I am the prophet of Underground Meerkating

My name is Hitler, Prophet Hitler 420. No it is not like Bond, James Bond 007. My numbers 420 are module codes taught in Left-Right University, a prominent and first ever private university of Bangladesh. Today in this sermon, I want to tell you about a pilgrimage called Underground Meerkating Summit which is the best thing that I have done in recent times and which is the best thing you will ever attend in your meerkating career. Read on.

What's in a name? Part 2

Statutory Warning - All names used in this blogpost are purely fictional and are result of the blogger's fertile but idle brain. Any similarity or resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental and out of pure luck.

It is not true that only women change their names in Bangladesh when they get married and append their husbands' surnames. In some instances, some men also do change their names when they get married - not to their wives - but to their professions in some cases. They become so infatuated with their profession that they not only reflect the change in their names as surnames but as forenames - above and before everything they are eventually called as.

Musa Mama conquers Everest - Now what?

Certainly a red and green salute to the first Bangladeshi for making us feel literally on top of the world for the first time. Musa Ibrahim is a common and heroic figure in Bangladesh now after his conquest of the Mount Everest as the first Bangladeshi. It goes without saying that we badly need role models for our youth, brand ambassadors to hold our country image high in the global stage. Musa has just done that risking his own life in the treacherous slides of the mighty Himalayas. He has started his descent and have been honoured with accolades in Kathmandu by the Bangladeshi high commission and the expats. Before he continues his return to Bangladesh, I thought to express my hope and fears regarding how this great man could be branded well and bad - by Bangladeshi corporates.

I would sincerely hope that –

If you are a telecom brand of Bangladesh, then please don’t put Musa Mama on top of Keokaradong, making him claim that he can get the network from the highest point of Bangladesh, only and only with your mobile network. Also please don’t make Musa make a roaming call from Kathmandu to his eagerly waiting mother and fellow villagers in Thakurgaon, to break the news of his mountain conquest and the news of his return – by echoing the promise to ‘stay close’ with your near and dear ones. If you are an energy drink producer, then please don’t insist Musa Mama to pose with a can of your energy drink like a shark or a bull or a tiger and claim that it was this great energy drink which gave him the so valuable energy when he was climbing the gigantic Sagarmatha. Similarly if you are in the business of making chanachurs or noodles, please spare him from claiming in a product endorsement that it was your greatly delicious instant noodles or spicy chanachur that kept him going when he paused for a break on his way up to the prestigious mountain top.

Either there is a high possibility that some brands can approach him to endorse their products and services and turn him into a paltry commodity. Or there is a possibility that we will comfortably overlook the tremendous potential this man holds to inspire the youth to aim high against all odds. The most prominent job adverted on bdjobs.com should be for a brand ambassador for Bangladesh. Luckily we got Dr. Muhammad Yunus and I am sure even though he possesses a sparkling, wide smile capable enough to have landed him a role in a toothpaste advertisement, he must have declined such offers as he has other priorities and better means to support himself. I am not sure about Musa though. It is to be seen how the young dynamic man who is a journalist by profession, handles this new found fame now.

Bangladeshi brands would be better off if they decide to join hands to host this man and his unique feat to celebrate a common achievement and preach a common message of pride, self-belief, ambition, perseverance – as a Bangladeshi youth. I hope Musa sees the bigger picture, as he must have seen from the top of Mount Everest, that he has a game at hand to inspire those who breathe Bangladesh around the world. Going above and beyond representing any particular business brand, he should rather convert himself to a national brand and set out in a mission to carry the brand of the red and green. Actual business brands who might take part in making this happen for Musa and for us, would be treated as true heroes in the long run.

World’s largest marketing Communications Agencies Network ComVort ties up with Bangladesh’s Roop

Roop of Bangladesh has recently joined ComVort Group Worldwide, a powerful alliance of the world's largest and leading independent marketing communication agencies network headquartered in Barcelona.

The Group's member agencies 'Work within the marketing-communication branch in almost every metropolis across the globe, ComVort has been ranked as the top global independent agency network by ‘Advertising Age’ (USA), with over 172 offices in 143 cities of 73 countries, 4,300 employees, 5,000 clients and services offered in over 47 languages. Revenue in USD 669,000,000.

The very structure of ComVort characterises the philosophy on which it was established - Think Global, Act Local, which provides for a more competitive and productive advantage over traditional integrated service agencies network.

All ComVort members offer a vast depth of knowledge of the social and cultural makeup of local consumer and marketplace. This, coupled with access to global knowledge base and expertise in diverse communication fields would give Roop, as a ComVort member, the edge to deliver exceptional value to their clients like Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Banglalink, Lafarge-Surma Cement Ltd, SEDF, Kohinoor Chemical, Cute, Labaid, Dekko Group, BKMEA, Samsung, Thai Trade Centre, Philips etc.

As part of the ComVort Group, Roop Bangladesh can also offer local companies with international business, access to a large network of prompt, efficient and highly involved marketing and advertising agencies in all continents.

Given its strategy to strengthen network in developing markets, both Mr Karl Jacobi, Chairman of ComVort Group and Mr Yusuf Hassan, CEO of Roop Communications, stood committed to the success of its local and international business partners in Bangladesh.

Are you a boro guru or a buro goru?

Goru (produces shit and eats grass, attends Moha Guru-Goru seminars, MGG)--> 'buro goru--> guru (produces milky knowledge and meaty words, chairing MGG seminars, panelists)--> boro guru (produces shit and eats grass--> reincarnation as a goru.

So which phase of evolution are you in? Are you simply still a ‘goru’ or a ‘buro goru’ or you have successfully become a ‘guru’ or better still…you have grown to be a ‘boro guru’? Think about it…are you eating enough grass, producing lot of intellectual cow-dung or are you truly producing quality milk (fat free) in form of new and contextual wisdom, idea, knowledge? Wondering what all these ‘goru-guru’ dilly dally is all about?

