This is my story just from a year back.

I was thrilled to experience this new ride-sharing service called Pathao. Since then, it has expanded to food and parcel delivery.

Bkash was accessible only by USSD dial. Now they’ve got a fully-fledged mobile app.

The mobile app industry is rapidly changing in Bangladesh. So what should you expect from this industry in the next ten years? Let’s find out.

What to Expect in 10 Years

While there are apps with zero usefulness like “How to Get into BUET in 30 Days”, few locally developed mobile apps are doing tremendously well.

Dhaka Public Toilets, an app that locates public toilet nearest to you in the capital, has won United Nation’s World Summit Award (WSA) 2016 in the Smart Settlement and Organisation category.

Pathao and Bkash rank 21st and 25th respectively in Google Play’s top mobile apps in Bangladesh ranking.

Ridmik Keyboard is the only locally developed mobile app in the top 10 ranking 5th.

What’s next to come?

E-commerce app

E-commerce is a booming business in Bangladesh. This industry is now worth more than 900cr [source: NewAge]. You can operate an e-commerce shop simply by creating a Facebook page.

Many small e-commerce shops merely have a Facebook page.

When these small shops expand, they will surely opt for mobile apps for giving their customers a better shopping experience.

Banks bringing apps

Many banks already have their mobile apps. Moreover, the rest are working on it due to competition.

With the rise of the number of online transactions, banks are coming up with more convenient and secure payment gateways.

Within the next 10 years, you’ll see banks giving much importance to safer transactions through their apps. Also, they’ll be broadening their payment services. Maybe after ten years, you’ll be able to pay bus fare with your bank’s mobile app.

Universities bringing apps

BRAC University and NSU have already come up with student portals that are accessible through mobile apps.

You can check your class schedule, teachers’ profile, course options and may more contents related to your academic program through their apps.

Expansion of ride-sharing apps

Pathao has gone from a ride-sharing app to food delivery. Now they even have their own payment system.

You probably won’t see an emergence of many new ride-sharing apps but the expansion of the existing ones.

Conclusion

One thing I haven’t talked about is the gaming mobile apps. I only see Heroes of ’71 as the only successful locally developed gaming app in Bangladesh.

As the mindset persist that gaming is just a waste of time, you won’t be finding a rapid growth in investment for gaming apps. Still, we wish to see games like Heroes of ’71 rise up from nothing.

Technological advancement is so swift these days that you may see such app-based services in the future that you can’t even think of now.

With that being said, do you see any locally developed mobile app going global and ruling the world?

Let me know in the comments.