A Basis for considering Bangladesh
I’m not the kind of person who engages in revenge or sour grapes. I’m generally so laid back that people have been known to check my pulse, but something this week really upset me and without meaning to be disrespectful to the actors involved, I want to get it documented here for others to see.
As you might know from other blog entries, I’m on my way to the Philippines and India soon. I was planning to go straight from India to Bangladesh because the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (Basis) is hosting its annual conference in Dhaka.
It is basically clashing with the Indians and their annual conference, so they might have considered the timing a little better, but I was going to attend the final two days of the conference and was planning to give a keynote speech on Bangladesh competing against other regions.
This wasn’t something I was getting paid for. They were going to cover my flight and hotel expenses, but I wasn’t getting paid to spend several days doing research on Bangladesh and then speaking out on their behalf. They had offered to give me some token cash though if I could encourage some other journalists from the UK to come along – all expenses paid – to see what Bangladesh has to offer for outsourcing.
So I spent some time digging around in my contact book and emailing people, and I got a few people interested in coming out to Dhaka. Then I started chasing them for details of the flights, the agenda, the speakers, etc… I had nothing for the past couple of weeks. Nobody wanted to talk to me. Then on Friday – just about a week before I am leaving for Asia – they sent me an email saying I don’t need to give a speech any longer or invite foreign journalists.
Well, that was a bit upsetting. Not only had I blocked out the time to be in Bangladesh and turned down other work, but I thought that I was doing them a favour by not even asking to get paid for it. All I end up having to do is explain to everyone else I had talked to that the Dhaka trip is off. You don’t even want to hear what the technology correspondent of one of the broadsheets had to say about the way Basis has behaved. It also means that I am stuck in India without a flight home and I’m presently researching my best options – either come straight home or use the opportunity to stop for a couple of days somewhere on the way back from India.
I’m not trying to write this as some form of revenge against Basis, but it’s a statement of fact that it needs to reconsider how it makes the region more attractive. I was at the 36th Independence Day party in Kensington last year and the people from the High Commission explained to me their plans for promoting the hi-tech industry in Bangladesh. It seemed to be that they were going to hire the Barbican centre in London and then ship 30 or so company representatives over from Bangladesh to London to stand there and talk about what they are doing. They had asked me to get some UK companies along. I can remember saying that it was a ridiculous plan and that they should get some people who write about the industry over to Dhaka first, so some positive impression of the place can be seen in the media – then people who are interested will be a lot easier to speak to.
I thought that they had listened to some good – and free – advice, but clearly not.
dear hillary,
i'm really sorry to hear about the mishap done to you. on behalf of our country and BASIS, i apologize to you.
hoping for a better future
khalid
Posted by: Khalid | Saturday, 26 April 2008 at 09:28 PM
Dear Kobayashi-Hillary,
I am ashamed to learn about this incredibly irresponsible behaviour of BASIS. And I really appreciate your effort and concern.
I sincerely appolgize on behalf of my country. My appologies to all the persons you invited, who took days off to go to Dhaka with you.
Fariya
Posted by: Fariya Sharmeen | Sunday, 27 April 2008 at 12:20 AM
Hi Hillary,
I think any software professional of Bangladesh would feel sorry to hear this kind of irresponsibility of BASIS. But please continue your endeavor for our talents.
Posted by: Arup Barua | Sunday, 27 April 2008 at 06:20 AM
Dear Kobayashi-Hillary,
These are very much shameless, stupid and irresponsible acts from BASIS. As a body which is claiming that they are representing the software industry of Bangladesh, they should show far better responsibilities.
I am very much skeptic about their claims to represent the software industry of Bangladesh. So I think, they should appolozise on behalf of them.
Why should we appolozise on behalf of them or on behalf of our beloved country? One stupid scenario isn't the complete picture.
from my part I can only say sorry from deep of my heart to you.
Kanak
Posted by: Kanak Reza | Sunday, 27 April 2008 at 06:24 AM
Hi Mark
I am truly sorry to learn about the unfortunate incident. I sympathize with you and I would be as infuriated, if not more, had I been in your shoes. There is nothing more unprofessional than to back out on one's words, especially when someone goes the extra mile to lend one’s expertise for free.
