Special committee formed to examine PayPal launch in Bangladesh

The government has formed a special committee to examine what is needed to launch PayPal in Bangladesh, according to a gazette notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on 2 March.

The committee will be chaired by Rehan Asif Asad, adviser to the ministry of posts, telecommunications and information technology. Its members include the chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, the governor of Bangladesh Bank, the secretary of the finance division, the chairman of the National Board of Revenue, and the secretary of the information and communication technology division, who will serve as member secretary.

According to the notification, one of the committee’s main responsibilities is to take effective steps to facilitate the start of PayPal’s operations in Bangladesh. PayPal, one of the world’s largest online payment platforms, is widely used for cross-border transactions, particularly by freelancers.

The committee has also been tasked with improving the management of high-tech and software parks and ICT centres across the country. It will also work on policies aimed at providing affordable workspaces for freelancers and technology professionals.

Another part of its mandate is to promote ICT training programmes to help build a skilled workforce for the technology sector. The notification also says the committee may co-opt additional members if needed.

For years, freelancers and technology entrepreneurs in Bangladesh have called for access to global payment services such as PayPal, arguing that it would make international transactions easier and help connect the country’s growing digital workforce more closely with the global economy.

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