Head of financial accounting and reporting at Grameenphone in Bangladesh, Raqibul Faiaze Mohammad Ikramah was busy earning top grades at school in Dhaka while the telecom start-up was flourishing following its launch in 1997.
Grameenphone has constantly striven to close the digital divide in the country (the gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the internet, and those who do not), and has won multiple awards for providing high-speed, affordable and accessible internet services to Bangladesh’s population. Its constant upgrading of internet speeds and access has also pushed up Bangladesh's ranking in the World Economic Forum’s Network Readiness Index, which measures how well economies are using information and communications technologies.
‘Connectivity is more valuable than infrastructure in some ways’
CV
2016–present
Grameenphone: specialist, then promoted to lead specialist, then senior specialist, then head of financial accounting and reporting; from July 2022 also general manager
2012–16
KPMG Bangladesh: audit assistant, then senior audit assistant, then supervisor; from 2015, senior associate for audit and advisory
The company’s success rapidly made it a household name in Bangladesh, and Ikramah was one of its admirers. ‘Connectivity is important for faster growth of the economy,’ he points out. ‘In some ways, it is more valuable than infrastructure.’
This was particularly true during the Covid-19 pandemic when lockdown restrictions prevented millions of Bangladeshis from pursuing their livelihoods as traders. Grameenphone arranged many events to raise digital commerce awareness, enabling rural communities in particular to switch to digital commerce platforms.
Big Four beginning
When Ikramah joined KPMG in 2012 as an audit assistant, Grameenphone was one of the Big Four firm’s largest clients. It is the biggest listed company in Bangladesh and the nation’s leading telecoms operator.
He recalls: ‘A colleague told me the brightest people get the opportunity to work with Grameenphone, and to get it as a client, you must give it your best efforts. Luckily, I was selected, and Grameenphone was one of my clients for around four years.’
Ikramah was impressed by how seriously Grameenphone took its obligations to meet accounting standards and regulatory requirements. ‘Yes, compliance is mandatory, but I could see that it was given the highest level of priority and transparency at Grameenphone.’
He remained with KPMG for four years, and says one of the best things about working for a Big Four firm is the extensive training programmes and tight deadlines, which deepened his confidence in his ability to execute the technical aspects of his role. He also had the opportunity to network with industry leaders, further boosting his knowledge.
‘Our company initiatives change people’s lives and aid our nation’s economic growth’
Telecom switch
In 2016, Ikramah leapt at the chance to join Grameenphone as a specialist in financial reporting. He was also seconded to the headquarters of Norwegian telco Telenor on a short group accounting assignment and had a stint in Bangkok on a project for Thai telco DTAC. For Ikramah, the opportunity to become familiar with international best practices is an invaluable part of working for Grameenphone.
‘There is a saying that you should choose your boss, not the company, but I am lucky to have the opportunity to work for one of the best organisations in the nation and to work under awesome leaders,’ he says.
In 2020, he was promoted to head of financial accounting and reporting as deputy general manager, and in July 2022 was promoted again, this time to the role of general manager.
Collaboration
He has been playing a part in the accountancy profession too. Appointed to the member advisory committee of ACCA Bangladesh in 2019, Ikramah spent the first year listening and observing. He now uses the platform to help the accountancy profession develop in Bangladesh and advocates even greater collaboration between professionals across Asia.
‘It’s beneficial to share our professional knowledge through collaboration,’ he says. ‘We learn a lot from one another.’
Grameenphone
#1
Grameenphone is the largest mobile telecommunications operator in Bangladesh in terms of revenue, coverage and subscriber base
84.8 million
Number of Grameenphone customers (Q2, 2022)
46%
Market share (May 2022)
143bn BDT
Annual revenue for 2021, equivalent to US$142m, generating a net profit of 34bn BDT (US$34m)
‘We must promote the accounting profession to young people, as it comes with global mobility prospects’
He would like to see ACCA grow its membership in Bangladesh, where he estimates there are over 4,000 accounting professionals, adding that more highly-qualified accounting professionals will help the economy to grow.
‘I would like to see higher entry-level wages at audit firms to encourage the youth to pursue a professional qualification in accounting. We must promote the accountancy profession to young people, as it comes with global mobility prospects.’
Sustainable agenda
He says that finance adds significant value to the business by providing insights through analysing financial data. ‘Finance has a valuable role as a strategic partner. As a company, each time we complete a good initiative, it is changing people’s lives and aids our nation’s economic growth.’
Highly motivated by Grameenphone’s focus on empowering societies, Ikramah's advice to young professionals is to do as he has done and find a company in sync with their values. He believes that aligning with a company’s purpose encourages a professional to go the extra mile: the work is then about more than just the salary.
Ikramah says he continues to learn a great deal at Grameenphone and in his professional life. He feels lucky to have the opportunity to learn from the senior management team and, in particular, his supervisor, the company’s chief accountant, Md. Arif Uddin.
He is also inspired by the company’s current CEO, Yasir Azman, the first Bangladeshi national to head up the telco. ‘He is the first Bangladeshi CEO at Grameenphone and a youthful, fun-loving CEO,’ Ikramah says. ‘Working with a CEO like that teaches me a lot.’
