Beyond the 9-to-5 desk job

In the past few years, a noticeable change has swept through Dhaka's young career seekers. The old dream of a stable 9-to-5 desk job is slowly ceding ground to a hunger for freedom, fresh ideas, and real impact, pushing more graduates toward starting their own ventures.
Cheap mobile data, open-learning sites, and a steady flow of homegrown success stories now feed these new ambitions. Fed up with stiff office rules and cramped opportunities, many young Bangladeshis are choosing to create something meaningful that speaks to their interests and offers a purpose that reaches far beyond the next salary.
Nonetheless, the trend does not come without its problems. Aspiring entrepreneurs continue to be faced with major obstacles like financial uncertainty, absence of mentorship and bureaucratic red tape. Most of the young people quit well-paying jobs without proper planning and end up in the pitfalls of business life. The next step is to have a friendlier ecosystem; an ecosystem that provides access to finances, training and mentorship to first-time founders.
Policymakers, educational organisations, and the private sector should see this change and take some action. In order to embrace all the potential that the young people of Bangladesh have, investments into the development of their entrepreneurship must be pursued; not only in words but also with actual institutional support and resources.

Ausesh Biswas
BBA (Finance)
North South University
ausesh.biswas@northsouth.edu