Stumbling blocks in the freelance market

Freelancing is a thriving sector in Bangladesh with many opportunities and is a growing hub for the nation’s youth. Yet, the sector is facing hindrances due to many complications.  

The biggest bottleneck is that most of the credit/debit cards available in our country are not internationally recognised or accepted; as a result, Bangladeshi freelancers find it difficult to create accounts in PayPal, Payoneer, etc. They also face issues while receiving payment and that works as a disincentive. The second drawback is that there are no comprehensive government training programmes for the new and aspiring freelancers in our country. While Dhaka holds a few initiatives, these are not widely available across the country. Thirdly, freelancers must be proficient in English communication skills in order to join the global freelancing sector. Without being competent in this, they will not be able to keep pace with the global market. Moreover, high-speed internet is vital for the growing freelancing market which is not available in most of the local areas in Bangladesh.

For freelancing to grow and sustain, the government should look into the shortcomings pragmatically and take necessary steps to address them. After all, young people can greatly benefit from it.