Q. Walk us through the journey so far.

The journey so far has been amazing. I have had my fair share of triumphs and trials  and even after being in this business for 23 years,  I still believe that I am on an ever-growing learning curve.

I joined Rangs Motors Limited after completing my graduation in Economics from New York University in USA. I had always been keen on following my father’s footsteps and even though I had a lot of support and guidance, there were many obstacles I had to overcome  to establish my role as the Managing Director of Rangs Motors Limited. I am currently also a part of the board of directors at companies in Rangs Group, Lankan Alliance Finance, Sea Resources Limited and Truckload Limited.

Besides my ventures in the automotive industry, I am also the PR Director at Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Singapore and Founder and Managing Director at Amisheé Fine Jewelry.

Q. Cosmetics and jewelry are quite the deviation from the automotive industry. Can you tell us what sparked your interest to diversify into these sectors?

The idea of forming a multifaceted conglomerate has always been a goal. Besides the aim of diversifying our portfolio, I was heavily influenced by my father who has always been keen on initiating new business ventures. Lush and Amisheé are therefore the product of strategic business decisions as well as the zeal of starting something new. 

Though I will say that Amisheé is more of a passion project for me. Starting my journey with Amisheé rekindled my passion for design and fashion, a passion I felt I had lost while working for so many years in the automotive and transport industry. I was always fascinated by fine jewelry and I founded Amisheé keeping designer jewelry enthusiasts like me in mind.

Lush, on the other hand, is a personal achievement based on my own capabilities.  Bringing the globally recognized cosmetics franchise to the people of Singapore about 7 years ago was quite the feat. Since Lush operates at an international level, I had to work very hard to get them to agree to expand the franchise. In this case, I was dealing with people who knew nothing of my father’s legacy or my previous achievements. In their eyes, I was just another aspiring entrepreneur. Nonetheless, I was persistent in my efforts and worked with the best of my abilities and ultimately managed to achieve my goal.

Q. As one of the leading incumbents, what would you say are the challenges and growth opportunities for the automotive industry of Bangladesh?

I would say that manufacturing commercial vehicles in Bangladesh poses both a tremendous growth opportunity as well as a huge challenge. As Bangladesh plans to become a manufacturing hub in the future, as a leading industry incumbent, we at Rangs would like to begin manufacturing parts for trucks and buses.  Manufacturing commercial vehicles has great potential in the global export market and our neighboring countries India and China already have their own manufacturing plants. However, it is quite the challenge to ensure a large enough market for exports as well as developing a skilled workforce for manufacturing our own vehicles. Nonetheless, if we as a nation are able to overcome these challenges, domestically manufacturing vehicles would not only contribute to upskilling our workforce but also benefit our trade balance and help reduce complete dependency on imports. 

In this case, I would say that the light engineering is a promising sector and it has huge opportunity to grab a significant share in the global market. Even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recognized its potential and deemed it the “product of the year” this January. The local technology-based sector is reportedly manufacturing products worth Tk 250 billion, including 3,815 different types of machinery, spare parts and other accessories. This promising sector currently accounts for 1.5% of the country’s exports and provides substitutes for around 50 percent of imported items thereby increasing Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves.

Q. What are your thoughts on the current state of the automotive industry?

Businesses have been flourishing due to rising demand and digitalization and improved logistics have also led to higher demand for commercial vehicles. However, the growth of the vehicle market has been lower compared to many of our neighboring economies. The outbreak of the pandemic has worsened the situation and like most other industries, incumbents of the automotive industry are also resorting to alternative and more sustainable solutions to keep their businesses afloat. Nonetheless, demand for smaller commercial vehicles, especially 1-ton trucks, have increased due to the rise in logistics companies, small entrepreneurs and e-commerce stores like Daraz. However, compared to previous years, the overall market size has decreased.

In terms of leadership in the automotive industry I would say there have been progress in terms of employing women in leadership positions. However, I still think there is room for improvement in this case.

Q. What do you think are some of the challenges by women in leadership roles, especially in the business sector?

Even in a democracy led by a woman, our nation still takes the authority and leadership of women in charge with a grain of salt. Deep rooted stigma stemming from generations of patriarchy has made leadership roles for women either difficult to achieve or riddled with problems. Not just in our country, women in leadership roles do not get nearly enough recognition worldwide. I personally had to overcome a lot of challenges to gain and establish my place as the managing director of a leading industry incumbent. It was difficult to prove my worth and my competencies in an industry which is predominantly male. I was questioned on my capabilities and decisions multiple times along the way and to this day, society has a hard time coming to terms with those who dare to break the barriers of traditionally assigned gender roles. This deeply ingrained stigma is one of the root causes why women have to fight so hard and work a lot more rigorously to establish their position, gain people’s trust and prove their value, be it in the workplace or in a position of power.

Q. Speaking of gender discrimination, how important is diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

The strength of diversity and inclusion is not to be taken lightly. This is something I learned when I was a student of at NYU and still follow to this day. In fact, a leading global financial institution,  Goldman Sachs, said they will refuse services to clients who do not have at least two diverse candidates in their board of directors in an effort to increase the number of women and people of color in corporate boardrooms, which I think says a lot about the need for women and people of color in business and leadership roles. 

At Rangs, we value an individual’s passion, competencies and potential, irrespective of their gender. In this regard I can proudly say that there are several women in leadership positions at Rangs Motors Limited, all of whom are capable and deserving candidates.

Q. As a responsible corporate, what are Rangs Motors’ contributions to the community? 

A pressing issue threatening our society, especially in the last decade, is sexual violence against women in public transports in Dhaka.  A large number of working women in Dhaka have to commute to work fearing for their safety while using public transport, especially in buses. So, in an attempt to prevent such violence against women and to ensure their safety, I launched the Dolonchapa project in partnership with Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles Limited. The Dolonchapa project’s aim is to ensure a safe and comfortable public commute for women through an all-woman bus service.  With the exception of the driver, no other male is allowed on the bus and even the conductor is female. Currently, a fleet of 4 Dolonchapa buses on two routes are in operation and we may expand our services depending on future demand. We also have developed a school for underprivileged children and we also provide driver’s training for truck and bus drivers.