ICT Business Person of the year 2021: Kamal Quadir

Kamal S Quadir is a Bangladeshi-American entrepreneur and artist best known for introducing e-commerce in the country through founding CellBazaar, an online marketplace.

CellBazaar, acquired by Norwegian telecommunications operator Telenor in 2010, has currently 4 million users.

With more than 15 years of experience in the ICT sector, Quadir is currently heading bKash, which provides financial services through a network of community-based agents and existing technology, including mobile phones.

bKash is the world's second largest and fastest growing mobile financial services company.

Quadir is also a founding member of Open World Initiatives, a Lausanne, Switzerland-based organisation of young thinkers.

He is involved with Anwarul Quadir Foundation which recognises innovations in developing countries. He is a First Mover Fellow of the Aspen Institute.

Quadir was selected as TED Fellow by TED, a nonprofit organisation devoted to spreading ideas usually in the form of short, powerful talks. He was honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2009.

For his contributions to the technology sector and business industry, Quadir was honoured with MIT Ideas Award in 2005, Tech Award for "Applying Technology to Benefit Humanity" in 2007, Global Mobile Award of the GSM Association in the category of "Best Use of Mobile for Social & Economic Development" in 2008.