For Marzana F Chowdhury, accounting was never a distant or abstract career option, but part of everyday life.
‘I was born into a family of accountants,’ she says. ‘My father is a professional accountant and my brother is also an ACCA member. They inspired me to enter the profession, but the decision was definitely mine.’
‘We gained a global outlook and began collaborating internationally’
That early exposure meant she understood from a young age that accountancy was about far more than spreadsheets and financial statements. Watching her father’s career showed her the broader influence the profession could have on business and society.
‘It was not just office work,’ she recalls. ‘He was active beyond the office as well, and that inspired me.’
After finishing high school in Bangladesh, she enrolled with an ACCA approved learning partner in Dhaka while beginning her career as a trainee at Masih Muhith Haque & Co, the chartered accountancy firm that would become her professional home. More than 15 years later, she is still there but now in a senior leadership role; she was appointed executive director of the firm in 2017.
‘Over time I’ve moved through different service lines,’ she says. ‘I started in audit and later transitioned to consulting. That variety meant my career has never felt repetitive.’
How businesses work
She spent the early part of her career immersed in audit work, building the technical foundations of her profession.
‘I worked in audit for around seven years, mainly on high-risk clients in sectors such as banking and manufacturing,’ she explains. ‘Audit gives you an analytical perspective into businesses. You get insights on how organisations operate.’
Those experiences proved invaluable when the firm began preparing to join the global RSM network. The firm became a correspondent member in 2015, before achieving full membership two years later. It was a process that demanded significant internal change.
‘Global exposure lets us offer more to our clients’
‘We had to conduct a full gap assessment and align our policies and procedures with RSM’s requirements,’ Chowdhury says. ‘For six months we worked day and night preparing.’
The effort paid off. The firm passed its membership assessment on the first attempt – a milestone that transformed both the business and Chowdhury’s career.
Global perspective
Joining the RSM network opened new opportunities, Chowdhury says. ‘Previously we worked mainly with local clients, but after becoming part of RSM we gained a global outlook and began collaborating with other member firms on international projects.’
Shortly afterwards, a consulting counterpart was formed, and Chowdhury was appointed managing director in 2018.
The move suited her style. ‘I always enjoyed being on the client side of the table,’ she explains. ‘Audit can sometimes place you on the opposite side. Consulting is more collaborative – you work together with the client to shape strategy.’
‘The biggest challenge is not tech itself but the mindset shift required’
Today she manages a portfolio of international clients and contributes to cross-border projects within the RSM network.
‘I have access to global strategies and insights that we didn’t previously have. That exposure is incredibly valuable and gives us the ability to offer more to our clients,’ she says.
Reshaped by tech
One of the biggest changes Chowdhury has witnessed in practice is the rapid evolution of technology. When she began her career, audit was largely paper-based. ‘For a single bank audit we could have 15 or 20 large files,’ she says. ‘Now much of that work is digital.’
Software platforms and analytics tools have transformed how audits are performed, shifting the emphasis from sampling to deeper data analysis and risk assessment.
‘It has become far more analytical and risk-focused,’ she says. ‘But the biggest challenge was not the technology itself – it was the mindset shift required to adopt it.’
The firm has also invested heavily in strengthening its IT infrastructure. Its recent achievement of ISO 27001 certification for information security reflects the increasing importance of data protection in professional services.
Gender equality
Despite growing up in a well-known accountancy family, Chowdhury has been determined to build her own professional identity. ‘Early in my career, I was often introduced in relation to others – first as someone’s daughter, then as someone’s sister,’ she says. ‘Over time, I had to work hard to establish my own professional identity.’
‘Be yourself and perform to the best of your capability. Your identity has to be genuine’
Her advice to professionals facing similar challenges is simple: to remain authentic and perform to the best of one’s ability, emphasising the importance of a genuine identity.
Her career also reflects the gradual progress of women in Bangladesh’s professional workforce. ‘When I was younger, female participation in the profession was much lower,’ she says. ‘But I see significant improvement now.’
She believes three factors are essential to achieving gender parity: participation, acceptance and infrastructure.
‘Women need to pursue their ambitions and step forward,’ she explains. ‘But employers and colleagues must also be supportive, and the system must allow women to balance multiple roles.’
Progress is already visible within the accountancy community, she says. ACCA has long been seen as inclusive, and female leaders are increasingly visible in Bangladesh’s professional networks.
Giving back
Outside work, her focus is firmly on family and community. She is the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, a role she describes as both joyful and educational. ‘I love being a mother,’ she says. ‘Every day is a learning experience.’
She’s also active in social initiatives through Inner Wheel, an international organisation focused on women’s development and community service.
One cause particularly close to her heart is supporting children born with congenital heart disease – an issue she understands personally. ‘My daughter was born with it,’ she explains. ‘So I try to give back to that community through supporting organisations that provide treatment for affected children.’
Continued growth
She believes her employer’s transformation from local practice to globally connected organisation has already reshaped its future. ‘I’ve seen the firm move from local to global,’ she says. ‘Now our focus is on maintaining that pace and continuing to grow within the RSM network.’
For her personally, the path ahead remains grounded in the same values that guided her career from the beginning: professionalism, authenticity and a commitment to making a difference.
‘Just be genuine and give your best,’ she says. ‘Everything else, including growth, follows from that.’
