How’s your app-etite?
Remember the days when you desperately called one CNG auto-rickshaw after another? No? Well, me neither.
Thanks to the locally developed apps, those days seemed a lifetime ago. To make our hectic lives easier, a bunch of clever minds is trying to come up with innovative solutions to our problems. Due to their relentless effort, now there is an app for almost everything!
One tap and you are on your way
Take the ride-sharing apps for example. With Shohoz Rides or Pathao, you no longer need to scurry among the crowd to hop onto the passing bus. A simple click on your mobile screen would make the rider present himself at your pick point. The next thing you know, you are zipping through the unbearable traffic. In a matter of time, the consumer-friendly ride-sharing service overtook CNG auto-rickshaw rental services, which made the CNG auto drivers feel as if they were running out of business. Just then, Obhai stepped in! And for the first time, the CNG auto-rickshaws and microbus have been added to the ride-sharing services. Now, let me give you an idea of how the local talents are crafting their services in accordance with the situation. Even though most of the riders are well-behaved, some women commuters have shared their discomfort in using these apps. To their delight, a ride-sharing service “for women and by women” Lily, has been launched in 2017. In a few months, it gained popularity among Dhaka’s female commuters. If you ask me, these locally developed ride-sharing apps are drawing level with global giants, such as Uber. And that tells you something.
Food served right to your door
A quick question – have you had days where you were both hungry and home alone? I have! During those ‘dire’ moments, the online food ordering apps were my saviors. By using the app HungryNaki, you can order your favorite meal from almost anywhere. Trailing along are Cookups and Sheba.xyz, who have a shared belief in providing healthy and hygienic homemade food to their customers. The healthy competition between the local food delivery apps and global platforms like Foodpanda is always a thing to celebrate for all the foodies. As for going out for a bite, we are often stuck in the dilemma of what and where to eat. To save us from a disastrous dining experience, the app Harriken allows us to search for restaurants by their names, the cuisines offered, and customer reviews.
No more overcrowded grocery stores
You really need to give a nod to the local app developers when something as boring as grocery shopping has been made bearable through an app. Chaldal, an online grocery shopping app, takes away the trouble of waiting in a queue at the superstore. It lets you order your necessary groceries even when you are on the go. And it usually takes about an hour to have your groceries delivered to your home. Not bad, right?
Apps soon to be your daily problem solvers
Apps like HandyMama and Sheba.xyz have made lives much more trouble-free since they had taken the responsibility to bring a solution to our range of problems – be it cleaning up our homes, repairing our dysfunctional laptops, or helping us shift homes. On the other hand, the app of Bikroy lets us have a trade at our convenience. The local app developers have also worked to bring solutions to some crucial issues, which concern women and children. To help them during their times of emergency, they have launched JOY. This essential app not only helps women and children but also works against criminals. Even telecommunication companies, such as Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink have their own apps now. Financial services have also become flexible with apps like bKash, Upay, and Rocket.
However, there is a security concern for all these perks. Locally developed apps need to address this security issue in order to expand their horizon. We can all agree that the privacy breach is unacceptable. So, it’s important that we safeguard, accordingly.