The Department of Banking and Insurance organized a roundtable discussion session on 9th March at Professor Dr. Abdullah Farouk Multipurpose Hall (Faculty of Business Studies, University of Dhaka).
Sheikh Mohammad Salim Ullah, Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance has kindly consented to remain present as Chief Guest of the session. A handful of leading Managing Directors & CEOs from different commercial banks & NBFIs and Senior Executives from the Central Bank will join the Roundtable as discussants.
The panel of discussants reached a consensus that academia must enhance the skill sets of graduates to meet the challenges of the AI-driven financial services sectors, especially in banking. The Senior Professors of the University also highlighted the importance of skilled human resources to protect the safety and sustainability of the banking industry.
Sheikh Mohammad Salim Ullah emphasized that the nation needs smart bankers to build a smart Bangladesh, thus recruiting bankers with specialized banking knowledge. He, along with others, also requested teachers to motivate freshers through courses and successful cases in Entrepreneurship Development. Joint secretary, FID Md. Jahid Hossain and Kamrul Hoque Maruf both uttered the need of market-oriented curriculum and development of soft skills for public university students.
Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, ex-Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank praised the existing course curriculum offered by the Department after suggesting a few courses’ renaming. Focusing again in soft skill development, Kimiwa Sadat, Managing Director (Current Charge) of Meghna Bank pointed that students should be sent for field visit where the Department can initiate an exchange program with banks. Other MDs such as HSBC Bangladesh CEO Md. Mahbub ur Rahman, Community Bank MD & CEO Mashihul Huq Chowdhury, Shimanta Bank MD & CEO Mr. Rafiqul Islam, IDLC Finance CEO & MD M Jamal Uddin suggested the inclusion of a few needed courses such as Fintech, Trade Finance, Capital Market, Startup Finance, Customer Service, or even Sustainable Banking. Bankers now also need to have insurance knowledge for bancassurance, as highlighted by the MD & CEO of NCC Bank M. Shamsul Arefin.
From specialized bank side, Md. Shawkat Ali Khan, MD of Bangladesh Krishi Bank pointed to lack of dedication among young bankers where teachers may motivate fresh graduates in ethical banking. On that point, speaker from Bangladesh Bank, Executive Director Dr. Md Ezazul Islam pointed to the need for research between Bangladesh Bank and the University.
