume, efficiency and accessibility of the telecom services can be enhanced.

FUTURE IN BANGLADESH: As todays business activities are no longer confined within the boundary of its won country, company should adopt new technology in order to cope up with current situations. Now a days click only company is much more popular. It refers to company who sales only its product on internet. The emerging popularity of such company has encouraged other brick and mortar companies to adapt to the new technology to remain competitive in the field. In the developed countries there is

hardly any company which to some extend does not use technology. In Bangladesh the situation is different. Bangladeshi firms which operate locally do not use internet generally. In Bangladesh most of the application of e-commerce is for export business. Export oriented companies use this facility to contract customer. If the firm can not use this facility it will fail to remain competitive in the industry. Since Bangladesh is an underdeveloped country, there is a little possibility of prosperity of e-commerce in Bangladesh. As the per capita income of our country is low, only few customers can afford to use internet as well as order and purchase on internet. Our infrastructure is so undeveloped and does not have the ability to support the whole country with such facility. We all know that poverty is a curse. But no on can deny the fact that this curse is surrounding us from all sides. In our country the literacy rate is only 53% (UNICEF, 1999) and almost half the population lives below the poverty line. Most people still remain unaware of consumer protection or consumer vigilance concept The use of internet or e-commerce to be successful in Bangladesh largely depends up to the philosophy of businessman. Its operation will be only successful when the business man believes that its less costly, efficient, convenient, effective, faster and competitive. In fact its not sufficient only believe of the businessman. In reality it must be profitable. But in Bangladesh there are some conservative businessman who is not willing to change their current venture style. Some people believe that use of internet will reduce the employment rate, as result per capita income will fall and national economy will on crisis. Some also think that using internet or e-commerce is an expensive venture which can not be afforded.

The future of e-commerce in Bangladesh may be prosperous. Because day by day the literacy rate of our country is increasing. Todays young generation is being inclined to technology more and more. They are very interested to discover any new technological

offering and advantages. Although ours is poor country majorities of our educated people today has a personal computer and have access to the internet. Companies are also becoming more and more technology oriented. To remain competitive in the industry, to sustain in this competitive age of globalization it is must to use internet to get updated information about market changes, opportunities and threats.

Now in Bangladesh there are many multinational companies operating with successful operation. As they are multinational they have there own intranet service as well as strong communication network of internet in the field of education will also notice that the knowledge of computer is also a mandatory to know. In Bangladesh we can see now that from the very beginning level of school the computer is being taught how to operate. There are different types of compulsory subject on computer in different stages of education. In our country most of the internet users are the students, teachers, employees, employers, researchers and all classes of educated people. Almost all educated person has access to the internet now a days. it is not at all a matter of being surprised that not only the professional but also the housewives are also using computer and internet.

This kind of inter users group are mainly the ultimate potential customers of all product offered by e-commerce. As a result in spite of having poor and deprived population there are lots of people who are blessed with all the resources, facilities and luxuries of the society in order to enjoy superior facility provided by the new world. These classes of people may make the future of e-commerce bright and a profitable venture in Bangladesh. If we try to dream about making the future of e-commerce successful we have to increase the use of internet and develop a favorable environment. E commerce has great potential future in Bangladesh. So the govt. should be favorable with their legal restriction and take necessary steps to make the country infrastructural

developed and eligible with favorable environment for all operation of ecommerce successfully. Without the help of govt. this is not possible o make the operation of it successful in Bangladesh. It is a matter of the very much delightment for us that our current govt. has taken a project to make the country fully digital. If this dreams our prim minister Sheikh Hasina comes true then it is not needed to say that there would be no alternative of implementing e commerce in all possible sector of business.

RECOMMENTATION: To make ecommerce successful in our country we need the help of all aspect of people as well as govt. and business industry to cope up or overcome the following limitations: 1. access to computer of household should be increased 2. the cost of using internet should be affordable to general people 3. user of software should be more simple for the easier use 4. Its use should be made as easy as TV and newspaper so that it require unsophisticated skill. 5. The ecommerce should be more attractive to user in order to offset the limitation of lack of experience of meeting directly with merchant and customer. Laudon,2008,p:63

LIST OF REFFERENCE: Century the Next Challenges, October, Dhaka. Goldstein, Andrea and OConnor, David. Undated. E-commerce for Development: Prospects and Policy Issues, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Laudon C. K. , Traver C.G.,Ecommerce (4th edition), India, Sanal Printer Hossain, Najmul, 1994. Export Prospects of the Electronics Industry in Bangladesh, http://www.jobsproject.org/content/publication/E-Commerce_in_Bangladesh_status.pdf http://www1.american.edu/carmel/ap1579a/ecom.htm Kotler P., Marketing Management,12th edition, USA,Prentice Hall PricewaterhouseCoopers, 1999. Bangladesh Telecommunication Sector Reform Project, Dhaka PricewaterhouseCoopers, 1999. Bangladesh Telecommunication Sector Reform Project, Dhaka The Asia Foundation, 2000. Bangladesh Export-Apparel Industry: Into the 21st The World Bank Residence Mission, Bangladesh. Turban, 2004:04 UNICEF, 1999. Progotir Pathey: Achieving the Goals for Children in Bangladesh, Dhaka