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POST TIME: 8 March, 2017 00:00 00 AM
International Women's Day
Farhana Rahman shows how to break barriers
FAISAL MAHMUD

Farhana Rahman shows how to break barriers

In the male-dominated software and IT industry of the country, Farhana A Rahman, with her talent and professionalism, is an inspiration for young female entrepreneurs. Farhana, who was elected vice-president of the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) twice, has shown how to move up the professional ladder and set example for others. On the eve of
International Women’s Day, The Independent spoke to this icon of Bangladesh’s IT industry. “In 2007, there were only six to seven women-owned companies. In 2017, the number has exceeded 30. This has been possible due to the hard work and commitment of female entrepreneurs,” she said.
Farhana said BASIS had been trying its best to make workplace environment more and more women-friendly, and this has prompted more women to work in the IT sector. “But there are still a lot of problems. Most Bangladeshi parents appreciate their daughters’ progress in studies, but they hardly encourage them to go to workplaces after they complete their studies. Getting an academic degree for them is nothing, but an added credential to marry her off to a better suitor,” she added.
“There are many social taboos and restrictions in our society. These prevent women from doing well in the job sector. Most parents can’t think anything out-of-the-box for their daughters,” she said.
“The poercentage of women among IT workers is still very low. Take, for instance, our company. We’ve 90 employees, but only four of them are women. I am ready to give more chance to women, but they have to earn it through fair competition.”
“As the CEO of the company, I have to decisions that would be beneficial for my business. So, I can’t really afford to give more chance to women  just because of their gender. If we’ve a better male candidate than a female one, I have to choose the former over the latter,” she explained.
Women have more responsibility at home and it sometimesprevents them from giving undivided attention to a large-scale project, she admitted.
Farhana is the chairperson and CEO of UY Systems Ltd, one of the pioneer organisations in outsourcing business, and has been doing well in the European market for more than a decade.
About her company, Farhana said it was not just about website development or content development. “In these days, besides these types of work, many companies provide serious coding services for international firms. We’re listed among such companies. I can’t tell you anything about our clients because of non-disclourse agreements. But I can tell you that we provide large-scale coding services to big international clients,” she told The Independent.
About BASIS, Farhana said there were scant demand for software in local markets in 2000. So, the BASIS used to have an export- oriented focus in those days, she added.
“But things have changed now. Bangladesh has entered into a digital era. For a country of over 16 crore people, we believe that there is enough work left to be done. That’s why as the main representative body of the software and IT-enabled services companies of Bangladesh, we’ve started giving increased emphasis on the development of the local market,” she said.