Urban areas in Bangladesh are largely growing dependent on technological wonders in recent times. The high demand for food and grocery delivery services is a testament to this service. However, with the prospects of a second nationwide lockdown looming on the horizon, the future of this business is in jeopardy.
A letter was sent to the Cabinet Secretary by food and grocery delivery giants Pathao Limited, Foodpanda Bangladesh, Shohoz Limited, and Daraz Bangladesh Limited. The purpose behind this letter was for the government to permit them to remain functional throughout the lockdown. In what is undoubtedly a gutsy move, they demanded their workers be recognized as “Emergency Services”.
A probable development in the food and grocery delivery service industry is in the future. Mainly, such predictions are a result of the businesses wishing to be recognized as an emergency service. Demands such as giving delivery workers the freedom to operate freely during the lockdown were also made in the letter. Furthermore, requests for providing tax exemptions for restaurants and hotels have also been made for the remainder of the pandemic.
The gravitas of the situation is very sensitive at the moment. It is still a debatable issue whether food and grocery delivery services are a matter of convenience or if it’s a necessity. Most importantly, the government is yet to follow up on this letter. Therefore, it is still too soon to start making guesses if the requests of the 4 businesses will be deemed acceptable or not.
What are your thoughts on the recent proposal of declaring grocery and food delivery services an emergency service? For more updates, stay tuned to Markedium!
