Grameenphone, Ferratum Group – a European Fintech with full EU banking license, and Srijony Foundation have entered into a partnership to create a bridge between the world of the digital network and the rural population of Bangladesh.
A vast majority of the population in Bangladesh, especially women, are deprived of the innumerable benefits of the digital world. Since November 2019, this program has been educating the rural population, mostly the women, about the benefits of smartphones. Through this program, Srijony and Ferratum Group are offering affordable microloans to purchase smartphones while Grameenphone is offering free 20GB internet for 6 months after purchasing a bundle offer.
An inauguration ceremony was organized on December 8, at Grameenphone Innovation lab. Honorable parliamentary standing committee chairman on Women & Children Affairs Meher Afroze, MP was present as the Chief Guest along with Grameenphone Deputy CEO and CMO Yasir Azman, Product Head A. E. M. Saidur Rahman, Device Head Sarder Showkat Ali, Head of External Communications Md Hasan.
Meher Afroze said, “The core of Digital Bangladesh is to ensure digital inclusion of every citizen of Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh has been instrumental in developing the required infrastructure for a fully digitized country. 6 out of 10 people are now using the internet in Bangladesh. Now we need to focus on the remaining 4, who live in rural areas mostly. I believe the initiative by Grameenphone, Ferratum Group and Srijony will play a vital role in the digital inclusion of the remaining population.”
“In the era of Digital Bangladesh, this kind of initiative can enable us to take the modern urban facilities to the remote regions of rural Bangladesh,” said Yasir Azman, Deputy CEO of Grameenphone.
Dr. M. Harun or Rashid, Founder and Chief Executive of Srijony Foundation commented: “In Bangladesh, the poor have been denied access to the traditional banking system, they have few opportunities to save, borrow or invest. Srijony believes that giving access to credit more broadly, which can be invested in productive activity & financing for devices can be one of them to fulfill the goal of ‘Digital Bangladesh’. This partnership will create easy and direct access to the information for disadvantaged, underprivileged and low-income group people in relation to expedite the agro-based economic issues and other life-centered issues related to poverty”.
Rashedul Hasan Stalin, General Manager and K. M. Rezwan Shakil, Lead Specialist Product and Project Manager of Device Financing, shared the learnings and vision of this special initiative. Among others, Ferratum group directors and MD of Srijony Bangladesh also shared their views.
