Dhaka’s Top Riders: Adeeb Shams, Founder & CEO – Harriken

We want to bring you up-close and personal with our top riders. This week we are featuring Adeeb Shams, Founder and CEO of Harriken – Bangladesh’s first restaurant discovery app. Let’s find out what he’s got to say.

When did you start using Uber?

My journey with Uber started back in the Fall of 2013, when I was in Washington DC for business school. I was a student, who lived off campus and couldn’t afford a car to drive around. Uber saved me then, made my life much easier, going to and from university, to classes across the city, to networking events etc. I was really excited when I heard Uber was coming to Dhaka – I was used to the convenience and comfort it offered to me in the States and was really looking forward to availing the same here.

When do you use Uber throughout the week?

I mostly use it to travel to and from work! The car comes directly to my front door – it can’t get any more convenient than that. I also use it to move around the city to the numerous external meetings I have to get to for Harriken. I like working on my laptop on the road as it makes efficient use of the time I’m stuck in traffic, which in Dhaka is most of the day. It’s definitely made commuting very comfortable – that CNG life is a thing of the past for me.

Favourite feature on the app?

My wife uses Uber a lot too and she uses the Share Your Trip feature with me so I know she’s moving around Dhaka safely. It definitely gives me the peace of mind.

Most interesting Uber experience?

I always end up having deep conversations with the drivers. Its great to hear their stories – I’m always surprised to find drivers who are working who have a day job and are also driving for Uber part time. That just goes to show that a lot of people are finding Uber a very convenient way to make additional money on the side. It’s changing the mindset in Dhaka that you would have to be a doctor or engineer to make a living – now there’s an easier way with Uber and a lot of people are embracing that.

How has Uber helped Dhaka?

Uber is integral to help Dhaka become more digitised. Since I’ve founded Harriken – which is also a tech company – I understand how important it is for people to embrace technology to make their standard of living better. That’s where Harriken and Uber are similar – it allows people to make the best use of their time – whether it’s finding the right restaurant to eat at or finding the most comfortable ride to get there.

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