About

Luna Shamsuddoha

Luna Shamsuddoha's Achievements

Back in the 90s not many people had the courage to start a software business in Bangladesh. ICT industry as a whole was in its nascent stage and a few computer firms have been forming here and there! Hardware business started getting traction while software still remained more challenging and uncertain. But all these did not deter Luna Shamsuddoha from entering into a market that would soon prove to shape the future!

For Luna Shamsuddoha the industry was not the only problem! Her academic background and being a woman were two major obstacles that she needed to overcome in her long journey towards glory. Eventually she would prove to be a winner, and her legacy would resonate in her industry making her a true trendsetter in an otherwise male-dominated industry. It is an honor for us all to have a look back at her illustrious career and draw inspiration for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

View in her life

This magnificent woman Ms. Shamsuddoha was born to Lutfar Rahman and Hasina Rahman on 4th October 1953 in Dhaka. She got her Secondary School Certificate (SSC) from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) from Holy Cross College. She got her master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Dhaka. She was married to Mr. A K M Shamsuddoha who is the present Chairman of Dohatec New Media. He is the Chairman of Borewell Ltd. which is an engineering concern, Chief Executive of Doha Securities (stockbroker), Doha Agencies (trading) and he has authored many policy papers for the Government, donor agencies, and trade bodies. Ms. Reem H Shamsuddoha is her only daughter, she is Director at Beximco Pharma and Co-Founder & Partner at Jete Chao which is the first event listing platform in Bangladesh.

Academic and professional career

Various fields of work

Ms. Samsuddoha was not only an academician, entrepreneur, businesswoman but she also worked for the development of the country’s economy and the advancement of women. She began her career as a consultant in 1978 but she started the business in 1985 as the managing partner of The Executive Center. Prior to that, she functioned as an English Language teacher at British Council Language Resource Center and as a lecturer of English Language at the Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka. Ms. Luna Samsuddhoha was an ICT entrepreneur and Founder of the software firm Dohatec New Media. She established Dohatec New Media in 1992 as the first international software vendor from Bangladesh. She delivered solutions to revered institutions in the United States. For over two decades she has been exporting software developed by her Bangladesh engineers from Dhaka to the most demanding markets.

About her company

Her company is an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) and System Integrator. Dohatec provides software solutions to institutions, government agencies and corporations in the USA, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Bangladesh. Dohatec’s key clients are The World Bank, World Health Organization, US Postal Service, Government of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Army, Royal Government of Bhutan and Government of Nepal. Dohatec is a Certifying Authority and issues Digital Certificates including identification certificates and SSL Certificates. It has PKI enablement solutions as well.

Overseas Marketing

Ms. Shamsuddoha was a very multitalented woman. She led the management team and was responsible for overseas marketing and emerging technology. She has received recognition for her path-breaking work internationally. She was a Member of the Council of Global Thought Leaders on Inclusive Growth, Switzerland. The eminent Council comprises 32 distinguished persons including Nobel Laureates, Professors, former Presidents, and Cabinet Ministers. Luna was the managing Director, Global Voice Telecommunication Ltd. This resourceful woman was a board member of SME Foundation, Independent University Bangladesh (IUB), director of state-owned Agrani Bank Limited and Janata Bank Limited. She was featured on global forums on technology, e-Governance, women’s economic participation and empowerment.

Leadership

As a leader, she had a wide portfolio of engagements where she has successfully mobilized and reached considerable heights. She had a deep understanding of trade in the regional and international arena. She has publications and she spoke at the US Government organized: “Indo-Asia Connectivity for Shared Prosperity, Trade Facilitation: Progress and Challenges,” in India in December 2016. Many software solutions for PAHO and PAHEF have been provided by her over two decades for North and South America. She provided solutions for USPS and a host of institutions and corporations in Washington DC. She was a Panelist in the UN with Ministers from Canada and Sweden at UNCDF, UN Women and UNDP-Economic Empowerment & Entrepreneurship, 2015, UN Headquarters, New York.

Contributions in technology

Her company worked in the development of the Bangladesh e-GP portal as the Nominated Sub Consultant and developed procurement MIS. They developed the solution for Social Safety Net transfers. She provided a multi-biometric Voter Registration Solution for Bangladesh Army in 2007-08.

Global leader member

She developed a Big Data as a Median Data Analytics Platform with a Silicon Valley firm. She had a strong IT security capacity. She had membership in exclusive international associations for specialist sectors based on her technical capacity. These memberships were achieved by select few firms worldwide. She was a Member of the Council of Global thought-leaders on Inclusive Growth, in Switzerland and Global Role Model, Empowering Women IT Entrepreneurs Program, Microsoft and Trestle Foundation.

Numerous awards

This versatile woman got a number of awards in her lifetime. In 2017, Ms. Luna Shamsuddoha, the Trustee and former Vice Chairman of Education, Science, Technology and Cultural Development Trust (ESTCDT), the founding Trust of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and Chittagong Independent University (CIU); Member, Board of Trustees and the Syndicate of IUB; had received the prestigious “Bangladesh Business Award 2017” for her superlative success and exceptional contribution to the economy. She got the “Outstanding Woman in Business” award in 2017.

Ms. Luna Shamsuddoha always believed that girls were lagging behind in the ICT sector as the participation of girls in the ICT sector was relatively low. That’s why she worked for women in the ICT sector. She was a role model in the ICT industry. In June 2016, she participated in the APCICT- ESCAP Women ICT Frontier Initiative (WIFI) launch following extensive contribution in Korea. She served on the Boards of Janata Bank; Agranl Bank; SME Foundation; UCEP and Independent University Bangladesh. She was on the Board of CAMPE and Bangladesh Business Magazine. She was the Chairman of Janata Bank Limited. She developed an Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System for the Royal Government of Bhutan. It was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on 21 June 2017.

Ms. Luna Shamsuddoha was the Director & Founder President of Bangladesh Women in Technology (BWIT), which is a forum to empower women through Technology and encourage women and girls in ICT entrepreneurship and to study and pursue careers in technology. Hon’ble Arancha González, Executive Director of UN ITC consulted her on the inclusion of women in public procurement issues. She received Leadership Award 2013 of Global Women Inventors & Innovators Network Award in Sweden; Femina World Women Leadership-Women Super Achiever Award 2017, India; World Women Leadership Congress and Awards 2015, Mumbai, India. She won the ‘Outstanding Women in Business’- the DHL Daily Star Award; Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Award 2016, Ananya Best 10 Award 2013.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from Luna Shamsuddoha at World Assembly for Women, WAW! It was an assembly of some leading women of the world. She was interviewed by NHK. Election Commissioners from around the world were shown the voter enrollment solution at specialist events. Luna Shamsuddoha was recognized at the Microsoft World Partners Conference in Denver, Colorado in 2007.
Noted woman entrepreneur Ms. Luna Shamsuddoha died of colon cancer on Wednesday, 17 February 2021, at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore. She was engaged with her profession, activism and social works till the last day of her life. Her leadership had influenced many women’s lives, especially those in the field of technology in Bangladesh, in the early twenty first century. Her foresight, compassion, and broadmindedness can still motivate women who desire to pursue their aspirations in the face of social barriers and inequalities. No wonder she is a towering figure in the women’s movement and a guiding light for thousands of women leaders.