As digital payments become the new normal, everywhere we turn, from sleek cafés to clothing stores, we see QR codes are being scanned. For many, this shift is a symbol of progress and convenience. But outside urban hubs and air-conditioned malls, the picture is far less rosy.
In the narrow alleys of small towns and city corners, cash still reigns, not by preference, but because countless small businesses have been quietly left behind in the digital payment race.
Take, for instance, the neighbourhood cobbler who repairs shoes and sells laces. When I asked if he accepted bKash, he gave a shy smile and replied, "Beti, I don't even have a smartphone." A woman who runs a home-based food business told me she abandoned digital payments after one customer falsely claimed to have "sent the money" and never paid.
These are not isolated incidents. They represent the lived reality of many small entrepreneurs, people who work long hours, serve their communities, and manage tight budgets, but who lack the tools, support, or digital literacy to join this new economy.
While large businesses receive support to digitise, small vendors are expected to catch up on their own. Some don't trust the technology; others fear fraud or lack a stable internet connection. Many simply don't have the confidence to ask a young customer how to scan a code.
A cashless economy may be the future, but it must be inclusive. This doesn't require another flashy app or marketing campaign. What's needed is basic training in local languages, trust-building initiatives, and practical support to make digital tools truly accessible and affordable.
Progress is only meaningful when it lifts everyone. If small businesses, the very backbone of our local economies, are left behind, then what we call "progress" is merely another form of exclusion.
Bangladesh has a real chance to build an inclusive digital economy. But for that to happen, we must ensure that the men and women running roadside stalls, home kitchens and tiny shops are taken on board.
Anika Rumman
Student, North South University
anika.rumman.232@northsouth.edu
