No! The safest answer
4 September 2026
“No” is not merely a word. It is a management philosophy and, occasionally, a retirement plan.
4 September 2026
Profit before principles
28 August 2026
For decades, Bangladesh treated multinational companies as models of ethical business.
28 August 2026
Rulebook needs a show-cause notice
21 August 2026
In many of our offices, the rulebook is treated like the fire extinguisher: displayed prominently, dusted before an audit, and touched only after smoke appears.
21 August 2026
From floor to runway
14 August 2026
Every now and then, Bangladesh produces a rare policy miracle: an authority listens before the public loses its voice. Bangladesh Bank’s latest Bangla QR circulars deserve appreciation for correcting the course.
14 August 2026
A little honest appreciation, please
31 July 2026
In Bangladesh, praise is treated like public money: everyone agrees it should circulate, but nobody wants to release it. Tell a colleague he did well, and someone will demand an audit. Compliment a bridge and another citizen will ask which political party issued your membership card. We are generous with criticism, stingy with gratitude and quick to suspicion.
31 July 2026
Corporate rituals on trial
24 July 2026
Applying for a job can feel like seeking admission to a royal household. Candidates submit a CV, cover letter, certificates, photograph, present salary, expected salary and perhaps proof of good behaviour in a previous life.
24 July 2026
The cost of neutrality
17 July 2026
Two neighbours went to a village elder with a dispute. After hearing the first man, the elder said, “You are right”.
17 July 2026
The floor economy
10 July 2026
We Bangladeshis love being unique, usually in the wrong direction. We speak of governance “of the people, by the people, for the people”, then regulate as if service providers prepared the draft, proofread it, and blessed it for their spiritual welfare.
10 July 2026
Regain trust in electoral system using blockchain
In recent times, people seem to be smitten with the term, blockchain, popping it into conversations without much knowledge of the concept.
16 March 2023
Ethics in the unethical world
There was once a young and talented woman who got a job at a corporate giant.
9 March 2023
Future of payments: physical to digital currency
Many of you have probably heard the “Bitcoin Pizza Story” where this man buys a pizza with 10,000 Bitcoins as the value of Bitcoin at the time was only a few cents.
2 March 2023
CSR or eyewash!
A common sight during winter months in recent years has been the distribution of blankets by our politicians, corporate leaders and businessmen to communities with little or no real need for them.
23 February 2023
Will AI only displace jobs?
The anchor of a popular US talk show confronted Alexa, an artificial intelligence (AI) bot, regarding complaints from its users concerning Alexa’s creepy laugh.
16 February 2023
Listening is caring: Do you care?
Some common complaints are: my friends don’t listen to me, my colleagues don’t listen to me, my husband doesn’t listen to me, and even my parents don’t listen to me.
9 February 2023
How to build a Smart Bangladesh
Once upon a time, there was a man who always bragged about his smartness. One day he came across an old man from his village and boasted, “I am the smartest man in the world. Nobody can match my intelligence.”
2 February 2023
Why put all degrees and titles on visiting cards
Walking back from the corner shop, Mr Chowdhury met a neighbour who inquired about what his sons are doing nowadays.
26 January 2023
Cyber security threats to Smart Bangladesh
In 2016, a group of hackers calling themselves “The Impact Team” hacked into Ashley Madison dating website and exposed the personal information of 37 million users.
19 January 2023
Why we struggle to share credit
Back in the day when we went to university, it was a common feature in every batch to have a group of friends who would inadvertently have a designated “Khadem” or “assistant” from the same class, an ordinary-looking, kind-hearted male classmate who would take care of their every need at the drop of a hat!
12 January 2023
Can AI be a threat to human existence?
A group of scientists developed the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) in the world, but they were left speechless when it announced,
5 January 2023
Dealing with corporate politics and politicians
Once a young boy went to a “Boishakhi Mela” with his father and came upon a vendor selling parrots, which he wished to have dearly.
29 December 2022
Digital trends transforming workplace
While it is vital to introduce digital technologies to workplaces, it is equally important to identify the problem areas where they can be implemented. Let’s look at some of the recent digital trends which will impact workplaces in the immediate future.
22 December 2022
Giving feedback to your boss
On their way to lunch, the chief financial officer (CFO), the chief human resources officer (CHRO) and their boss stumble on a beaten-up but valuable-looking brass container.
15 December 2022
Digital transformation: the term mostly abused
I had the privilege of working with a good number of high-tech wizards in a recent event where I found most of the chief technology officers (CTOs) are upset that the IT budget has been slashed due to the looming economic uncertainties and the ensuing challenges in the banking sector.
8 December 2022
Lest they judge
Once upon a time, Nasiruddin Hojja was riding a donkey with his friend.
1 December 2022
Are we safe from cyber hackers?
Mr Jones is a mafia leader who manages all his secret deals and finances on his laptop, which is his regular companion.
24 November 2022
Dealing with a bad boss
It is common that when a boss cracks a poor joke, we all laugh our hearts out.
17 November 2022
Mahbub Jamil: a corporate leader and a nation builder
At its inception Bangladesh had only a handful of successful corporate leaders and Mahbub Jamil was one of them. I cringe from using the past tense for Jamil Bhai. With his passing we have lost a great leader, mentor and friend.
17 November 2022
How does social media know what I am thinking?
Back in my university days, I had the privilege of learning a management theory which was of significant value later in my corporate years. It is called Johari Window for self-awareness, a technique to self-improve by knowing oneself better.
10 November 2022