Mohammad Rashed Ali Bhuiyan is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Star Tech, a fast-growing Bangladeshi conglomerate specializing in technology and electronics products retail, distribution, and services. Star Tech was established in 2007 as a small retail outlet. Since then, the company has evolved into a rapidly expanding tech and electronics products retail, distribution, and services conglomerate, now comprising three separate and independent strategic business units. The rise of Star Tech is a remarkable story, offering valuable lessons in the nature of our personal journey, entrepreneurship, and venture building in Bangladesh.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Rashed to discuss his journey to what he is doing today and the evolution of Star Tech to where it stands today.
During our conversation, we explored his personal background, career trajectory, and path to entrepreneurship. We delved into the origins and growth of Star Tech, highlighting key decisions and strategies that contributed to its success. We also discussed how he and his team navigated initial capital constraints, leveraged relationships, and relied on a strong work ethic to overcome challenges in the early days. Additionally, we reflected on Star Tech's expansion into e-commerce and its eventual expansion into three distinct strategic business units. Finally, we touched on the essential ingredients for entrepreneurial success, the importance of reputation and work ethic, and the critical role of living in the present for a fulfilling life.
This is an incredibly insightful read for anyone interested in understanding the importance of intentional living, the unfolding nature of life's trajectory, and the art and science of building an enduring business from the ground up. I hope you will enjoy the interview as much as we enjoyed doing it. — Ruhul
Mohammad Ruhul Kader: Thank you so much, Rashed bhai, for agreeing to this interview. Please tell us about your personal journey. We're excited to learn about your roots, early life experiences, educational background, and the path that led you to where you are today.
Mohammad Rashed Ali Bhuiyan: My name is Mohammad Rashed Ali Bhuiyan. Although I was born in Jessore, my ancestral roots lie in Feni. My father was a government employee, and his professional commitments required our family to relocate frequently across different regions of the country. As a result, my early childhood memories of Jessore are limited. My educational journey began in my village, where I studied until the sixth grade. In the seventh grade, I moved to Dhaka. I completed my secondary education at Dhaka New Model High School, achieving my matriculation in 1995. Later, due to family circumstances, I returned to Comilla, where I completed my intermediate studies at Comilla Government College. I then pursued my honors and master's degrees at Victoria College, graduating in 2002.
During the intervals between my academic examinations, I remained productive. Some of my maternal relatives were involved in the technology sector—my elder maternal uncle, for instance, serves as the chairman of Global Private Limited. After completing my HSC, I secured an internship at his retail shop in the IDB complex. Simultaneously, I took on a part-time role with UNICEF, starting as a surveyor and eventually advancing to a supervisory position.
Recognizing my professional inclination, my family encouraged me to pursue IT work while continuing my education. As a result, I started working at another IT company called Nets Private Limited, also situated in the IDB complex, which was owned by another maternal uncle of mine. I worked at Nets Private Limited throughout my studies, taking leaves during examinations and critical academic periods. This arrangement continued until I completed my master's degree, after which I transitioned to full-time professional responsibilities at the company.
After working for a few years, I realized that instead of continuing in a job, I could start my own business. Around this time, I was discussing my ideas with three others: the current Managing Director of Star Tech Limited, who was already established in the IT sector; Mazhar bhai (now the MD of our distribution company, Distribution Hub Limited), who was working at another IT firm; and Mahbub Alam Rakib (the current MD of Star Tech Engineering Limited), who was employed at a different organization. After much thought, in 2007, the four of us launched our venture, establishing Star Tech as a proprietorship business at the Elephant Road Multiplan Center, which was then an emerging computer market.
Ruhul: I'll come back to the story in a moment. Before that, I would like to learn more about your childhood. You lived in Jessore, Dhaka, and Comilla during your formative years. Could you share some insights about your upbringing? What family or environmental influences played a significant role in shaping who you are today?
Rashed: My parents were dedicated government employees—my mother worked as a primary school headmistress, and my father was a government employee. They had traditional aspirations for me, always hoping I would secure a stable government position rather than venturing into business.
Our family life was defined by honesty and significant financial constraints. We grew up with very limited means. Growing up, we learned the value of patience and perseverance. Even simple requests weren't immediately granted, and life was genuinely challenging. I remember the struggles—we would sometimes barely manage to pay exam registration fees on time, waiting for my father's monthly salary. These experiences taught me that honest government employee families have to navigate difficult financial constraints.
