The Daily Star ICT Awards 2020

Shaikh Abdul Aziz

Chairman, LEADS Corporation Limited

Category: ICT pioneer

Shaikh Abdul Aziz is a visionary leader who has contributed greatly to technological advancements in Bangladesh's ICT sector and a pioneer in bringing disruptive technology to improve and facilitate living standards.

It was his lifelong dream that the country's technically skilled individuals represent Bangladesh all over the world.

Keeping this dream in mind, Aziz founded LEADS Corporation Limited in 1992. He established LEADS Training & Consulting to impart training relevant to current technology to the youth of the nation, thus realising the dream of Digital Bangladesh.

"We are a company having vast experience, observing ethical standards, excelling in dedicated service and cultivating our associates," said Aziz.

Approximately 5,000 former LEADS employees are now working across the globe.

Aziz played a pivotal role in advising the government in 1997 about the need for extending special assistance to the ICT sector, which eventually led to the formation of Bangladesh Association of Software and Services (BASIS).

Born on February 7, 1941, Aziz studied commerce at the University of Dhaka in the early 60s, and then did his MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, in 1965, majoring in marketing.

He pioneered in designing, developing and maintaining banking application software.

Rafiqul Islam Rowly

MD, CSL Software Resources Ltd

Category: ICT Business Person of the Year

With the country's garment and textile sectors thriving, CSL has also grown over the years as the company has been supplying software to various leading garment and textile companies since 1998. The company also supplies software to the banking, distribution, mobile and pharmaceuticals sectors.

"We wanted to help the local economy through digital transformation," said Rowly, who graduated with a finance degree from the University of Dhaka. He joined Beximco in 1984 but left the job after a year, going on to build a career in the software industry.

The company, which employs 122 people, has a target to increase its number of clients to 250.

CSL also exports software to six countries -- Sri Lanka, India, Japan, Ethiopia, Jordan and the USA. "We are working hard to grab more foreign market share," said Rowly.

Rowly served as president of BASIS between 2008-09. An expert in business process analysis and reengineering, designing workflow-based application architecture and implementation methodology, he is co-founder of Computer Solution Ltd. and SoftEdge Ltd.

He is also currently chairperson of the executive committee and member of the governing body of Dnet.

Syed Mamnun Quader

MD & CEO, Southtech Group

Category: ICT Solution Provider - Local Market Focus

Winning Company: Southtech Limited

Southtech started its journey as a software company in 1996 mainly to provide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions mainly for banking and microfinance institutions. For instance, Southtech has been providing two lakh employees' ERP solution to Brac and is working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

It aims to serve large local corporations in the next four to five years.

Although the company has been working locally, it is also providing ERP solutions to a large microfinance enterprise in Myanmar. The company successfully set up a data centre and network in a remote part of Myanmar despite significant challenges, with the country soon set to be a good market for providing ERP solutions.

The company also has a small office in Bhutan and has been eyeing the African region with its fast-growing economies.

Southtech, with 70 clients and more than 4,890 successful implementations across the world, counts 95 percent repeated clients. It now has a team of more than 240 employees and has been growing at 10 percent year on year.

"Getting an honour from the Daily Star is indeed an honour. Getting recognition of this kind is truly inspiring for us," said Quader in his reaction to the award.

Asif Zahir

MD, Sindabad.com

Category: Digital Commerce

Winning Company:  SINDABAD.COM LIMITED 

Sindabad, which started its journey in 2016, has proved that any company can grow rapidly by serving local SMEs, especially grocery shops, through an online buying and selling platform.

A venture of Ananta Group, Bangladesh's first and largest B2B e-commerce site caters to offices and businesses for their regular purchase needs.

Since the company supplies goods through its online platform directly from wholesalers to retail shops, the middlemen cannot take away profits and transparency is also ensured. Any enterprise can download the Sindabad app and place orders and will receive the goods within the specified time.

As a result, the platform became very popular within a short time. The company has grown extraordinarily, at 600 percent, in its basic commodity segment during the pandemic. Currently, Sindabad has 15,000 enlisted customers -- pre-Covid, this figure was 5,000.

"The year 2020 was a trial by fire for all of us and the industry," said Asif Zahir, managing director of the company, adding, "During the pandemic, we were able to reach the customers through the app and e-commerce site and delivered essential products."

Sindabad has already won the Best Startup by BASIS in National ICT Awards 2018 and the 18th APICTA Merit Award for Best Startup.

Rashad Kabir

MD, Dream71 Bangladesh Ltd

Category: ICT Solution Provider - International Market Focus

Winning Company: Dream71 Bangladesh Ltd

Dream71 Bangladesh Ltd is a promising software, web application, mobile application and game development company which aims to create a new standard in the era of software technology.

"Dream71 has supplied software to the government's a2i programme, Wasa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ICT Division of the government and Biman Bangladesh Airlines," said Kabir.

Graduating from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) with a degree in electrical and electronics engineering, Kabir set up his own business in 2014.

Currently, he employs 74 skilled software engineers in his company, which has been growing at 30 percent every year based on high demand from his clients.

Dream71 Bangladesh Ltd is also providing software solutions to a number of countries -- including Japan, South Korea, UAE, Nigeria, and Kenya.

The company's next step is to increase its reach in foreign markets. For instance, it has been working to supply its software to East Timor Parliament and to Turkey under a UNDP project. Dream71 has supplied its software to 12 countries with African countries gradually becoming a major hub for the company.

Tashfin Delwar

Co-founder, Kotha Apps & Technology

Category: ICT Startup of the Year

Winning Company: Kotha Apps & Technology

Kotha is the first Bangladeshi social and lifestyle platform, which has

a growing community of 1.5 lakh users of the app.

While the concept of starting the business originated back in 2015, the company was formally launched on February 12 this year after taking feedback about its services and products from users over the years.

The app, the objective of which was to reduce dependence on foreign platforms, saw a big jump in the number of users during the pandemic.

The company has been working on communication and social networking as Bangladesh has a big market of lifestyle and digital services like ridesharing, e-health tips and e-learning.

"On our platform, we have brought all these daily life services into a single window where our customers can get their expected services and products," said Tashfin Delwar.

Other online marketing platforms Daraz and Hungrynaki have also been included in Kotha platform so that customers can avail these services in a single app. The company is also working to integrate bKash into its platform.

The company employs 13 skilled professionals and its business model is earning commission from partnering companies.

Recently, it established a joint venture for the Sri Lankan market.

Tanvir Tabassum

Co-founder & MD, SIGMIND.ai

Category: ICT Startup of the Year

Winning Company: SIGMIND.ai

The gruesome attack at Holey Artisan Café prompted a local company to use artificial intelligence to ensure that the police be alerted to realtime criminal incidents with a signal. Sigmind.ai can transform regular cameras into artificial intelligence cameras for surveillance.

For instance, facial recognition technology can be used to detect a criminal, whose photo has been uploaded onto the server, if seen on these cameras. Similarly, car theft can be prevented with an application using the same formula," said Abu Anas Shuvom,founder chairman and CEO, Sigmind.ai.

"Currently, we are working with the police to set up the system in the Gulshan area. It is also possible to identify whether anybody is wearing masks or not through this special kind of camera."

The private limited company was formally launched in July 2016 by five entrepreneurs. It has delivered its application to 12 clients, including Indian state of Maharashtra's traffic management system in 2018.

Sigmind secured its name in the top 10 out of 1,200 startups in Istanbul, Turkey in November last year. Last year, it won the BASIS National ICT Award in the startup category.

"It is a big achievement for startups like us and a recognition of our hard work," Tanvir Tabassum said about the award.