Zarif Faiaz

Zarif Faiaz is a writer, journalist, and a tech policy researcher based out of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is the In-Charge of the Tech & Startup section at The Daily Star and a Fellow at the Tech Global Institute.

Key considerations for getting bancassurance

In Bangladesh, bancassurance is gradually becoming a popular and convenient way for customers to purchase insurance products through their banks.

4w ago

Why it’s wise to start insurance at an early age

Starting insurance early is one of the smartest financial decisions a person can make—especially in Bangladesh, where insurance penetration remains low while the need for financial protection is rising.

4w ago

Bridging Bangladesh’s skills gap

Bangladesh’s vocational training sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, particularly in information and communications technology (ICT). Thousands of private training centres now operate across the country, offering similar types of courses in areas such as web development, hardware maintenance, and digital marketing. However, the absence of a standardised system of curriculum design, delivery, and assessment has contributed to wide disparities in the quality of training offered.

1m ago

Disinformation campaigns target women and minorities in Bangladesh: Study

Study reveals how gendered abuse, misinformation and disinformation on Facebook threaten democratic participation in Bangladesh, especially for women and gender-diverse individuals.

1m ago

Rewriting the future: Bangladeshi innovation in home appliances

The domestic appliance sector in Bangladesh is no longer playing catch-up with global markets, in many cases, it is leading them.

1m ago

Too old to hire? The quiet bias keeping skilled professionals out of jobs

In a world that prizes innovation and adaptability, one would assume experience is a critical asset. Yet, for many older professionals, particularly those over 50, the job market tells a different story—one where decades of service are quietly disregarded in favour of youth. Age discrimination, or ageism, in the workplace remains a pervasive but often under-acknowledged issue globally, and Bangladesh is no exception.

1m ago

The skills premium: how AI became essential for marketers

The marketing world is undergoing a seismic transformation. As generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) matures from a technical novelty into a strategic necessity, marketing professionals are being forced to adapt at a pace unprecedented in recent memory. No longer confined to the realms of data science or IT, AI has become central to the everyday operations of marketing departments, not just enhancing productivity, but fundamentally reshaping the structure, skills, and strategy of marketing teams worldwide.

1m ago

The colonial legacy in our digital infrastructure

How Bangladesh and the Global South remain trapped in digital dependence

2m ago
April 17, 2023
April 17, 2023

This Bangladeshi app lets you buy, sell and store gold digitally

Meet Gold Kinen - a local app where one can buy, sell and store gold using their own personal vault.

December 30, 2022
December 30, 2022

Ending the year on a mixed note

Here’s to one more ride.

November 2, 2022
November 2, 2022

ShareTrip and the rise of smart travelling in Bangladesh

The age of the internet has changed how travellers plan their trips and pick their destinations. Travellers can now research potential destinations online, as opposed to a traditional brick-and-mortar travel agency.

November 2, 2022
November 2, 2022

How foodpanda is creating a smart q-commerce ecosystem

Bangladesh is changing radically. As the country leaps forward in the digital era, its people are embracing the smart, tech-savvy way of life, day in and day out. Today,

November 2, 2022
November 2, 2022

ASUS shaping a tech-savvy Bangladesh with innovative laptops

The digital transformation of Bangladesh over the past two decades has been fueled by the increasing convergence of technology with our everyday lives.

September 30, 2022
September 30, 2022

Power cuts, load-sheddings are hurting rural freelancers

Not too long ago, freelancing was deemed an exciting career prospect for thousands of skilled Bangladeshi youths. The rapid digitalisation of the country, combined with a rising number of skilled, educated, but unemployed workforce—and consistently low market wages—contributed to a freelancing boom in Bangladesh over the last decade. 

June 24, 2022
June 24, 2022

Making it into the big leagues

No matter how much it seems like one, this is not an advertisement. Welcome to a world where we influence you to become influencers.

April 10, 2022
April 10, 2022

Internet’s greatest art war, and the fight to keep Bangladesh in it

A small community of Bangladeshis on Reddit spent three sleepless nights defending the Bangladeshi flag on a massive open digital canvas called r/place.

February 25, 2022
February 25, 2022

Bangladeshis behind global far-right online movements: Here’s what we know

Over the past few weeks, growing protests against Covid-19 restrictions have been crippling Canada-US borders and downtown Ottawa.

February 1, 2022
February 1, 2022

Facebook's promised free internet for low-income people was not free after all

Since 2013, Facebook, in collaboration with select carriers and operators, has been offering a free text-only version of its browser that–according to Facebook–wouldn’t use up mobile data. The services were targetted particularly towards developing countries with poor connectivity and as of last October, it has more than 300 million users. But recent internal documents reveal that users of the free version ended up being charged anyway. The worst part–Facebook has no idea how much.