As I grew older, I recognized we needed to improve our economic situation. Initially, going abroad seemed like the most promising option. My parents, however, were pragmatic. They challenged me, asking if I was truly prepared to take on menial jobs in a foreign country.
They suggested I could take the BCS exam or get a government job in other fields. My father had seen senior officers enjoying many benefits and said that if I had the ability, I could reach that position. But getting a government job wasn't easy. My family didn't have that capability. Compared to that, business was an easier path for me. I chose business because I had gained experience. I felt I could do well in it.
Ruhul: When you were graduating in 2002, finishing your honors or masters, were you already thinking about starting your own business?
Rashed: No, not at all.
Ruhul: During your internship with your uncles, did you have any inkling that you might start your own business? Were there any early plans?
Rashed: Honestly, I didn't have any concrete plans initially. My parents—particularly my mother—were concerned about me during those gap periods between studies. They wanted to ensure I stayed focused and productive, worried that I might get distracted or fall into unproductive company. So they wanted to keep me busy.
As I continued working, something unexpected happened. The work began to feel almost like an addiction—the more I dove into the field, the more passionate I became. My knowledge kept expanding, and with each project, I grew more confident. At a certain point, a realization dawned on me: if I could excel in this domain, I might actually create something significant through business. What started as a way to stay busy transformed into a genuine professional calling.
Ruhul: When did you first feel you had learned enough about this market to start something on your own?
Rashed: That's a very good question. During my internship as a hardware engineer, I was working behind the scenes while noticing something interesting—all the credit was going to the sales team. I realized that as a hardware engineer, my leadership would be limited to technical teams. But in sales, I could potentially lead an entire company. This insight prompted my transition from hardware to sales.
It was during my first year of masters, after I'd already been working for a year or two following my honors degree. I observed how the sales team secured orders and interacted with customers, while I was the one handling technical responsibilities and troubleshooting. When things went right, others got the credit; when something went wrong, I was held accountable.That's when I decided to move to sales.
My company was initially hesitant to let me switch roles—they didn't want to lose a skilled technical resource. So I made my case. I explained that their current salesman lacked deep technical knowledge about hardware and products. I could articulate our offerings more effectively and potentially close better deals. They gave me a two-month trial period, and I ended up tripling the company's sales.
At the time, the company was purely wholesale—essentially acting as a subcontractor taking orders from other businesses. I saw a bigger opportunity. I proposed we expand into retail, arguing that direct sales would provide full profit margins, whereas wholesale only offered minimal returns. By operating in both wholesale and retail, we could maximize our earnings and become independent, rather than being dependent on other companies.
When I first suggested this strategy, everyone said it was impossible. They said we didn't have the infrastructure to make it work. My response was simple: I would set up the infrastructure myself. And that's exactly what I did. Gradually, I took over complete responsibility for the company's operations, transforming its business model.
Ruhul: You studied political science, which seems completely unrelated to IT.
Rashed: Academic subjects rarely dictate life's trajectory. My internship was truly the turning point for my entire career and business journey.
Ruhul: Your internship was in hardware?
Rashed: Yes, I had to learn the trade from scratch.
Ruhul: Tell us more about the transformation you brought to the company. You were a junior employee. Even though they were your relatives, you still had to prove yourself.
Rashed: I started as a junior executive and gradually assumed full responsibility for the company's operations.
Absolutely. I had to perform in business. I was doing engineering and felt I wasn't getting proper credit for it. I thought moving to sales with my technical background would make me more effective.
I was candid with the management—I told them that without this opportunity, I couldn't continue working there. They reluctantly agreed to give me a chance. When I started working and they saw my monthly growth, they became convinced.
The company was nearly on the brink of closure. The owners weren't particularly invested in its success and had delegated its management to others. When a relative took charge, they saw it as a potential solution. I recognized this as my moment and seized the opportunity.
Ruhul: Many young people would have given up, thinking there's no point in working hard for a company about to close down.
Rashed: I came to gain experience. I had many opportunities. My education was ongoing. My priority was to gain experience. The compensation from the company wasn't a big deal. I had an opportunity to work at the company, which was difficult to get in those days. My family connection provided that unique opportunity. I was determined to use my performance to turn things around, and ultimately, the company is still running successfully.
