AFTER spending considerable time working within Bangladesh鈥檚 e-commerce industry, one thing has become abundantly clear: the sector remains far from realising its potential. There is vast room for development, but also a pressing need for learning and structural reform.
Many new entrants enter the industry with unrealistic expectations. They launch an apparel brand on a Monday, expect to be inundated with orders by Tuesday, and by Wednesday are met with a harsh reality that leads them to abandon the venture altogether by Thursday.
This problem is not simply one of impatience; it stems from a mindset shaped by misinformation and misplaced optimism. Across social media, hundreds of 鈥榤entorship鈥� groups and thousands of viral videos promise quick riches 鈥�101 ways to build a successful business鈥� or 鈥榟ow to make a million in five days.鈥� Some self-styled mentors even monetise this content, trapping newcomers in hollow promises of overnight success with minimal effort. As a result, countless aspiring entrepreneurs are stepping into the industry with a skewed perception of how business truly works.
In reality, running a successful e-commerce business involves far more than opening a Facebook page, uploading a few product photos and trying a few marketing gimmicks. Entrepreneurs need a clear understanding of their customer base, sound business and marketing knowledge, patience to build credibility and brand equity and a long-term strategy for growth.
Unfortunately, instead of foundational knowledge, most newcomers are fed 鈥榮hortcuts鈥� that rarely lead anywhere meaningful. This not only harms individual businesses but weakens the entire ecosystem, fuelling distrust and instability within the sector.
To prevent the industry from faltering before reaching its potential, a shift in mindset is essential. Those of us who hold influential positions in the sector must help reshape expectations and correct misinformation. E-commerce is not a lottery ticket; it is a business model. Success depends on strategy, consistency and resilience. If done right, it has the power to transform lives.
Bangladesh鈥檚 e-commerce scene has grown rapidly in recent years, but this growth has been fragile. Many ventures have collapsed because the industry remains poorly understood, and the backbone of the sector 鈥� small, independent sellers 鈥� are often left to navigate it alone. It is evident that e-commerce in Bangladesh is handicapped at the base. The gap between expectations and reality is simply too wide.
Countless students, home-based workers and small shop owners are trying to build their online businesses, but their daily operations are riddled with challenges. They struggle to manage products, orders and customer queries across multiple communication channels. Every day they face scams, fake orders and return fraud, with little to no platform-level protection. Many lack the digital literacy to run efficient marketing campaigns, often wasting money on poorly targeted ads and ineffective designs. They burn more cash than they earn. A Facebook page with a logo is not a business. A sales offer is not marketing. Generating revenue does not equate to building a brand.
The current industry narrative focuses on flashy user interfaces, fast delivery and discount offers, while sidelining the most critical element: the sellers themselves. What Bangladesh truly needs is not yet another marketplace, but a seller-centric ecosystem, one that nurtures entrepreneurs, solves operational problems, and simplifies processes so that anyone can run a business online without needing a full tech or marketing team.
The issue is not a lack of effort from sellers, but rather a mismatch between their needs and what the system provides. To bridge this gap, several changes are required. Sellers need training on core business functions: pricing strategies, branding, setting profit margins; not just how to boost Facebook posts. They need platforms that automate listings, pricing and product descriptions tailored to their customers. They need tools that centralise operations, reducing dependency on Messenger, Google Sheets and other fragmented solutions. Logistics networks must be rethought, with trusted delivery partners and real-time tracking across the country.
With these supports in place, sellers would be better equipped to run sustainable businesses, and customers would benefit from improved reliability and service.
E-commerce in Bangladesh represents far more than the digitisation of business operations. It is the story of countless hardworking individuals striving for economic freedom and to build their dreams. Yet the current system too often lets these aspirations down with empty promises and unreliable infrastructure.
To unlock the true potential of e-commerce as a driver of economic empowerment, we must look beyond superficial success stories and address the structural issues at the heart of the sector. Building sustainable systems, strengthening seller support and restoring consumer trust are not optional; they are essential. Only then can e-commerce in Bangladesh become what it was always meant to be: a genuine pathway to opportunity and empowerment.
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Fahmeed Anis is head of marketing at Zatiq Ltd.
