PM wants ShareTrip to emerge as global travel brand

Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has pledged government backing to help ShareTrip, the country's leading homegrown travel-tech platform, grow into a globally recognized brand, saying policy support would be extended to help local startups expand abroad.

He made the remarks on July 14 as chief guest at the "Youth, Startups and the Bangladesh of Opportunities" event, organized by the ICT Division at the University of Dhaka.

The Prime Minister said a national startup policy is being prepared and that steps are underway to let Bangladeshi diplomatic missions abroad actively support companies seeking overseas expansion.

Speaking about ShareTrip specifically, he said, "We want to take this company to the global stage. ShareTrip has worked hard and deserves it."

He added that a successful global push by ShareTrip could pave the way for similar backing to be extended to other Bangladeshi startups and tech firms.

Observers see the comments as a strong government endorsement of the country's expanding travel-tech sector and part of a wider push to diversify exports and strengthen digital services.

ICT Adviser Rehan Asad said he had suggested ShareTrip focus its expansion efforts on the Middle East, calling it the region with the most promising growth prospects for Bangladeshi travel-tech firms.

ShareTrip Co-Founder and CEO Sadia Haque also spoke at the event, walking attendees through the company's growth story and outlining policy changes she believes are needed to help Bangladeshi tech firms compete globally.

Haque said startups need more than capital to thrive, pointing to the importance of supportive regulation and an ecosystem that treats young companies as partners rather than rivals.

She also called on the government to introduce a comprehensive national startups and innovation policy and proposed formal recognition of local online travel agencies along with a streamlined e-visa system to support tourism.

Launched in 2019, ShareTrip has grown into the country's largest homegrown travel-tech company, with a user base exceeding 2.7 million. It is also one of the few travel platforms worldwide with direct integration into Saudi Arabia's Nusuk system, run under the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The company counts Japan's Marubeni Corporation and state-backed Startup Bangladesh Limited among its investors.

Industry stakeholders say the Prime Minister's public support for ShareTrip could boost investor sentiment toward Bangladesh's digital travel space, and that follow-through on policy reform and overseas-expansion assistance would help local travel-tech firms build a stronger footprint across regional and global markets.