Ruhul: Tell us more about that journey. Walk us through how you transitioned to sales and developed the retail approach.
Rashed: Initially, the company operated exclusively in wholesale—selling to market shops and taking manufacturing orders. I introduced retail and corporate sales, essentially teaching them an entirely new way of doing business. Before, their mindset was passive—they assumed customers would simply come and buy from them. They never considered approaches like product delivery, installation, and payment collection.
A pivotal moment came when a defense sector representative approached me about purchasing 250 digital cameras. I told him that we didn't have that many in stock at the moment, but I could provide one or two. He said he liked me and asked whether I could arrange for it if he made a 50% advance payment. I said I could do that.
When I shared it with management, they were hesitant. However, I took full responsibility and delivered the products and got the rest of the payment. This single transaction opened up our corporate business model and revealed substantial profit margins. This changed the priority and focus of the company.
We started attracting garment business customers who would arrive in their cars, purchase products, and pay monthly. This was completely unprecedented for the company. We had fundamentally transformed its business approach. That’s how we started corporate business in my company.
Eventually, the company became dependent on me. I got the opportunity to run the company. Then, I started thinking about my personal life. It was time to get married, start a family, and settle down. I had been thinking about the company for so long, now I needed to think about myself. I got married and quit my job in the same month. I started my business in the same month.
Ruhul: That’s how Star Tech got started in 2007.
Rashed: That's how my business life started. We began with a 100-square-feet showroom in at that time a relatively new computer market multiplan center. Initially, I had two partners. Two more partners joined shortly. After running for two years, we became a limited company.
We started with serving corporate clients. Partly because Multiplan Center was an unknown market at that time where few customers came to shop computers. People who knew us came to our shop. So We didn't need many people—three or four were enough. Mazharul Alam and I started along with a small number of employees and engineers. Raihan, who is now our finance director, was also with us. We would prepare products based on the requirements and deliver them, collecting payments monthly.
After a while, Multiplan became a retail market and we shifted our focus to retail.
Before that, we also did a distribution business, providing product support to new shops. We kept a huge stock of products. People would come and take the products, or we would deliver them, accepting monthly payments. We also provided this support outside of Dhaka. At one point, we realized that distribution is a low margin but high risk business.
After some thought, we decided to stop distribution and focus on corporate and retail. As our retail business grew, we then launched e-commerce. We started e-commerce early. However, e-commerce significantly helped our retail business to grow. Although there were many shops in the market, we had more customers because we were good at e-commerce. People knew our name and came to us. Gradually, it became retail, e-commerce, and corporate. We also did some distribution business, but that wasn't too long ago. In 2022, we decided to divide our company into three SBUs.
We created Distribution Hub Limited for our distribution business, which has its own managing director. Star Tech Engineering Limited handles corporate and government tenders. And Star Tech Limited focuses on retail and e-commerce.
Ruhul: So, you converted the company into three Strategic Business Units (SBUs)?
Rashed: Yes, three SBUs.
Ruhul: Going back to 2007. You got married and started your business. This is not an usual move. Starting a business is a risky affair. You need capital and preparation. It also means you need to maintain a certain mindset. What were you thinking?
Rashed: There is a personal story. Since you asked, I'll tell you. My wife and I, we met each other when we were students. I had a relationship with my wife since my days of college. The end result of that relationship is supposed to be marriage. When I was working, she was studying.
At one point, her family wanted her to get married. Naturally, that pressure came to me. As I mentioned earlier, I had a stable job and was thinking about my career. When the idea of marriage came up, I started thinking about myself, my family and future.
When I decided to get married, my in-laws were not comfortable giving their daughter to someone who was an employee. So I asked my wife what if I became a businessman. She said that would be fine no matter what the business is.
I was thinking about how long I could continue as an employee. The company was growing. I was growing and advancing in my position. However, I realized that if I wanted to do better, I had to do it myself. I felt that I had gathered sufficient experience. If I could run a company, I could also run a business. Eventually, I decided to start a business.
Initially, we faced certain financial challenges. But we didn't have to look back. Everything favored me. We didn't face any problems except for the financial ones, which were eventually solved. I always tried to take risks within my capacity. Business means risk, but I didn't take big risks because I felt that big risks could lead to big losses. I took risks that I could manage. I still take risks that I can manage.