Well, I am a strong supporter of the petition that the Bangla word ‘goru’ be included in the English language dictionary, pretty much as the Bangla word ‘guru’ (Yes I claim it to be a Bangla word and lets brand it) is widely used these days to describe someone full of knowledge and expertise in any particular field. A ‘goru’ is someone like me who is amused very easily and frequently by the ‘knowledge’ of prominent gurus of branding, entrepreneurship, management etc. A ‘goru’ initially does not have the required know-how, contacts, platform, money to become a ‘guru’ himself eventually. So he tries to get free tickets to Moha Guru-Goru (MGG) seminars on business, management, brands etc. to achieve enlightenment.

A ‘buro goru’ is a bigger version of a ‘goru’. Someone who keeps on circling in the same cycle over years, without much success to neither implement the knowledge received from ‘gurus’ and ‘boro gurus’ in seminars, workshops nor being able to become a ‘guru’ himself by hook or by crook. ‘buro gorus’ also find themselves in the audience seat of the same seminars, events held year after year in the same city in different locations and keep on repeating the same act of dressing up well and exchanging business cards and smile, hand-shakes during the programs, without much success.

The definition of a ‘guru’ is already given and we are seeing many of them heating up the conference hotel rooms in Dhaka recently, pretty much on a regular basis. A ‘boro guru’ is the ‘baap’ of all gurus, usually with ‘many years of experience and awards’ in the designated fields. Although ‘gurus’ are generally seen to generate bits and pieces of knowledge during those events, ‘boro gurus’ usually become stale and end up producing lot of old wine in new bottle. In other words, they produce same shit and keep on living on grasses until they realize that they have again become a ‘goru’, thus completing the cycle of ‘gurulogy’.

A popular proverb in Bangla says ‘deshi jogi bhik payna’. (Wonder if any exact English exists or not…but lets put it as….country beggar gets no alms). But another proverb is ready to enter into the Bangla linguistics which would go as ‘Bangladeshe bideshi bhikhario jogi-guru shomo’ (in Bangladesh, even a foreign beggar is guru-like’). We are seeing more and more ‘shada babas’ and ‘bideshi bystanders’ coming into Bangladesh and giving us knowledge on hot topics such as branding, business and management. No wonder during the global credit crunch, emerging economies like Bangladesh are the best place to sell some words and earn some living isn’t it? No wonder when the West started embracing Yoga, the elites in our part of the world were convinced that it must be a good thing. When Madonna started donning henna (mehendi), we also became aware and crazy about using it even in previously unusual occasions. Somehow we can’t still believe that our local boys, girls, uncles, aunties are good enough to be given the same platform, glamour, publicity when it comes to preaching about branding, business, management, entrepreneurship etc. We need a white magic stick or even an Indian one, to show us the way, which had been lying in front of us for a long time anyways, only gathering negligence, mistrust and dust from our part.

Some good thing about attending these hotel-bound conferences are the feel-good-factor, look-good-factor, talk-good-factor. You sit in a sound-proof room, with big shots, small and big fishes in the industry and listen to things which you think you are hearing for the first time. However a careful recalling might lead you to the fact that you must have studied the same concepts in your business school, if you were serious enough a student that is. Also, if you leverage the web 2.0 you could be very well abreast with the latest thoughts and directions in the fields of your interest. But oi arki, we love exclusivity, we would make sure we understand something new from a seminar we attend after paying a hefty price for the ticket. After all, what would others say if I admit that it was more glamour, good hotel food and mingling with the wanna-bees and wanna-babes in the local and global corporate sector, rather than any true value addition to knowledge?

A good thing however about foreign ‘gurus’ is that they have acquired the required body language and classy acts to transmit their thoughts or even hide their shallow knowledge in some occasions. However, they are more or less ‘feet on the ground’. Many of our ‘desi gurus’ unfortunately sometimes suffer from ‘bhaab’ syndromes (an attitude problem) and walk a feet above ground due to the helium-heavy-heads and airy talks. The genuine ones keep off from the gaudy display of knowledge and prefer alternative means to become a true ‘guru’. But they remain in low lights due to no branding, not many good friends in right places, money etc.

As a simple ‘goru’ myself, I would love to see these desi, humble, down to earth and resourceful ‘guru’s teach and preach us about how to do branding and business in Bangladesh. Its our problem we don’t brand our local voices more and give more weight to what ‘others’ say. How many of our so called local think-tanks on branding have actually been invited to deliver speeches on the same topics outside of Bangladesh?

End of a goru-post. Hamba.

Disclaimer: The Cow (goru) is a lovely animal, the author has composed long essays on this gentle animal while in high school and achieved high grades. This post does not intend to harm personally any innocent 'goru' or a 'guru'. Whatever you are, be happy, eat grass, produce milk, shit and happy hambaa-ing in the seminars.

Start branding a Gamcha first

Flashback. Early 90’s. Dhaka. When the city used to host SAARC summits and there were pictures of the nation heads and 7 South Asian country flags ornamenting the streets of Dhaka. Live session updates in the BTV used to bring along with it a few observations which I used to convert to questions and pester my father from time to time. Some of them which I still recall are as following.


1. Why does the King of Bhutan wears a frock/skirt and comes to visit a foreign country in such a high profile summit?
2. Why does the Sri Lankan president wear a white ‘lungi’ and attend such official meeting of high-ups?
3. I noticed the colourful special cap worn by the Nepali premier and the tight-fitting pyjamas, why so?
4. The Pakistani leaders used to wear their traditional shalwar-kurta with ‘koti’
5. Indian leaders used to wear their traditional wears, sometimes in dhuti, panjabi etc.
6. What is the national dress of Bangladeshi people? Female leaders wear saree ofcourse and male leaders wear safari suit, prince coats, suit etc. But what is actually our national dress?

