“Work-life balance more critical for women”
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Tuesday
June 28, 2022

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Splash
    • Videos
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022
“Work-life balance more critical for women”

Panorama

Abbas Uddin Noyon
30 January, 2021, 12:20 pm
Last modified: 30 January, 2021, 01:16 pm

Related News

  • ICAB and BIDA signs MoU on DVS
  • Budget challenging, but implementation not impossible
  • ICAB lauds proposed budget for FY2022-23
  • Capital gain from govt securities to increase tax burden: ICAB
  • Brac University’s FINACT club holds workshop on chartered accounting

“Work-life balance more critical for women”

Abbas Uddin Noyon
30 January, 2021, 12:20 pm
Last modified: 30 January, 2021, 01:16 pm
Illustration: TBS
Illustration: TBS

Maria Howlader FCA, has recently been nominated as chairperson of Women Leadership Committee of South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA) – a forum of accounting professionals in the South Asian region. She is the first Bangladeshi to be nominated to the position.

Ms Howlader is also a vice-president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) and founder of Howlader Maria & Co, (HmAC) Chartered Accountants – a member firm of TGS Global. She has been serving Bangladesh Audit, Accounting and Advisory Practice since 2008. The Business Standard recently spoke to Maria Howlader over a range of issues especially women's empowerment and equal participation in economic development of the country.

You have recently been elected Chairperson of the SAFA Women Leadership Committee. Could you say very briefly about the goals and objectives of this forum?

First of all, I would like to thank the SAFA leadership for giving me this great opportunity. This is really encouraging me to work with SAFA for further development of its women members.

SAFA is an apex body of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). SAFA Women Leadership Committee was formed with a view to discuss policies and initiatives for development of women members in the Saarc region. The objectives of the committee are simply translated as women's empowerment and equal representation in accounting profession, government and the corporate sector. The forum will work both at policy and implementation levels to support present and future women members and other women stakeholders as well.

This is undoubtedly a great achievement for ICAB in this SAFA forum. How will you work for the development and empowerment of women in the country from the top of this committee?

My sincere gratitude goes to all the fellow members of ICAB. I am glad that the president and council members of ICAB nominated me to chair the SAFA committee. 

We placed an action plan at the 66th SAFA Board meeting held virtually recently. We have a plan to hold a meeting of the committee very shortly where we expect to discuss various current and future activities of the committee and obtain country specific updates and strategy for women empowerment and leadership issues. The committee will act as a bridge between CA profession and women in business and development. We shall work to address the specific needs of women within the profession in country or regionally.

While everyone is working or doing business after finishing their graduation, you have worked hard to get a professional CA degree. What did motivate you to study CA?

The chartered accountancy qualification opens the door to a vast range of exciting career opportunities, in every sector of business and finance. Chartered accountants are in constant demand both at home and abroad, being recognised for their technical competence, professional standards and veracity. No other career offers the mobility that a chartered accountancy qualification does. It's a truly global profession. If anyone considering becoming an accountant, chartered accountancy provides you with the ability to choose an exciting career path towards the industry of choice, anywhere in the world.

To pursue chartered accountancy, it is required inquisitive hard work and perseverance which I, no doubt, inherently received from my father. He was a chartered accountant. Naturally, a deep fascination for the profession developed in me from my childhood. My father was my mentor and he guided me properly to pursue the lofty goal.

You are a successful chartered accountant. You could easily get a good job in a high position in a corporate house. Why did you come to public practice?

This is a very pertinent question. I would say after qualifying, accountants have the option of either working in practice or taking an industry role out in the business world. It just depends on the type of person you are, your interest and what is important to you in your career.

The decision to work in practice is mainly based on my career dream, interest to work for the continuous professional development, variety of my lifestyle preferences, day to day work-life balances, social responsibilities.

What does motivate you to set up your own CA firm?

Having independence at work, choosing own clients, providing service in the area of specialisation and interest motivated me to start my own CA Firm. It is opportunity as well to fulfill my aspirations of establishing my own firm.  

With tonnes of patience and planning, I am advancing my own practice successfully. In order to remain focused in the chosen area, I believe one needs to carefully set long term goals that I always do.

Women generally do not want to take up risky professions like chartered accountancy. How do you see this as a successful entrepreneur and successful chartered accountant?

The career path of a woman is often different from that of her man counterpart as she has greater responsibilities towards her family. Work-life balance is more critical for women. Chartered accountancy is a career path which provides greater flexibility in terms of self employment.

I don't think this is a risky profession. I rather think it is a fantastic profession for women because it can take you down so many different routes. You can end up working in almost any kind of business. Women can easily make it work for them as they have caring responsibilities as well.

What is the role of chartered accountants or ICAB in economic development?

ICAB is working to promote and regulate high quality financial reporting and auditing in Bangladesh, to develop and maintain the competence of professional accountants and to enhance the reputation of the accounting profession in all sectors of the economy. It has been increasingly focusing on its role in the economic development of the country by providing high level advocacy in national budget, revenue growth and by playing a vital role as primary regulator for CA profession. 