Ruhul: Tell us more about this. This is a hardware business, which means there is a certain capital requirement. How did you arrange that capital in the early days? Also, what was your vision when you were getting started? Were you thinking that one day you would have three SBUs and do e-commerce, etc?
Rashed: This is a good question. Capital was a major challenge for us when we started. However, by that point, I had worked in this industry for a while. People knew me and they knew that I am honest and I keep my commitment. As a result, I had good relations with almost all the suppliers. That reputation and connection was my biggest asset. We started with very little capital, which wasn't enough for business. In fact, most of it went to shop rent and decoration.
My capital was my reputation. The suppliers believed my commitment and gave me a lot of product support. They knew me from before. I had supported them, done business with them, and honored my commitments before. They trusted me. I never broke my commitments. Gradually, their support increased. At one point, I didn't need their support anymore because I was able to cover it myself.
We started with very little capital, and we achieved everything through our business. The relationships and reputation were the capital. I have always made sure that I fulfill my commitment.
If I made a commitment with a supplier that I would take products worth 20 lakhs taka today and pay them after certain days, I made sure that I fulfilled that commitment. I would design my other transactions with my customers in a manner that I received the payment before my own payment deadline to the supplier so that I could keep my word. When the supplier saw that we had a good business, they increased our credit limit. At one point, they said there was no limit for us.
I would like to particularly thank Global Brand Private Limited. They supported me the most. My own uncle told me that there was no limit for me to do business. That was my capital: my honesty and commitment. I believe that honesty and commitment are the biggest assets for a business. Whatever success we have achieved so far is partly because of that.
Ruhul: You had some access to the industry, some network, and an excellent reputation. Still, you started with limited capital. Weren’t you worried that you could run out of money?
Rashed: Of course, you are worried when you are on a new journey about which you have little experience. However, I tried to take risks within my capacity. I was confident in my abilities. But I did not take big risks that could wipe me out. I had many opportunities to grow bigger, but I never took big risks that I wouldn’t be able to manage.
I believe that it is better to grow slowly. If you take risks that are beyond you, it could put you out of business. My approach is one step at a time.
Ruhul: What was your vision for the company in those days? Did you have any role models that you wanted to emulate?
Rashed: We started with corporate business. We tried a distribution business which didn’t work out in those early days. Our ambition was to do retail business in Bangladesh. There weren't many trustworthy retail shops in Bangladesh. There were some, but people didn't trust them. That's why we wanted to create chain retail shops in Bangladesh and also sell products through e-commerce. That was our dream.
Ruhul: Let's talk about your journey. You started with a small outlet in 2007. How did you grow from there to 20+ outlets? I understand that your reputation helped you as you kept your commitments. But that's rarely enough to build a business. You need a strategy and you need to make decisions that take the business forward. Can you talk about some of the strategic decisions that helped you grow?
Rashed: We worked according to market demand. People think the computer business means selling laptops and desktops. We don't think so. There are many types of laptops—from gaming to graphics to entry-level. We focus on what is in demand in Bangladesh.
For example, there was a time when gaming laptops were very popular, so we focused on gaming laptops. Then, when there was a demand for graphics laptops, we focused on that. We are always trying to be the first to work on new trends.
Many people do computer business, but they don't work on gadgets. We focus on gadgets and accessories because a laptop or computer is not the only important thing. Even a mobile phone cable is important.
Technology is spreading everywhere. What you can do with a laptop, you can also do with a mobile. We also sell mobiles.
When there is a new trend, we are the first to try to work on it. We try to understand the demand and then focus on that.
Ruhul: Can you give me an example of a decision where you followed a trend that no one else was following?
Rashed: We have done it a few times. When gaming PCs started becoming popular, we were the first to work on them. Many people were still working on normal office PCs. Even now, many people focus on office PCs, but we focus on gaming PCs and graphics design PCs. A normal graphics PC can cost 5-6 lakh taka, while a basic computer can be found for 20-30 thousand taka. We understand the customer's needs and work accordingly.
Ruhul: How do you figure out these trends and customer demand ahead of time? Do you have any system for data collection or research to understand the customers needs ahead of others?
