ShareTrip CEO Sadia Haque named UN advocate for women in digital trade

Dhaka: Sadia Haque, Co-founder and CEO of ShareTrip, has been appointed an eTrade for Women Advocate for South Asia by the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for the 2026–2027 term, making her the first Bangladeshi to hold the position.

The appointment will be formally announced at UNCTAD headquarters in Geneva in September.

As an eTrade for Women Advocate, Haque will represent the interests and experiences of women-led digital businesses in South Asia in policy discussions on digital trade and the digital economy. She will also participate in the initiative’s Masterclasses and community programs across the region.

The eTrade for Women initiative brings together women business leaders from different parts of the world to help bring the perspectives of women digital entrepreneurs into discussions with governments and regulators.

Previous advocates have represented countries including India, Kenya, Egypt, Colombia, Malaysia, Senegal, Nigeria and the Philippines.

“I’m honored to take on this role at a time when South Asia’s digital economy is creating new opportunities for women entrepreneurs,” Haque said.

She said women building technology businesses need access to networks, capital, knowledge and supportive ecosystems, adding that she hopes to bring the experiences of entrepreneurs in the region into policymaking.

Haque co-founded ShareTrip with Kashef Rahman in 2014 and has led the travel technology company since then.

Under her leadership, ShareTrip introduced automated refunds, date changes and cancellations to Bangladesh’s travel market and expanded its domestic hotel and resort inventory by bringing hundreds of properties onto its platform.

The company became the first superbrand in Bangladesh’s travel sector and has received World Travel Awards recognition for six consecutive years since 2018.