While unprofessional behavior like this (and more) is not uncommon in Bangladesh, I hope you and your journalist friends will refrain from generalizing (while hard not to) the whole 56,000 sq. miles and 150 million people of Bangladesh through your unfortunate experience. I have lived in/worked at/traveled to 24 countries in 5 continents and nowhere have I seen a utopia of 100% professionalism. I once had an interview at Drexel University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) in the US and bought my plane ticket which was to be reimbursed later. A few days before the interview, I called to confirm my arrival only to be told rudely that the interview was cancelled and that I would not be reimbursed for the non-refundable, non-changeable plane ticket that I had already purchased. This, however, is not to say that Americans are not professional. Quite the contrary. I would be making a gross misstatement if I were to generalize that every British national is a war monger by simply taking a snapshot of Tony Blair being the puppy dog of G. W. Bush when they banded together to go into Iraq.
While I am not condoning the acts of BASIS nor am I affiliated with them in any way, I do hope that this unfortunate incident will not relegate you from the highly aware and educated population you clearly are a part of to the insular vegetables who tend to take one data point in space and extrapolate that to a 6th order curve.
Naveed Mahbub
Engineer turned Comedian (by choice)
www.naveedmahbub.com
Posted by: Naveed Mahbub | Sunday, 27 April 2008 at 02:29 PM
Hi Mark,
This is indeed a sad story, and I am offering my compassionate sympathy to you for this unfortunate incident. I hope some of us escalate this issue to the BASIS managements so that this never happends.
Rafiqul Ahsan
Posted by: Rafiqul Ahsan | Monday, 28 April 2008 at 02:00 AM
hi mark,
really it is sad to hear that BASIS types of organization has done with you. i m really feeling ashamed and feeling sorry for you. This was an unfortunate incident and apologize for the acts of BASIS. But Bangladesh is really a good place to outsource Software projects, BASIS is playing the role of guardian, so please keep writing onbehalf of bangladesh ICT industry and BASIS initiatives.
Thanking you
Ishtiaque
Posted by: ishtiaque sarwar | Tuesday, 29 April 2008 at 04:28 AM
Hi,
As a Bangladeshi, I feel ashamed and sorry for the behavior of BASIS. Please accept my apologies.
This was really an unprofessional behavior by BASIS, the guardian of IT companies in Bangladesh.
But don't measure all the Bangladeshi companies/people by this behavior of BASIS. Bangladeshi people has talent and potential to work.
Keep up your good work. Good luck.. :)
Posted by: Rony | Tuesday, 29 April 2008 at 01:49 PM
Hi Mark;
Yah, your perceptions is painful but right. Recently some of my relatives wanna start outsource based soft enterp. in Bangladesh, all they are American-Bangladeshi.
some of us try to help them....before that I believed that,BASIS is a effective org. and they can help well... for my job condition, I am not in direct touch of BD software industry.. its a long story.. but we cann't get any meaningfull help from BASIS and also from Investment Board...
I am ashmed but also much thankful to you for raise this issue in front.
mahadib
Nokia Siemens Networks APAC North.
Posted by: mahadib | Tuesday, 06 May 2008 at 11:15 AM
Hi Mark;
Yah, your perceptions is painful but right. Recently some of my relatives wanna start outsource based soft enterp. in Bangladesh, all they are American-Bangladeshi.
some of us try to help them....before that I believed that,BASIS is a effective org. and they can help well... for my job condition, I am not in direct touch of BD software industry.. its a long story.. but we cann't get any meaningfull help from BASIS and also from Investment Board...
I am ashmed but also much thankful to you for raise this issue in front.
mahadib
Nokia Siemens Networks APAC North.
Posted by: mahadib | Tuesday, 06 May 2008 at 11:17 AM
hello mark,
this is really disappointing for us , who are expertise in prgramming and like to persue in the field of outsorcing.this is really shameful for us that while we have so many experts in programing, at the same time the law makers of the ICT sector are dominating inspite of having there a very low conception about how progressive the outsourcing section can be.
i have no words to express my shame on behalf of our country and really aprreciate your step.
zahir
Posted by: Humaira Osman | Wednesday, 07 May 2008 at 06:48 AM
Hello Mark
I am really sorry for mishap with you that is very very bad , and i have no words to express the shame of Bangladesh,s .
Muhammad Yasir
Posted by: UK online shoes | Friday, 26 September 2008 at 08:27 AM