Rashed: We listen to our customers and tap into their knowledge. We have a customer care department. Our customers give us suggestions through different channels such as Facebook. We are constantly speaking with our customers before making any decision and also to understand the market pulse.
For example, when we were planning our Mymensingh branch, we did so because our customers were asking us to come there. We conduct surveys before opening a branch. We don't just go anywhere.
When drones first came to Bangladesh, many people weren't selling them. That has changed. Everyone is now selling drones. We want to be the first to work with new technologies.
We begin with understanding the demand first. We focus on the market potential and organize our business accordingly. This means we are always on our toes and constantly looking for the next emerging trends. This allows us to stay ahead of others in the market. As a result, when everyone starts working on something—which usually happens when a new trend becomes mainstream, we have already moved on to the next thing. The world of technology is vast and it is changing daily. Among other things it also means there are new opportunities all the time. The more technology changes, the more we sell. We are running with the changes so that we can provide customers what they want first.
To give you an instance, I'm currently using this watch as a sample (showing his wrist watch). We don’t sell this yet. I'm doing R&D. If I think the feedback is good, then we will sell it. I will brief my salesmen on the pros and cons, and we can introduce it to the market.
Being able to identify a trend early and exploit it means you can enjoy the first mover advantage. You can do the business before everyone else when there is little to no competition. And when a new trend goes mainstream and everyone else does the same, you naturally face competition and your business will decrease. We enter a trend early where there is little to no competition and move on to something when everyone enters that market and competition rises.
Ruhul: Please tell us about the evolution of the company. You started with one outlet. How and when did your expansion happen?
Rashed: We started with corporate and then entered distribution. When we started distribution, computer shops were starting to grow. There was a demand for product support. There were very few distributors and many of them used to do it from outside.
I came to see that shopkeepers were coming to us to buy products to sell to their customers. We felt we could do well in distribution. And we did well. However, distribution can be a risky business. When people started failing on their commitments and we weren't getting paid, we faced losses. Around this time, major distribution houses started to enter the market. It is a capital intensive business and the risk was quite high. We slowly closed down our distribution business. Instead, we focused on retail and corporate. When we started retail and e-commerce, we became very busy with business. Retail is the lifeblood of business in Bangladesh.
Ruhul: Can you provide an overview of your current business—its size, team structure, and operational approach across your three strategic business units?
Rashed: Across our three companies, we have approximately 1,200 to 1,300 employees. Star Tech Engineering Limited handles government tenders and large corporate projects—we've worked on significant initiatives like the Metro Rail project, collaborating with banks, military branches, and various government offices. We should be among the top 3-4 companies in corporate business, which I would say is an excellent achievement, especially considering we're only 17-18 years old.
Our retail arm, Star Tech Limited, positions itself as the top customer choice. While we face competition from established companies, we believe we're within the top one or two retail companies in our vertical.
Our distribution business, Distribution Hub Limited, serves as a distributor for about 20-21 brands, including MSI. We're still developing our distribution segment and recognize we need more capital to grow further. However, we are in good shape and believe we will continue growing vertically.
What truly sets us apart isn't just financial success, but our commitment to service. We consider ourselves to be number one in service. We believe our customers are our greatest asset. Our philosophy is that exceptional service transforms customers into our most effective marketers. They refer us to others. That's why we've made ourselves incredibly accessible—our phone numbers and even the Managing Director's contact information are available in service centers so that customers can reach us to complain directly.
If a customer feels they've been wronged, they can reach out directly, and we strive to resolve their issue quickly. We have strict service policies to ensure delivery of highest quality service. We've implemented suggestion boxes for those who prefer anonymity, and I personally ensure that our customers can access top management at any time. Many companies don't provide opportunities for customers to speak with top management, but you can enter my office anytime if you need help. Any customer can call me at any time. Our goal is continuous improvement—we're trying to get better every single minute.
Ruhul: Retail is a major business segment for you. You have about 20 outlets. Retail is a saturated market with many small computer shops, making it difficult to stand out. You provide good customer service, but what else makes your retail business work?
Rashed: We operate a completely different philosophy. We've fundamentally transformed our approach to staffing. In the past, we tried to minimize costs by keeping less skilled employees in front-facing roles and keeping our best talent behind the scenes. Now, we've completely reversed that strategy. We focus on having educated, knowledgeable salespeople, and we do this by taking a unique approach to hiring and training.