I remember people saying that actually our national dress should be white payjama panjabi and black koti. Then some rejected this idea saying that it closely resembles to the party outfit of a leading political party. Then some said that our national dress is lungi and genji. For women, its saree. The bottom line is, I never got any one answer to this question. We have a national element for almost everything, national day, animal, bird, fruit etc. But what about dress? You might also argue that why do we need one? But I think we do, as an ambassador of the country, I would like to carry my identity with me and show it off from time to time. This is the generation R&G if you call it.

What you wear is something that communicates non-verbally to others around you about your identity. It can be a completely unique tip-to-toe outfit like a saree or a payjama panjabi or it could be a simple accessory which you could carry on you which would speak out loud your ethnicity. What is it for us?

I bought a pair of Shemaghs (which are very much a la mode these days) this evening and was wondering as I made my way to the underground that a Bangladeshi Bengali donning an Arab scarf taking a stroll in the heart of the cosmopolitan city of London, the capital of the United Kingdom….is this called globalization? Or I am just being a Londoner while in London? Don’t know much, but I always wondered why it never crossed my mind to promote a simple gamcha from amar shonar bangla? Even though Bibi Russell tried making a statement with her outfits that only she wears herself, although Grameen Check created bit of a stir, why did these never crossed the border? Did they fail to convince the style icons of Bangladesh? Do we think that gamcha is for 'khet gorib' people only? It made me sad after Googling ‘gamcha’ to realize that its actually an ‘Indian fabric’, mostly worn in Bengal, Assam etc. If saree is Indian, Gamcha is Indian, Shalwar Kurta is Pakistani, suits and ties are ‘Western’, what is Bangladeshi then?

I believe a time has come when we need to ‘accessorize patriotism’ somehow. If we love red and green, we should be doing more to wear it, flaunt it and make even others a fan of it. Hats off to Arabs who made their Shemaghs such a big hit around the world, ofcourse even among non-Arabs. Hope someday soon something uniquely from Bangladesh will be a hit fashion item to be worn by foreigners walking down the streets of New York or London. So along with branding a big concept like the country, lets start small by start something as small as a Gamcha.

Never wanted to become a salesman!

Sales. The most available job in Bangladesh, may be in India, in Australia or in the world as well. But none really wants, never desired, never wrote in high school essays, as popularly written for the professions such as doctor, engineer, justice, researcher, civil service, lawyer, accountant, architect, scientist, pilot, military, businessman etc. Atleast I never heard that any high school student quoted salesman or manager or director as their “aim in life “ in an essay in their exam script, have you ever heard of any? But people are in sales. Or, they have to be there, appropriately speaking. The most visible sales teams are in pharmaceuticals industry. Motorbikes, bags, rushing behind doctors, crowding before clinics made it classical to visualize the word sales at top of mind. Science graduates or any other graduates with science upto HSC is the prerequisite to apply for the position. But look at few years back. At the end of VIII final exam teacher, families pushed the cream of the class towards science, to see future scientists, doctors, engineers, astronauts from their beloveds. Days go on. HSC over. Handsome creams go for physics, chemistry, botany, zoology, math, B.sc. (pass) or in some social science subjects to be the scholar at university or university college (peculiar Bangladesh version of tertiary school) or arts other than fortunate BUET, BIT, Medical, BBA, Military-ites. Dreams become dim while millions of high school cream finds that “no job for science graduates in Bangladesh”, they rewind their memory with the painful practical classes during afternoons at the universities. Things become more painful while banks, the second largest formal white collar job source next to PSC, advertise sociology, English, international affairs, public administration along with proliferated BBA/MBA as qualified only although it matters zero as long as “probationary officer, management trainee, trainee officer, graduate associate, management associate, graduate trainee, assistant officer (DBBL) “concern in a bank. It is all about reading/writing/adding/subtracting using pens or PC. Another sales is invisible to mass is the territory officers/managers/executives & their bosses- area managers, regional managers, national managers, sales directors etc. They are rushing behind retailers/distributors of respective products. There are some quarterly targets drafted by “brilliant” marketing teams (sitting inside AC rooms) through their meticulous marketing research (or dragging MsExcel on last quarter sales!) and these teams move. Sleepless quarter ends. And at the end of year real thanks goes to marketing! While sales receive a hard-night and of course nightmare of next year target.

-Azad A. Kalam

"Life in a ...metro" and in a Bangladeshi corporate

"That is why I always believed that this blog can talk about something which we don't usually talk about in our business newspapers and magazines...", mentioned Shaila (27), working in a leading telecom company of Bangladesh. What Shaila hinted was never aimed at the mushrooming gurus (me too) in the business arena of Bangladesh. Some claim to be brand doctors, some sales specialists, some investment heroes, some this some that, and most of them have their own blog here and there, and they are pretty much reluctant to write to this blog for free, also because they think that there is no branding but self-branding, so no thanks Red & Green!

Shaila and many other's have voiced strong approval for publishing unpublished day to day stories from the corporate life in Bangladesh. Conversations that take place in the smoking zone stairways of Del Vista, over a cup of coffee at Coffee World on way back to home from office, while stuck at the traffic jams in the busy junctions of Gulshan, Mohakhali and Motijheel...let the airy talks take shapes in black and white. So pretty much like the Hindi movie 'Life in a Metro', some real life characters have taken the initiative to talk about some issues you usually don't read in The Financial Express or in the Monthly Brand Forum Magazine, unfortunately they will not be able to publish all these sensitive (and secret?) issues any ways I believe.

I recognize that there are already so many specialists for different streams of business topics i.e. HR, sales, brands, finance etc.....how many of us actually speak the truth? The truth that is ordered to be confined in the four walls of our working places...the truths that become a part and parcel of our working career, our corporate culture...going unnoticed and unconfirmed. One word of caution though, this will not be any 'Dear Mita' type agony aunt sessions...that "I have fallen in love with my handsome boss or I want to go check out our new hot colleague..please give tips..." etc. Some raw stories perhaps, to unlock some hidden conversations, some favours received, some experiences...all at the place where we work. So stay tuned and watch 'Life in a Corporate... Bangladeshi corporates'.

