Luna Shamsuddoha passes away
Luna Shamsuddoha, a leading software entrepreneur in the country, passed away at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore yesterday.
The 67-year-old entrepreneur was receiving treatment for cancer at the hospital.
Her elder brother Zulfiquar Rahman confirmed it to The Daily Star.
Luna was the chairperson of Dohatec New Media, a leading IT, and software company.
According to Zulfiquar, Luna was supposed to start her treatment yesterday but she died because of a massive heart attack.
The body of the reputed IT and software entrepreneur Luna would be flown back to Dhaka either today or tomorrow, after completion of some procedures, he said.
Luna died around 10:30am in Singaporean time and she left behind a daughter and husband, he said.
Besides being a brilliant entrepreneur, Luna was a director of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).
For her sound knowledge of finance and economics, she was also appointed as the first female chairperson of the state-owned Janata Bank Limited in 2018.
Before joining the bank, she had served the bank as a member of the board since 2016.
She was also a board member of state-owned Agrani Bank between 2009 and 2012.
Luna was the founder president of Bangladesh Women in Technology (BWIT).
She was also a board member of SME Foundation, Member of Council Global Thought Leaders on Inclusive Growth, Global Advisory Council & Strategic Partner of Thinkthrough Consulting (TTC) India.
She was a Trustee of Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) and Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs (UCEP) Bangladesh.
Her software company Dohatec was involved in the development of a voter enrolment solution in 2007-2008.
The firm developed several e-governance projects and the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system that ensures transparency of government procurement.
Because of her extraordinary contribution to particular fields, she received multiple awards. Among those, she received The Daily Star's "Outstanding Woman in Business" award in 2017.
She achieved her master's degree in International Relations from Dhaka University and started working as a lecturer at the Institute of Modern Language at Dhaka University.
State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak expressed condolences to the demise of Luna.
"She worked for the development of the ICT sector until her last breath. She had been a dedicated worker to build a Digital Bangladesh.
"Luna Shamsuddoha's contribution to the government's automation projects, including government's electronic procurement project, is indisputable," said Palak in a statement.
Meanwhile, talking to The Daily Star, BASIS President Syed Almas Kabir yesterday said, "The early demise of Luna is a big shock not only for the sector but also for the country. Her death is unexpected and it is a great loss for the country."
The IT and software sectors of the country lost a brilliant entrepreneur with the death of Luna, he added.
"It was her passion to brand Bangladesh positively abroad," Kabir said.
Her company also exported software abroad, especially in the neighbouring countries, as both private and government organisations, he added.
She earned those countries' trust and faith with the quality of her company's products, he further said.