Freelancing is reshaping the economy of a remote village in Lalmonirhat, where a former car driver now earns at least Tk2 lakh a month by coordinating online work for dozens of local youths.
From Taxi to Digital Marketplace
The 25‑year‑old, who asked not to be named, left his driving job after discovering higher returns from internet‑based projects. He now runs a transport business funded by freelance income and supervises a team of about 30 young people from nearby villages.
Clients in Kenya and Vietnam send him requests for website promotion, primarily to boost Google search rankings. He distributes these tasks, having workers create digital‑marketing accounts. For each account, he receives Tk7‑Tk8 and shares Tk2‑Tk3 with the worker.
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With his earnings, he bought ten decimals of land worth roughly Tk30 lakh and operates two microbuses as rental vehicles. He is also learning English online to improve negotiations with overseas buyers.
Impact on Village Life
The shift to freelancing has changed the village’s economy. Young men and women now earn foreign currency, which they use to upgrade homes; tin‑roofed houses are being replaced by concrete structures.
College students supplement study income with freelance work, and computers have become common household items.
A female freelancer, who completed a nursing diploma but chose online work instead, reports monthly earnings of Tk12,000‑Tk15,000. Her husband, also a former contractor, now makes about Tk25,000 from home while caring for their newborn.
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These informal earnings are often paid through cryptocurrency platforms such as Binance, BitMart and KuCoin, which the freelancers say provide exchange rates up to Tk4 per US dollar higher than formal banking channels.
While the higher rates are attractive, the reliance on crypto introduces risk. Some overseas buyers disappear without paying, leaving local coordinators liable for workers’ wages. The freelancers acknowledge the lack of formal documentation for many of these transactions.
Regulators Sound the Alarm
Bangladesh Bank officials warn that informal crypto channels are being exploited for money‑laundering. A senior executive noted that local crypto agents offer higher exchange rates to clients seeking to move money abroad illegally, likening the practice to traditional hundi transfers.