Privacy Policy

Startup Pabna (“Startup Pabna”, “we”, “us”) is an entrepreneurship and innovation platform based in Pabna, Bangladesh. This policy explains what information we collect through startuppabna.com (the “site”), how we use it, who can see it and the choices you have. By using the site or submitting a form, you agree to this policy and to our Terms & Conditions.

1. Information we collect

Information you give us

When you fill in the Join the Community, Campus Ambassador, contributor or donation forms, we may collect:

• Identity and contact: name, photo, email address, WhatsApp/phone number, thana/upazila.
• Profession and education: profession, organisation, designation, education level, institution, class/department.
• Business details (if you have a business): business name and type, products/services, team size, logo, Facebook page, website, address and description.
• Role details: Campus Ambassador information, contributor skills, portfolio links, availability and equipment.
• Donation details: amount, frequency, bKash transaction ID, sender number, payment screenshot and whether you want to stay anonymous.
• Other: how you heard about us, your directory choice and your consent.

Information collected automatically

• IP address and basic request data, used for security, spam and abuse prevention, and login protection.
• Cookies (see section 6).
• Push notification subscription data, only if you turn notifications on.

Your account

When your application is approved, we create a website account for you. Your password is stored in encrypted (hashed) form by WordPress; we cannot read it.

2. How we use your information

• To review and approve applications and to create and manage member and ambassador accounts.
• To contact you about the community, programmes, events and your chosen roles (by email, WhatsApp or phone).
• To show your profile in the directory and create your member share card.
• To verify donations and send receipts.
• To plan programmes and produce statistics that do not identify you (for example, members per thana).
• To keep the site safe and prevent spam and fraud.
• To meet legal obligations.

3. What can be seen publicly

• Community directory: only approved members who chose to be listed. A listing may include your name, photo, profession, organisation/designation, roles, contributor skills, business information and thana/upazila.
• Ambassadors page: approved ambassadors’ photo, name, campus and department.
• Member share card and share page: name, photo, role, membership number and business logo. Anyone with the link can see it. Anything you post on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp or other platforms is also governed by those platforms’ own rules.
• Contact details: what appears on a listing depends on the directory’s features and on the information you submit. If you do not want a particular detail to be shown, tell us and we will hide or remove it.
• Donations: donor information is not shown publicly.

4. Who we share information with

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only with:

• Startup Pabna team members and admins who need it to manage registrations and programmes.
• Service providers that help us run the site: our web hosting provider, Google (Google Sheets for record keeping and Gmail for sending emails) and browser push services (such as Google, Mozilla, Microsoft or Apple) for notifications.
• Partners, mentors or sponsors, only with your permission, or as statistics that do not identify you.
• Authorities, when required by law or to protect the safety of people or the site.

5. Storage and security

Your information is stored on our website server and in a Google Sheet with restricted access. Files you upload through our forms (photos, logos, payment screenshots) are stored on our server. We use reasonable measures such as HTTPS, login protection, spam protection and admin review. No online system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies

• sp_lang remembers your language choice (English or বাংলা) for up to one year.
• WordPress login cookies keep you signed in to your account.
• Technical cookies used for page caching and security.

We do not currently use advertising cookies. If we add analytics or advertising tools in the future, we will update this policy first.

7. How long we keep information

We keep your information while you are a member or while it is needed for the programme you joined. Donation records are kept as long as needed for accounts and transparency reports. Applications that are rejected or no longer active are deleted when we no longer need them. You can ask us to delete your information earlier.

8. Your choices and rights

• Ask what information we hold about you.
• Correct or update your information.
• Hide or remove your directory listing, or a particular detail on it.
• Ask us to delete your account and data.
• Ask us to stop sending you messages.
• Turn off push notifications at any time in your browser settings.

Email startuppabna@gmail.com from the address you registered with, or message us on WhatsApp at +880 1710-590259. We may ask you to confirm your identity before making changes.

9. Children and students

Many of our members are students. If you are under 18, please register only with the permission of a parent or guardian. A parent or guardian can contact us to see, correct or remove a child’s information.

10. Links to other websites

The site links to other websites, such as members’ business pages and social media. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the platform grows. The “Last updated” date above shows the latest version. Important changes will be announced on the site.

12. Contact us

Startup Pabna, Pabna, Bangladesh
Email: startuppabna@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +880 1710-590259

See also: Terms & Conditions