Dear Bhais and Apus

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Originally posted on September 6, 2007

"It’s the way we do things out here". I don’t remember who quoted this while defining corporate culture, but this was the easiest to understand definition of corporate culture I have come across so far. I remember the quote but have forgotten the author (no wonder I flunked in Marketing once). I guess it essentially implies that there is nothing right or wrong about corporate culture, different countries have adopted different corporate cultures according to the local values, customs, language, religion etc. Discussing corporate culture in the context of Bangladesh could be a very interesting issue, but the scope would be very broad. I thought to focus on a very small aspect of it—the way in which we call each other at Bangladesh Corporates.

Bhai and Apu are the most widely practiced ‘caller ID’ in our work places I suppose. Calling the boss as ‘Sir/Madam’ still exists in a few organizations. Especially government offices still fondly harness the hierarchical call protocol. On the other hand, in the private sector corporates, where the substantial number of worker-base is fed by private universities, ‘Bhaiya-Apu’ call culture is widely popular and practiced. Having completed three levels of education and work experience in three different countries, I have come across quite varied work place cultures, allowing me to witness different vibes at different locations. Different context and country require different culture…as long as the job is done effectively and efficiently, culture is not a barrier. However just a few observations for today, nothing more.

To be on the safe side, we call our (apparently elder) female colleagues ‘Apu’ and the male ones ‘Bhaiya’. I have come across a few situations where I was called bhai by a few persons during the early days of interaction. This could be due to the fact that I look like an Abba (close friends’ harsh remarks)…..older than I really am. However from this talk to that, whenever those persons came to know that my year of passing SSC/HSC (a popular standard for measuring seniority/juniority) is way later then theirs, they immediately switched to ‘tumi’. This initial hesitation, confusion or whatever you say…in deciding upon the caller suffixes intrigued me. I realized that if my colleague is older than me, by age and by work experience, he receives a professional security cushion if I call him Bhaiya. Similarly calling an apparently elder female colleague Apu creates the necessary distance, room and respect she might require. So this bhaiya-apu culture creates the status quo, decorum we expect in our work places to get the interpersonal relationship going. Calling a boss at any level with caller IDs i.e. bhaiya, apu, dada, sir, madam is understandable but I really don’t understand why do we need to make use of these amongst peers? Even if someone is younger than me or older than me, by age or work experience, if we are on the same boat, why create more levels within us?

Perhaps this tendency is inbuilt in us from our very childhood. I remember getting slapped by a school senior who was only one class senior to me, for smoking in front of their ‘band of boys’, and for not showing them ‘respect’. However I returned the respect in the form of a tighter slap followed by Bangla slangs with not apni, or tumi…simple and straight tui tukari! It’s a different issue however, the point is that this very culture of hierarchy is within us and we like to keep it that way even when we work.


I don’t know if you would agree or not, but when I call (apparently junior) colleagues by just the name and tumi, it gives me some sort of invisible authority over them. It also does give me more comfort while I work with them. When I call colleagues (both elder and younger) by just the name and apni, it gives me comfort when I work with them, however the professional and personal respect is also maintained with the apni salutation. But whenever I call colleagues (senior, both male female) with the name followed by bhai or apu, it gives me a sense of ornamental distance followed by a sense of ‘juniority’ (which I may not be in cases even in terms of experience and expertise). It also requires me to be more diplomatic and politically correct when I need to oppose or offend or argue against any of their propositions. All this appears, sometimes, to be redundant and ‘just for the sake of it’.

English is a good language for business use. The word ‘you’ is safe from communicating any hierarchy in it. Most other languages including Bangla, have a division in the ‘you’ word. French has ‘tu’ and ‘vous’, German has ‘du’ and ‘Sie’, Chinese has ‘ni’ and ‘nin’, Hindi has ‘tum’ and ‘aap’ and you might know more about what Arabic, Italian and Japanese have. Even though these words are used extensively in the businesses in those countries, I wonder if they have attempted or not to make the workplace feel more like an extended family of brothers and sisters with words such as bhaiya and apu. I also wonder how it is in Pakistani work places…do they call their colleagues as bhaijaan and baaji/aapa? Maybe someone can shed some light on it.

This bhai-apu practice is surely an integral part in Bangladesh corporate culture and I am in no way trying to oppose it or change it. Its just a personal opinion that we do not have to necessarily patronize it too. Calling somebody by the name they were given by their parents or by what the person her/himself prefers…is a safe option. Respectful words while salutation make more sense if that respect is earned by a person over time through his/her character, experience, expertise or position…not merely by age or by job duration or looks.

Chakri ta ami peye gesi Bela shunso...........

Most people in their student life face cash constrains for moving with their dates. But do people feel so intensely after entering the corporate world, allegedly donning with the cash power? With the increase in education among our female peers or for their inevitability in some of the posts, more of them are working in our corporate world. More fair looking girls are glazing at the receptions or some other chairs not only for their brighter complexion but also for their temperament. But that is not a problem untill a stout looking, handosme stumbles upon one of these co-workers. My article is about these corporate blues.

Films from Bollywood try to portray this 'falling in love' is a common phenomenon in the corporate world. Films like 'Life In A Metro' is based on a cobweb of intricate relations, where someone is courting other's wife or lower in position girls are dating with bosses for an extra advantage. But whatever is the depictation, most stories roll down to a bed, for some passionate love making scenes. Films like 'Agger' goes into the length of calling this 'physical relationship' a settlement. But is our corporate world is so mature to go frolicking with such a radical conservative outlook of our society?