Chartered accountants do not only deal with debit/credit of the accounts but they play a very important role at a big level in nation building. CAs are foundation base of the economy and utilising the financial expertise the nation gets right direction in various financial and economy related measures to enhance the decaying Bangladesh economy and enhance the economy along with industrial growth. They are directly involved in foreign direct investment attraction by way of facilitating their advisory services to the investors for doing business in Bangladesh. 

Our CAs are playing role as auditors, business executives, strategists, public sector financial management consultants and policymakers. Regardless of their positions, their professional and ethical roles are critical to deliver credible financials.

Now say something about yourself.

I am a proud member of ICAB. I am also running my CA firm. Besides, I am maintaining my family. As a mother, wife and daughter, I am and playing different roleS every day.

This is also very challenging to grow an interest among women to represent themselves in various sectors like corporate forum, self regulatory organisations, government level etc. You know our government is working to encourage women in different sectors to ensure equal representation. We can relate with the government women development programme in the country as well. 

We are happy to see that. Bangladesh has become a role model of women empowerment for the world. Under the dynamic leadership Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, women's empowerment has taken place in every sectors of the country.

Still, women are struggling to get the equal participation. I believe women have the quality to the level that generally her men counterparts have to get accomplished, not by the grace of a patron or well-wishers.

I would say women should come forward to take the up chartered accountancy as a career through which they can contribute a lot to the national economy.        

Interviews / Top News

CA / firm / pratice / ICAB

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Bank Indonesia headquarters in Jakarta.Photographer: Rony Zakaria/Bloomberg
    Central banks in Asia spend billions to slow currency declines
  • Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen Photo: Collected
    Momen demands apology, compensation from Padma Bridge slanderers 
  • Infographic: TBS
    Budget proposals to hurt Digital Bangladesh: Tech entrepreneurs

MOST VIEWED

  • Abortion is a part of healthcare. Photo: Bloomberg
    Abortion is healthcare and women’s rights are human rights
  • Prashanta Kumar Banerjee. Sketch: TBS
    'Public Asset Management Company can be an additional tool to curb bad loans'
  • Aid boats navigate through the different waters of Jamalganj Upazila, giving aid to flood victims.  Photo: Masum Billah
    Bandits, hunger and snakes: Flood victims pass sleepless nights
  • Photo caption: Bondstein Technologies founders Mir Shahrukh Islam (left) and Zafir Shafiee Chowdhury. Photo: Noor-A-Alam
    Bondstein Technologies: From Dhaka College science club to Forbes 30 under 30 list
  • Bengal tiger numbers cannot be doubled in 10, 20 or even 100 years in any wilderness area of the world, let alone in Bangladesh. Photo: Reuters
    Are we living in a fool’s world? Wild tiger number can’t be doubled in 10 or 20 years
  • Photo: TBS
    A dream dreamt and then delivered

Related News

  • ICAB and BIDA signs MoU on DVS
  • Budget challenging, but implementation not impossible
  • ICAB lauds proposed budget for FY2022-23
  • Capital gain from govt securities to increase tax burden: ICAB
  • Brac University’s FINACT club holds workshop on chartered accounting

Features

Abortion is a part of healthcare. Photo: Bloomberg

Abortion is healthcare and women’s rights are human rights

6h | Panorama
Prashanta Kumar Banerjee. Sketch: TBS

'Public Asset Management Company can be an additional tool to curb bad loans'

7h | Interviews
Aid boats navigate through the different waters of Jamalganj Upazila, giving aid to flood victims.  Photo: Masum Billah

Bandits, hunger and snakes: Flood victims pass sleepless nights

9h | Panorama
Redmi 10C- Best Budget smartphone with one (big) compromise

Redmi 10C- Best Budget smartphone with one (big) compromise

1d | Brands

More Videos from TBS

 Fuel for non-essential vehicles banned in Sri Lanka

Fuel for non-essential vehicles banned in Sri Lanka

38m | Videos
Christiano Ronaldo to join Chelsea?

Christiano Ronaldo to join Chelsea?

1h | Videos
Social groups of Dhaka University stand beside the flood affected

Social groups of Dhaka University stand beside the flood affected

4h | Videos
Ways to earn extra income in student life

Ways to earn extra income in student life

9h | Videos

Most Read

1
Padma Bridge from satellite. Photo: Screengrab
Bangladesh

Padma Bridge from satellite 

2
Desco wanted to make a bold statement with their new head office building, a physical entity that would be a corporate icon. Photo: Courtesy
Habitat

Desco head office: When commitment to community and environment inspires architecture

3
Japan cancels financing Matarbari coal project phase 2
Bangladesh

Japan cancels financing Matarbari coal project phase 2

4
Photo: Courtesy
Corporates

Gree AC being used in all parts of Padma Bridge project

5
Photo: TBS
Infrastructure

Gains from Padma Bridge to cross $10b, hope experts

6
Photo: TBS
Bangladesh

Motorcycles banned on Padma Bridge 

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2022
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab
BENEATH THE SURFACE
Workers unload boats and stockpile sacks of paddy at the BOC Ghat paddy market on the bank of the River Meghna in Brahmanbaria’s Ashuganj, the largest paddy market in the eastern part of the country. This century-old market sells paddies worth Tk5-6 crore a day during the peak season. PHOTO: RAJIB DHAR

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net