According to a Global Innovation Index report published in July 2018, Bangladesh is ranked 116^th out of 126 nations, the lowest score in Asia ..... below India ranked 57^th and Pakistan ranked 109^th. The ranking measures key factors such as the political, regulatory and business environments, research and development, infrastructure, investment and credit, knowledge creation and diffusion .... with a scope of determining how well each country is tackling the issues of energy, education, and quality of life.

With such a low rank.... 17^th in Asia (which also houses the fifth highest ranked innovative country in the world, Singapore) ..... Bangladesh has been levelled a nation where innovation rarely takes precedence over conservative thinking and traditional values that make people resistant to change or unable to induce it.

The government of Bangladesh has initiated several projects since the ruling Awami League party came to power in 2009. Mostly floated under the banner and vision of a "Digital Bangladesh", the projects have since sought to create a policy framework where individuals and organizations can come forward with innovative ideas and receive funding, infrastructure, and knowledge support. Along with a significant push from the private sector in the form of "accelerators", the past decade has seen a steady stream of startups that tried to address the many issues that plague the country in various sectors.... health, education, transport and other services.

"The startup ecosystem in Bangladesh has surely come a long way since we started our journey about 10 years back,"  says Minhaz Anwar, head of Grameenphone's Accelerator programme." The success stories of Pathao, Sheba.xyz and Chaldal are building confidence among investors and promoters and at the same time contributing to major mind-shift of the young people towards opting for jobs with startups offering home grown solutions as sustainable career paths."

While there are portions of the startup ecosystem that have managed to enter the fray and stay in the public eye, the innovation that comes from continued research and development (R&D) are still scant. The success of Pathao, Chaldal and Sheba.xyz are rooted in solving issues that have not been addressed by the government.... Pathao looks to reduce wait times on Dhaka roads by jump- starting the concept of motorbike ride-sharing, Chaldal wants to reduce the number of people crowding around the city hubs that are traditional bazars by having them order groceries online, and Sheba.xyz looks to formalize a blue collar service sector that has largely stayed under the radar of who can be considered human capital in the country. While these startups are doing well short-term, these are also a constant reminder of how little these issues were addressed by long-term R&D projects that can remove the need for private intervention.