Rekha never feels so ardently about Aarman, although they went about for some dates on a couple of occasions. Though it is not upto a state of infatuation, she has a feel good relationship with him. But it was not the same when Aarman first joined at this office. With a rugged looking face and a stocky aspect, Rekha didn't even bother to give him a second peek. But as a next desk mate she had to share some views with him, even had him overheard some of her secret conversations. She couln't desist the olive branch extended to her in the form of some tempting gifts. He could finance some of their dates at some posh hotels as he was earning more from some other sources. But they began to feel some niggles in their relationship, when they were already in a nuptial knot.

The downside of ' love with co-worker' is that it is not based on intense feeling or venerability on which a relatioship should evolve. Moreover, there is no family bound pressure to keep it intact as most of the time it is illicit or without the consent of family members. It is said that if you keep two pieces of stone together, they will trun to the same colour. As two peers spend such a long time together in their office, there develop a feel-good relationship. Apart from that, an extra spurt of money also stokes the relationship to a more hectic form. Eventually, it falls apart as they do not have anything new to descover among themselves.

But it does not mean we will not try to give our luck a chance. As the 'Valentines Day' is nearing, couples are more busy with their schedules on the very day. After office-time he would like to have a ride with her in the silhouette of setting sun. Whatever you do, please 'Play Safe'.

The Kingdom of Bangladesh Corporate Blog

This is an exclusive post only for you. Know how fast The Kingdom of Bangladesh Corporate Blog is spreading over the world. Thank you for being so cooperative throughout these days. Be with us. Be Business. Be Bangladesh. Be in Big Time.

Don't like Dulabhai, don't like Dholabhai

Insatiable. Never happy with any given situation. Not sure exactly which situation we want and even when we get close to determining what we want, we never bother to implement it in real life. Take for example a macro level scenario. There had been times when we had been unhappy under begum alpha. There had been times when we had been unhappy under begum beta. Even after the transition in Bangladesh from 1/11 onwards in 2007, there are unhappy voices with the present situation. The fact remains that there will always be problems, more or less, but we keep on complaining that the glass is still empty, without realizing that it has been gradually filled up from the top.

Take a further micro level case. A growing number of voices have been heard particularly from our telco friends, foes and family that the amount of money the expatriates in those companies draw as salary is simply outrageous and without any logic. What is the salary drawn by our mentors and masters from Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan and Egypt? Some argue that there are no guidelines for foreigners working in Bangladesh in terms of the amount of money they can earn per month. To be more specific, the telco industry does not have any regulations in fixing the maximum number of expats allowed to work in a particular company. Whereas Bangladesh Bank had regulated that a certain number of foreigners are allowed to consist in the bank’s core management team/board etc. All these, are words of the budding telecom professionals who did experience ‘some raise’ in their salaries, however they believe, they deserve more…or conversely, they think the expats should get less.

So if we think we are of equal caliber if not better than our ‘dholabhais’, how do we define the behaviour we show when we express our reservations against foreign consultants ‘who are actually of Bangladeshi origin holding foreign passports’ and who are invited to implement or advise different development projects in the country? People unwillingly utter their dissatisfaction over a ‘corridor-smoke-break’ that ‘khamokha bangali ek beta re niye ashche ar dollar e poisha ditese…ki jaane oi beta!’..(For nothing they have brought a Bangali chap and feeding him with Dollars, what does he know!).

So it goes without saying that we are neither happy with the fact that our bideshi bosses are getting an unbelievable amount of salary given the Bangladeshi context nor we are happy when we see a Bangladeshi expat getting paid in US currency which is also high in the Bangladeshi context (actually in both cases its us who are actually getting paid less…isn’t it?). So the floor is open for debate. If we are unhappy that friends from the east, middle east and West are drawing more than they deserve, we should formulate our arguments. Also, if we remain unhappy with the fact that foreign passport holding Bangladeshis are also not up to the mark to carry out local projects, we should be having clear understanding of our judgments. Being unhappy with any situation we are put into will not us lead anywhere, for the time being.

Branding one district with one product

Organic tea of Panchagarh, crab of Khulna, nakshikantha of Faridpur, handloom products of Tangail, clay tiles of Shatkhira, pineapple of Khagrachhari, betal leaf of Chuadanga and hilsa fish of Bhola. I was born and brought up in Dhaka while my parents hail from Meherpur and Sylhet. I am left pondering how to brand these two districts with a flagship product. I know Meherpur is famous for Mujibnagar and Sylhet is famous for many more things, but how to brand these districts with key products or trade representative of the districts? Which district you belong to? May be if you are a brand 'gewrew' yourself, you can propose some unique branding strategy for your district and mine and with our collective effort, we can join our bits and pieces to establish a competitive advantage for our own districts.

Daily Star reports that inspired by the Japanese 'one village one product' movement, the government has started implementing a 'one district one product' (ODOP) scheme to decentralise and diversify export production. Officials hope the move will lower costs and ease environmental and social problems such as uncontrolled migration from rural areas to the country's main cities. Japan launched such a movement at Oita Prefecture in 1979. It has now become a global movement as countries like China, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and the United States have adopted this strategy to promote their products. As per the EPB plan, a common logo for all the selected products under ODOP will be introduced to make them familiar worldwide.The state-run export promotional agency also has a plan to set up some common centres all over the country, which will provide technical and logistic supports for the products under the ODOP project.The EPB wants optimum use of organic raw materials as well as indigenous technology to promote products in the international market.An expert in such movement from Japan, Tadashi Uchida, will soon be invited to Bangladesh to share his experience with local people.The EPB will also propose to the government that it seek support from donors like Japan's External Trade Organization in order to carry out the project.

So time to get back to roots I guess, think how you can give something back to the district you affiliate yourself with. Perhaps a good time to apply the branding strategies we learnt and preach...to our 'desher baris' first.

