Bangladesh’s digital life has long been dominated by foreign platforms, with no homegrown alternative built specifically for local users and their needs. To fill that void, Kotha was built. It is a Bangladeshi-built digital platform that brings together social networking, messaging, voice communication and a marketplace in one system. It aims to offer users not only familiarity but ownership over their digital space.
The idea of Kotha began in February 2020, when a small group of computer science graduates from North South University were working in software outsourcing. The sector, already saturated and intensely competitive, offered limited room for long-term innovation.
“We were doing outsourcing and similar services, but it became too competitive. So, we started asking ourselves what kind of product-based work we could build. That’s when the idea of creating a social media platform came up, something fully local and built for Bangladesh,” said Gazi Hassan, Chief Strategy Officer of Kotha.
From the beginning, the founders were clear that Kotha was not meant to replicate Facebook or Instagram. Instead, they aimed to address a structural problem: the absence of a Bangladeshi-owned social platform.
“Everything has its own market, and everything has its own form of disruption,” Gazi explained, pointing to bKash as an example of how locally adapted ideas can transform everyday life. Digital financial apps did not exist in Bangladesh before, even though they were already common abroad. “Our focus was on building something made in Bangladesh for social media, because that is how we keep our data and information to ourselves.”
Similar projects had existed in Bangladesh before, Gazi explained. They were backed by large capital but failed to sustain themselves in the long run. According to him, Kotha’s strength lies in technical skill and optimisation, which allows the team to reduce operational costs and remain sustainable even after five years.
The biggest challenge while building the platform was technical. “Handling large traffic surges with limited hardware resources was the hardest part,” said Ataul Mukit, Chief Technology Officer of Kotha. “We had to keep server costs low but still keep the system stable and scalable.”
Unlike most social platforms, Kotha was designed as both a social media platform and a marketplace. “If someone wants to sell a used phone, they go to the marketplace and sell it directly,” said Gazi. He explained that the payment goes straight from the buyer to the seller, unlike other platforms that hold the money and pay later.
This one-to-one transaction model allows users to trade directly without waiting periods or platform-controlled payments, making it more practical for everyday users.
Kotha has also introduced features that are uncommon in mainstream platforms. “One of the features is that users can comment using voice messages,” said Tashfeen Delwar, Chief Executive Officer of Kotha. “It makes communication more natural, especially for users who prefer speaking over typing.”
Content moderation remains one of the hardest challenges for any social platform. “We use paid community managers and volunteers. It is a combined system, supported by user reporting,” said Mukit.
To remain financially viable, Kotha operates on a multi-stream revenue model. The platform earns through premium subscriptions that offer encrypted chat and special features. It also generates revenue through affiliate marketing with brands like Daraz and Samsung. In addition, the app white-labels its technology for businesses, allows in-app advertising and earns sales commission from marketplace transactions.
As concerns around privacy and data protection grow in Bangladesh, Kotha has placed increasing emphasis on responsible data practices.
“We encrypt data in transit, allow deletion requests and follow community guidelines,” said Tashfeen. He also highlighted the importance of aligning with Bangladesh’s Personal Data Protection Ordinance (PDPO 2025), particularly in areas such as transparent consent systems, stronger security standards and accountable data handling.
Rather than chasing flashy viral features, Kotha’s roadmap focuses on solving practical user problems and improving everyday experience. Upcoming updates include automated bans for repeat violations, post bundle purchases, lifestyle rewards through Kotha Points, marketplace upgrades, enhanced call analytics, traffic updates and more robust moderation tools.
“Kotha may not yet compete with global platforms in terms of scale,” said Tashfeen. “But it represents something different. It’s a platform built by Bangladeshi engineers, for Bangladeshi users, with Bangladeshi ownership.”
In a digital world dominated by foreign platforms, Kotha is not trying to replace the big names. Instead, it aims to build a local digital ecosystem where social life, commerce, communication and community exist within a single Bangladeshi system. At its core, Kotha is a quiet but determined step toward digital sovereignty.
