Memoir of a banker not by chance

Dr M Kamal Uddin Jasim is a banker by choice, not by chance. He walked from Bakshi Bazar to Chawk Mogoltuly Branch in old Dhaka to open a bank account when he was a college student. He thoroughly read all the pages of a bank prospectus published in the newspaper to understand what IPO means, quite unusual for a college-going student. He became a shareholder of Islami Bank before he enrolled at Dhaka University in mid-80's and even 8 years before he joined the same bank as a probationary officer. 

One's future career mostly does not generate from the school textbook essay: My aim in life. The seed of one's future career often lies unnoticed in the activities and characteristics during one's earlier stages of life, as happened to Kamal in his urge for a bank account to deposit his stipend money, his decision to buy a share (IPO) of Islami Bank for Tk1000 at the very initial stage of the first generation bank which later grew into the country's largest private sector lender. Back then, perhaps none of his age could think of doing stock business when he became the youngest shareholder of a bank. Unknowingly though, this was how he tied his future with the Islami Bank and did not miss any of the bank's 39 Annual General Meetings so far—at first as a shareholder and then as an executive. 

The book, Sorbojonin Banking Ebong (Universal banking and more) tells all these episodes of the life of a self-made, seasoned banker, who successfully blended his academic knowledge in communication with earned skills in banking. He studied mass communication and journalism (honours and masters) at Dhaka University and joined the trendsetter Bangla daily newspaper Ajker Kagoj in 1991 when he was still a student. Since banking was at the core of his heart, he applied for the Probationary Officer post at Islami Bank and was among the top scorers in the recruitment test. Still working in a newspaper and with an offer from another one, Bhorer Kagoj, he chose to join Islami Bank. 

And there was no looking back since then. The author has already completed three decades in his journey with the same bank, shouldering a wide range of responsibilities that propelled him through the hierarchy of the reputed banking institution. 

Mr. Kamal did not study core banking or finance as a major in university. But that did not stand in his way to pursue his career in the fast-expanding bank and excelled in leadership in banking as a public relation executive, head of branch & zone or business promotion. As a branch manager in the city's posh Dhanmondi area, the author showed how communication skills worked wonders in bringing bad loans to zero in six months—still a myth for his colleagues in the bank. The case studies mentioned in the book prove how strong determination, professionalism, sense of responsibility as a custodian of depositors' money and innovative approaches prompted 'influential defaulters' to clear their loan arrears which they thought to pay never.

When ATM booths were still something like an alien culture to many, he had two ATM booths approved for his branch as the bank's top management had trust in his skills and determination. 

Mr Kamal took challenges and succeeded. He kept his yearning alive for learning as well, which took him to Rajshahi University for a PhD in economics—an endeavor not common for someone in the middle of a career. 

These real life experiences, narrated just as story-telling,  make the book a must read for young bankers or banking students who want to pursue leadership roles in financial institutions.  

Sorbojonin Banking Ebong is a handbook for those bankers who cherish dreams and ambitions to be leaders in the banking profession, and those who love to take challenges and win. It is much more than a finance and banking textbook.