10 Tips for Becoming a Great Corporate Blogger

Successful blogging is not just about being the best writer on the web or even the most prolific. Being a successful blogger is about creating a connection with an audience by providing relevant content, nurturing that relationship with comments and links and keeping the dialogue flowing. Here are ten tips to get you started.

1. Understand the fundamentals of Blogger Relations

While anyone can set up a blog in a day and start publishing articles, it takes far more work to be a great blogger and see the real benefits of blogging. First, you need to have a blogging strategy that is in line with your PR strategy and business goals. Next, you have to provide relevant content. Most importantly, you must conduct what is called Blogger Relations. Blogger Relations is what blogging is all about—starting and maintaining a conversation. Unlike Public Relations or media relations where you are trying to pitch your story, with Blogger Relations you initiate and participate in ongoing discussions with other bloggers and your target audience. As the conversation progresses, you get to know the other players in your industry; you gain credibility by listening as well as commenting; and you gain new readers as other bloggers provide links back to your blog to give you credit for your ideas. The more you conduct Blogger Relations, the more successful your blogging will be.

2. Create value

Creating something of value for your audience should be the first aim of your blog; otherwise your readers will have no reason to return. This is where a public relations strategy can help you develop content that keeps your customers coming back for more.

3. Grow and sustain your audience by providing real analysis

Monitor the news and blogs for articles that would be of interest to your audience. When writing about the news as a blogger, it is not just a matter of describing the news—though that is important. It is more imperative that you provide new, informative and entertaining analysis in order to sustain and grow your audience. That is why opinion and your personal perspective interlaced with your past experiences will help to add to your credibility and foster loyal readership.

4. Report on community opinion

If you think the news is important but don’t have an opinion or perspective, one way to provide opinion is to provide a synopsis of ideas from the community at large. In addition to acting as a valuable resource for your audience, you create the opportunity to send a trackback link to one or more blogs, connecting with more bloggers AND more readers.

5. Respond with comments to build relationships and traffic

Responding to another blogger’s comment can be just as important as the article post itself. Blogging is about dialogue and the opportunity to interact with your audience. Many posts will not receive any comments, but when they do, you have to be ready to respond. Blogging is a little like having an amphitheatre of people viewing a conversation between two people. While you must focus on the conversation with your commenter, you must also be aware of the rest of the audience. In other words, you should respond to the challenge the commenter presents while at the same time providing greater context, so the entire readership can follow and benefit from your conversation.

6. Track your conversations

In order to keep conversations flowing, you have to stay aware of each discussion in progress. Unfortunately, we are still in the early days of blogging, and many blogs do not include notification technology to let you know where there has been a new post. And even if a blogger receives notification that you have commented on his/her blog, does not mean that you will receive notification when that blogger replies to your comment. If comment email subscription is available, it is wise to subscribe. You may also choose to use tools such as del.icio.us or Cocomment for tracking comments online and subsequent follow up. But, ultimately, you may have to monitor for comments manually to make sure you keep the conversations alive.

7. Don’t be afraid of criticism

Dialogue is also about criticism; so don’t be afraid when others criticize your ideas or actions you have taken on a blog. See it as opportunity to keep the conversation flowing. In the blogosphere, you are more respected when you demonstrate the ability to respond. In addition, a “foil” critiquing your work can often draw more attention to the discussion and increase readership. Furthermore, criticism can be constructive. Feedback related to product flaws and improvements can actually help your product development process.

8. Conduct interviews to generate content and ideas

Interviews are a great way to generate interest and content for the blog. Picking other bloggers to interview is particularly helpful in generating links and traffic. Many bloggers will enjoy the added attention and more than likely link back to your interview post.

9. Promote your blog

When an author writes a book, the writing process is often very much solitary. Once the book is published, however, a writer must reach out to others and promote that book through public readings and strategic marketing. Building a successful blog requires a similar approach. Once your articles are written, you have to promote them by chatting with colleagues in the industry and starting a dialogue. Connect with loyal and thoughtful readers as well as industry authorities. When bloggers take note of your article, it tends to have a viral effect, increasing eyeballs exponentially.

10. Monitor the web for brand names and references

Using RSS feed search engines such as technorati.com and blogpulse.com, monitor for mention of your company and corporate blog posts as well as important developments in your industry.

Source: Internet

শিক্ষার্থীদেরকে Part Time Job এর সুযোগ |

বিজয় আহমেদ Economics এ Post Graduate Complete করেছেন আজ চার বছর। চাকুরীর জন্য একের পর এক সিভি ড্রপ করেই যাচ্ছেন, কিন্তু চাকুরী নামের সোনার হরিনটি তার আজও অধরাই রয়ে গেল। আর এর একমাত্র কারণ তার কোন আভিজ্ঞতা নেই।আমাদের দেশে অভিজ্ঞতা ছাড়া কোন চাকরী হয়না। আমাদের দেশে প্রায় প্রতিটি Corporate কোম্পানীই তাদের নিয়োগ বিজ্ঞাপণে স্ব স্ব পদে অভিজ্ঞতা সম্পন্ন লোক নিয়োগ করে, যার কারনে বিজয় আহমেদের মত দেশের অসংখ্য মেধাবী শিক্ষিত ছেলে-মেয়ে বেকার জীবন-যাপন করছে। আর যার ফলে অনেক সময় দেখা যায় এসব ছেলে-মেয়ে গুলো তাদের জীবনের পাশাপাশি ধবংস করছে দেশের উজ্জল ভবিষ্যত।

