Bangladesh: Tiny South East Asian nation implementing RFID big time

I don’t know how many of you have heard about Bangladesh and probably this is the last country which would come to your mind if you were looking for countries where RFID is making headway. This small nation in South East Asia where more than half of the population lives in abject poverty and has to struggle for two meals a day is slowly and steadily experiencing a blanket of RFID making an effort towards taking the country on the path of technological development. Up till now I had talked about how RFID was changing the face of developed countries but this is for the first time I am talking about RFID technology being implemented in an underdeveloped nation where it could make a huge difference. You would be amazed to know that a number of RFID implementations have taken place in this country since a number of startup RFID companies are working towards modernizing this tiny nation in south east nation.

Delwar Hussein, a budding techie entrepreneur who has been propagating RFID in the country stated:

Typically, Bangladesh is always among the last few [countries] to start using any technology that is already in use for several years in other developed countries. The primary reason is the lack of know-how and, secondly, there’s the risk of investment in a new technology.

From healthcare to defense the initiative has already begun in the country which is generally one of the last few nations to taste technology which has already lived its life in most of the nations around the world.

So probably you will see Apollo Hospitals in Bangladesh which has implemented RFID out there to keep a tab on its employee’s attendance or for that matter Bangladesh Army adopting it for tracking its visitors and soldiers visiting the Dhaka Cantonment and it has already started purchasing RFID tags in huge quantities. RFID is getting a push from both public and private sector in the country.

Some of the most popular applications are employee tracking systems and hands free access control. People who turned out to be early adopters in the country are now expecting a better return on their investments but still there are many who have not been able to make up their mind with regards to the technology. It would be good if proper information is spread regarding the technology and benefits are explained so that we could see a better implementation of RFID.

There are a number of challenges which still have to be taken care of besides lack of awareness and one of them is in legal terms since government approval is required each time for using frequency spectrums and type approval for introducing new RFID products and services but the attitude of the government seems to be changing and in the future the Bangladesh government is expected to emerge as a major partner in the growth of RFID. The government is also very keen on introducing RFID based voter ID systems which would ensure better acceptance of the technology. Probably other developing nations could also take cue from it and adopt it for the betterment of their nation.