Mahtab Uddin Ahmed

Bangladesh’s digital infrastructure services -- towers, fibre networks, submarine cables and data centres -- have all the potential but sadly, it is buried under layers of mismanagement and corruption.

The shift from “Digital Bangladesh” to “Smart Bangladesh” was like trying to drive a car without an engine — all talk, little substance. While we have made big claims on paper, the reality was far from impressive. While waving the “Digital Bangladesh” flag, we ranked 105 out of 132 in Global Innovation Index 2023 (Source: World Intellectual Property Organization).

It goes without saying that in national politics and even in the corporate world, one needs a godfather to survive and succeed. This godfather is not the kind that you find in movies, as in Marlon Brando. These come in the form of mentor guides and, let’s be real, they are the heavyweights who have your back.

We often say “a leader is as good as his team.” It is like making a perfect cup of tea -- sure, the leader might be the one pouring it, but without the right blend of tea leaves, sugar and milk, it is just hot water.

While being interviewed, Jamil was asked if he was ok with working overtime without extra pay, and he quipped, “I can, as long as you don’t expect results”, to which the interviewer laughed, acknowledging the playful exchange.

In a local company, two sales managers, Reaz and Mohsin, both graduates from the same university, faced a stark difference in their career paths.

Human nature has an innate tendency to escalate demands once an initial concession is made, and thus, the saying goes “If you let someone sit, he wants to eat; if you let him eat, he wants to sleep”.

In Bangladesh, gossip is a national pastime, both inside and outside the workplace. During tea breaks, or “cha breaks”, employees gather to exchange the latest news, often drifting from work-related topics.

On a hot, scorching day Asif’s office air conditioner broke down, with workers doing little and complaining more.

We have all been taught the virtues of honesty from our early childhood. Every child is instilled with the belief that truthfulness is the foundation of success and “honesty is the best policy”.

In the last one week, Bangladesh has been in the grip of student unrest over the quota system, rendering discussions over its merits and demerits a household phenomenon. Steering away from political discussions, this assessment attempts to evaluate the socio-economic impact of the quota system on our government's vision of a Smart Bangladesh

In the last one week, Bangladesh has been in the grip of student unrest over the quota system, rendering discussions over its merits and demerits a household phenomenon.

Students and the youth have always played a significant role in shaping the history of Bangladesh. However, a fresh wave of change has been sweeping the nation in recent weeks, and it was initiated by none other than a lone goat!

When I worked for Unilever, we had this incredible senior, an IIT graduate, who had a memory like a steel trap. He could glance at your car plate and recall it correctly a year later. He was a walking encyclopedia with knowledge of every subject under the sun. 

Flattering the boss or leader has caught up with our political and corporate culture like a virus. In politics, it has no shame or limit. In the corporate world, however, it is practised with more sophistication and complexity.

The magic of “love at first sight” can cast its spell with no warning. We often underestimate its mystical power to determine the course of our personal and professional lives, whether it happens during a job interview or when we meet the love of our life. Being lucky in both may sound rare, but we can make it a possibility if we apply some tricks with sincerity and dedication in both situations.

In our subcontinent, outsmarting colleagues often translates to indulging in a bit of 'friendly' gossip, perfecting the art of boss buttering, seeking shortcuts to success, dabbling in office politics, and adopting a refined English accent for a select few.

Pleasing your boss can sometimes feel like the game of Tom & Jerry, where you are Jerry trying desperately to avoid being Tom’s next kill.

With the news of brain chip implants, our friends joked that advertisers would run commercials in our brains if we got chips without a subscription.

A former colleague shared one of the most bizarre local news about an employee who hired a goon to severely beat up his boss for being the cause of excessive stress in the workplace.