E-commerce in Bangladesh: Exploring the Challenges and Prospects of Online Shopping amid the Pandemic

 Journal of Governance and Development, 1 (3), 71-91. https://zenodo.org/records/11519513

E-commerce in Bangladesh: Exploring the Challenges and Prospects of Online Shopping amid the Pandemic

Tanjil Ahmed*

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been raised as a new concern in the world, which poses several uncertainties in every aspect of human life. In particular, it has drastically affected the business and economic sectors around the world. Due to the pandemic, people have changed their purchasing behavior from the traditional concept. The principal aim of this study was to explore people's perceptions of using online shopping during the pandemic. This study has also investigated the major challenges and prospects of online shopping during the pandemic. The study was conducted using a quantitative approach. Following stratified random sampling, a total of 320 people participated in the cross-sectional survey that used online shopping during the pandemic. The findings reveal that Bangladesh has provided a favorable atmosphere to carry out e-commerce activities, whereas 55% took advantage of e-commerce, 90% of the respondents had a device at their disposal to access online shopping, 68% had a stable internet connection, and 41% were satisfied with the quality of online shopping services. In contrast, some challenges were also identified, including that 82.5% of respondents faced the dilemma of using unreliable online platforms, 60% faced fraudulent activities, 68.75% faced payment complexity, and 72% faced high internet costs. The study findings suggest that the government and concerned authorities (the Ministry of Commerce) should adopt new technologies, build digital infrastructure, ensure logistics capabilities, establish reliable e-commerce platforms, ensure high-speed internet access, and build a collaborative relationship with stakeholders to address the issues of online shopping in Bangladesh. However, future research may focus on facilitating the growth and resilience of the e-commerce sector while leveraging emerging opportunities in a post-pandemic landscape.

Key Words: COVID-19 Pandemic, E-Commerce, Online Shopping, People’s Perception, Challenges, Prospects, Bangladesh 

*Tanjil Ahmed, is an Assistant Professor at, the Department of Public Administration and Governance Studies, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Mymensingh, email:tanjilahmedtaj@gmail.com To read the full article, please click here