অবশ্য চাকুরী পেতে বর্তমানে যে শুধু অভিজ্ঞতাই প্রয়োজন তাও নয়, অনেক সময় মামা-চাচার মাধ্যমেও চাকুরী হয়ে যায় তবে সেটা খুবই গৌণ,অভিজ্ঞতাই বেশী প্রয়োজন হয় আর কোম্পনীগুলোও অভিজ্ঞ লোক নিবেই বা না কেন, আজকের বিশ্বায়নের যুগে প্রতিটি ব্যবসায়িক প্রতিষ্ঠানকেই খুবই প্রতিযোগীতার মধ্যে তাদের ব্যবসায়িক কর্মকান্ড চালাতে হয়, আর যার কারনে ক্ষতির হাত থেকে বাঁচতে প্রতিষ্ঠানের কর্মীদেরকে হতে হয় সব দিক দিয়ে দক্ষ।

আর এ সমস্যার সমাধানের জন্য আমি একটি ঊপায় খুঁজে পেয়েছি, জানিনা এটি সবার পছন্দ হবে কিনা। শিক্ষার্থীরা তাদের Graduation এর পর যদি কোন প্রতিষ্ঠানে Part Time Job করে, Masters complete না হওয়া পর্যন্ত তবে তারা এই সময়টুকুতে কিছু কাজ-কর্ম শিখে অভিজ্ঞতা অর্জন করতে পারে যা দিয়ে তারা পরবর্তীতে কোন প্রতিষ্ঠানে অনায়েশেই একটি চাকুরী জোগাড় করে নিতে পারবে। এখন প্রশ্ন আসতে পারে ব্যবসায়িক প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলো কেন শিক্ষার্থীদের এমন Part Time এর চাকরী দিবে, এতে তাদের লাভ কী? তাদের লাভ হচ্ছে তারা বিনে পারিশ্রমিকে কিছু কাজ করিয়ে নিল, যাতে তাদের বেশ আর্থিক সাশ্রয় হবে। আর শিক্ষার্থীরাতো তাদের শ্রমবাবদ পাচ্ছেই অভিজ্ঞতার সার্টিফিকেট।

আবার ব্যবসায়িক প্রতিষ্ঠানগুলো চাইলে এসব শিক্ষার্থীদেরকে Permanent ও করে নিতে পারে যদি তাদের প্রয়োজন হয়। অনেকে হয়তো আরো প্রশ্ন তুলতে পারেন যে, এমনতো হচ্ছেই। যেমন- বিবিএ, এমবিএ ইত্যাদি ডিগ্রীর পরেই বিভিন্ন কোম্পানী ইন্টার্ণশীপের ব্যবস্থা করছে। করছে, কিন্তু এ ছাড়াওতো আরো অনেক সাবজেক্টের শিক্ষার্থী রয়েছে। তারাও এরকম ইন্টার্ণশীপ বা পার্ট টাইম জবের সুযোগ পেতে পারে।

আর এ ধরনের সুযোগ যদি কোন Corporate Company দেয় শিক্ষার্থীদেরকে তবে আমার ধারনা এ দেশে একদিন গড়ে উঠবে দক্ষ জনশক্তি। যারা দেশকে নিয়ে যাবে আরো সমৃদ্ধির দিকে। তখন থাকবে না এ দেশে আর কোন হতাশা, জড়া ইত্যাদি। এ দেশ হবে একদিন বিশ্বের অন্যতম এক উন্নত দেশ।

Top 50 keywords leading to this blog

Here is the list of top 50 keywords out of 854 from around the world leading to the Bangladesh Corporate Blog. Interesting to see what the world is searching for regarding the Bangladeshi corporates and businesses.

Keyword		Visits
1.	consumers' expectations from retail industry in bangladesh	30
2.	bangladesh corporate blog	13
3.	bangladeshcorporate	13
4.	bangladesh corporate blogs	10
5.	competitive advantages of citycell in bangladesh	8
6.	vehicle tracking+grameen phone	8
7.	radio today bangladesh	7
8.	bangladesh corporate	6
9.	bangladesh blogs	5
10.	bangladesh corporate blogspot	5
11.	nestle bangladesh	5
12.	unilever bangladesh	5
13.	marius armeanca	4
14.	why did citycell change their logo in bangladesh?	4
15.	banglalink annual report	3
16.	banglalink customer service strategy	3
17.	call center jobs in bangladesh	3
18.	corporate bangladesh	3
19.	radio today in bangladesh	3
20.	stock businesses in bangladesh	3
21.	warid logo	3
22.	wimax bangladesh	3
23.	aktel	2
24.	article about akij group	2
25.	asiatic mcl	2
26.	bangladesh cement saturated	2
27.	bangladesh radio today	2
28.	banglalink sex	2
29.	best fried chicken bangladesh	2
30.	blogs bangladesh economy	2
31.	bpo bangladesh	2
32.	cement market in bangladesh	2
33.	channel differentiation of warid tel in bangladesh	2
34.	citycell	2
35.	corporate blog bangladesh	2
36.	corporate blog of bangladesh	2
37.	corporate blogs bangladesh	2
38.	corporate hr practice in bd	2
39.	csr activities in bangladesh	2
40.	csr of banglalink	2
41.	csr of hsbc bank in bangladesh	2
42.	dutch bangla bank csr activities	2
43.	g4s bangladesh	2
44.	heidelbergcement bangladesh	2
45.	heidelbergcement limestone import bangladesh	2
46.	hsbc, sme banking, june 2007, bangladesh	2
47.	http://bangladeshcorporate.blogspot.com/	2
48.	hua wei bribe bangladesh	2
49.	job trust bank bangladesh	2
50.	lanka bangla securities ltd. bangladesh	2

Corporate, corruption, bribe and my dulabhai

I suspect that my Dulabhai is a ghushkhor. I remember my cousin depressingly wording out a couple of months ago that things have become tougher these days, especially after the arrival of this government. Erstwhile, it was easier to ensure income from ‘different’ sources. Now it has become really difficult. Sending two kids to Scholastica, staying in an apartment in Uttara, planning to buy a car in near future, all this have become really constrained due to the lack of supply of income from ‘other’ sources. Well I still understand that government offices such as PDB (Power Development Board) (where my Dulabhai works) used to be one of the hotbeds of power misuse and corruption. I wonder still, what are the needs of a common man in Bangladesh that would compel him to take/give bribes. This brother-in-law of mine has nearly cracked his forehead along with evident cracks on the floor by saying regular prayers and confessing to God almighty perhaps, of his wrongdoings. He wears an innocent look with a pot-belly and bald head. He must be saying that he is doing all this to be able to provide ‘good education’ for his children (by sending them to an English medium school like Scholastica). He must be arguing with God that he is taking bribe because ‘that’s the way things are here in Bangladesh…join in or be left out’. So if you want to be with the flow, join the tribe of the bribesmen. Government offices have always been like this perhaps, many might argue, but what about the private sector?

