The Story Behind Biggani.com

Just as there is a story behind everything, so too is there a story behind Biggani.com—a story of dreams. Perhaps being away from home for a long time intensified my love for my own country. While we get to know our country in one way when we live in Bangladesh, coming abroad reveals the true Bangladesh. Long ago, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, our Nobel laureate, said, “Sometimes it is actually easier to recognize your country from the outside.”

After coming abroad, I had the opportunity to meet many Bangladeshi scientists, technologists, and professionals. I discovered that they possess remarkable knowledge and professional experience, which many scientists, technologists, and professionals in Bangladesh don’t have access to. Many of them would ask, “How can we share our experiences with people in Bangladesh?” I realized we needed a way to bring their knowledge to Bangladesh. Many of them weren’t accustomed to writing in Bangla. Then I wondered, how can we make their knowledge accessible? That’s when the idea for the Interview Project came to me. I thought, maybe they can’t write, but one thing they all can do is speak about their experiences beautifully in Bangla. I started working on a few things. I built a studio at home. My profession requires frequent travel, so whenever I traveled, I would record an interview with one of these professionals. That’s how Biggani’s journey began.

At the same time, I used to write for newspapers and magazines—sometimes on information technology, sometimes about my own research in nanotechnology—and started publishing those pieces on Biggani.com as well. It all began as “I.” Later, others wanted to join in. That’s how this “I” turned into “we.” Now, there are many contributors at Biggani.com.

It has transformed into a meeting place for scientists, technologists, and professionals. While there are many Bangla-language sites, most of them are focused on entertainment. But there are very few spaces to share our professional experiences. Gradually, Biggani.com is transforming into such a platform. Biggani.com is not just for scientists; it’s a meeting ground for various professionals and specialists.

Business or Nonprofit? When starting any organization, the first thing to consider is its guiding principle. You have to decide whether it will be a commercial or a nonprofit organization. Although our meeting place is virtual, the truth is that it’s just like any other typical organization, where members move forward with a shared goal. So, like any other organization, we needed to establish our core principle. In the end, we decided that Biggani.com would be built as a nonprofit venture.

However, technology and business are closely related. In this respect, we wish to implement Dr. Yunus’s concept of a social business enterprise network. From among the members of Biggani.com, commercial opportunities will emerge. We must seize those opportunities wisely to achieve economic development. Only time will tell if we can succeed.

As I write these words, Biggani.com is undergoing a transformation. In the future, it may take on a new form with the collaboration of many more people. If needed, we can adopt better ideas and work toward them. Only time will tell what kind of platform Biggani.com will ultimately become.

December 16, 2006