Starting from Lockheed Martin’s lobbying in the US government during various wars to corruption in countries like China, ‘speedmoney’ seems to be a term we all live with and tend to take easily. But how severe or how essential is it in the context of Bangladesh? I have heard that many telcos, banks, development agencies happily nurture the culture of ‘speedmoney’ while awarding any jobs to third-parties. Event management companies in Bangladesh will know better how much they have to pay to which officers and managers in those telecom companies and banks to get that big deal of country-wide activation or promotional campaigns, or for that company merchandize manufacturing deals etc. May be this is the way things are, the way they are supposed to be or are they really? Greed knows no need, no limits…as long as there is a chance of getting free money, we are all up for it. But could be there a hierarchy of bribes need? I mean very much like the Maslow’s hierarchy needs, can we classify the need to take bribes in terms of their relevance with real life and its needs. For example, a young executive in a Bangladeshi company might not need to take any bribe during early years of working life, but as he starts a family, becomes more ambitious, and prices of daily necessities shoot through the roof in Bangladesh, may be he will be allured to start unwanted practices at work. However when someone reaches mid-age, when basic needs are met, future of children are ensured (higher studies in US, UK etc.) even then what can drive people in Bangladeshi companies to keep on taking bribes? Does it become a mere habit issue, ‘khaite bhallage tai khai’, types justifications….? Who knows.

Don’t use a very generic name to your product!

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

--- William Shakespeare

Ya that is right. But if we think it the other way, then it would be wrong. Mr. X is a luminous person. He is god damn good in his professional life. He got a nice name as well. But if he got a name like “Ata Mia” or so then how would he feel or what would you people say? I am sure that some people would tease him from the back because of such name. His class mates would call him Mr. Fruit. Isn’t it funny? Although it sounds funny but it is the truth. So a good name is very important. It is not only for a person but also for a product.

In our country local companies endorse their company name with their product name e.g. “ABC Candy”, “ABC Pure Oil”, “ABC MILK” and so on. Research shows us that these types of names are not much catchy to the customers/consumers. That is why BIG Guys like Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Nestlé go after such names: Close Up (toothpaste), Tide (laundry detergent) and Nescafé (coffee).

Local companies should learn now from these BIG Guys before it is too late. In addition to that a marketing report by Al Ries (a marketing professional and author) would show us his thought on product naming. Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZtZlPSRO5M

Effective multi-tasking

Adrian O’Connor

In the workplace, multi-tasking has become a mandatory skill. So how can you multi-task effectively? The first step is recognising that the entire process is, essentially, a form of time management. Here’s some additional advice:

Create a schedule of priorities
Multi-tasking madness often results from not being able to decide which task to do first – you switch from one assignment to another as you constantly re-prioritise. In the end, many projects and activities do not receive the necessary attention. Get off this mental merry-go-round by using a calendar to organise your immediate work-related priorities. Consult this schedule throughout the day to ensure your focus remains on the most pressing projects.

Don’t let time be your enemy
Consider this scenario: You are compiling figures for an important report when the phone rings. A colleague needs help with his research and asks if you can swing by. Though you have only a few minutes to spare, you don’t return to your desk until an hour later. Multi-tasking also often causes workers to focus on the most recent project – and for more time than originally intended. To avoid this, try setting a timer to alert you when it is time to switch gears and move on to the next project. Be disciplined; unless a critical request arises, don’t change your focus until it’s time to do so.

Keep your desk clean
Don’t let clutter distract you from making smooth transitions from one assignment to the next. Immediately file away the work related to the previous task so that it is out of sight – and out of mind. Use a file cabinet or organiser to hold all your paperwork and take out what you need only when you are working on it. If something new comes along, don’t look at it until you are ready to make a place for it in your schedule of priorities.

Don’t be afraid to unplug
While technology can increase your productivity, it also can be the source of tremendous distraction. Be brave and turn off your electronic devices when necessary. Also consider putting a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door or outside your cubicle to make sure people understand that you intend to focus on something important for a certain amount of time and do not wish to be interrupted.

There are times when multi-tasking does help you achieve more. However, it is important to think before automatically assuming you’ll be more productive by doing everything at once. Some projects require all of your attention, and figuring out which ones do will save you time and may even help you get more done.

Adrian O’Connor is regional manager of Robert Half Finance & Accounting. Robert Half Finance & Accounting is the world’s first and largest recruitment consultancy, specialising in the placement of accounting and finance professionals on a temporary and permanent basis. Visit us at http://www.roberthalf.co.uk/

3 minute MBA course

So many training firms, consultancies, brand management firms are arranging workshops, management training, etc. on various topics. We thought to chip in with some of our version of knowledge and expertise too.

Lesson 1:
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you $800 to drop that towel." After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob.
After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, "Who was that?"
"It was Bob, the next door neighbor," she replies.
"Great!" the husband says, "Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?"
Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one wish."
"Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world."
Puff! She's gone.
"Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life."
Puff! He's gone.
"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 3
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?"
The eagle answered: "Sure, why not."
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 4
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."
"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Moral of the story: Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson 5
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.
As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.
Moral of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend (3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!
This ends the 3-minute management course.

(source : internet)