We prefer to hire fresh graduates, unlike most companies that seek experienced staff. Many of our current managers started at entry-level positions and worked their way up. We feel most comfortable developing talent from the ground up. Our 3-month internship program is central to this philosophy. We provide interns with a stipend and food allowance, using this time to carefully evaluate their strengths across different areas—desktops, laptops, or customer care.
During this period, we assign roles based on individual skills. While some trainees take 2 months and others up to 5 months to find their fit, most complete the program in 3 months. We're not afraid to be frank—if someone doesn't align with our culture and expectations, we tell them honestly. We meticulously select team members, sending them to sales or service roles after careful observation.
In our service departments, we observe new employees for 3 months before assigning them to specific teams. Our approach isn't just about making employees work - it's about teaching them how to work effectively. As a result, 70-80% of our employees are trained internally, with 10% rising to management positions. We only bring in external talent for specialized roles like accounting.
This deliberate approach creates a distinct chemistry that customers immediately notice. Walk into a typical retail shop and then into a Star Tech outlet, and you'll see a marked difference in employee dress, behavior, education, and product knowledge. We understand that people buy services, not just products. They'll choose a knowledgeable salesperson over the cheapest option.
I like to compare it to dining out—presentation matters immensely. Even if the food is excellent, the presentation can make or break the experience. We apply the same principle to our business. Everything must be organized, always keeping the customer's demand for quality products, service, and professional behavior in mind. Why would customers choose a business that doesn't offer a comprehensive, high-quality experience?
We try to understand your needs by taking customer feedback. Customer feedback is crucial to our strategy. If a certain percentage of our customers express a particular need or desire, we work to fulfill it. After every retail purchase, we send a follow-up message asking about the customer's experience. This continuous feedback loop helps us understand and adapt to what our customers truly want.
Ruhul: This is a great segue to discussing your company culture. You seem to have an unusually international approach to building an organization. Tell us more about your culture at Star Tech.
Rashed: I came from a corporate job where I saw too many unnecessary protocols. Communicating with senior management was difficult, almost restricted, and talented team members often couldn't share their ideas and insights due to rigid hierarchical structures. I frequently had valuable advice and ideas but no avenue to express it, which felt deeply frustrating. I couldn't speak directly to the senior leaders in the organization because of my position, and I'd usually talk about it at home. That's not a good company culture. This is a quite common cultural challenge in Bangladesh.
I deliberately designed our culture differently. I regularly message our 1,200-1,300 team members, explicitly inviting them to contact me directly with complaints or suggestions—about their team leaders or the company. Anyone can reach out via SMS or request a meeting.
We emphasize collaborative language, encouraging team members to use "we" instead of "I". This encourages teamwork and collective ownership.
More importantly, I don't want our office feeling like a prison. Unlike traditional workplaces with strict time monitoring, we focus on results. Employees have flexibility as long as their work gets done. You can do whatever you need to as long as your work is done.
Our workspace reflects this philosophy. Men and women work comfortably together, with separate facilities for women. We provide clean washrooms, a welcoming kitchen, and comfortable common areas. Women have their own common room. Employees can take tea or smoke breaks freely. We've created an environment so appealing that people prefer staying in the office. Many like to have tea at the corner shops and we don't stop them, but we try to provide a better environment in the office.
We provide our people full freedom. We treat our people well and try to support them instead of taking an approach that can put undue pressure on them.
We're deliberately lenient about timing. If someone arrives 5-15 minutes late, we are accommodative. When someone is struggling or makes a mistake, we counsel them instead of punishing them. Beyond that, we offer comprehensive employee support—providing life and health insurance, nutritious food, and even free life insurance coverage. We provide food so that our people don't have to eat unhealthy food outside. We offer life insurance for free and health insurance through small monthly installments
Our ultimate goal is making employees feel as comfortable in the office as they do at home. We invest in continuous training, mental health support, and financial counseling. In retail outlets, we try to provide the best support compared to other shops, including health and refreshment facilities. We also try to stand by our employees if they face any problems. We are always there for them to the best of our ability. When employees feel genuinely supported and that their company cares for them, their motivation naturally increases.
Ruhul: You have six partners now. One of the challenges partnership businesses face is that partnerships often don’t last. What’s your insight into making partnerships work?
Rashed: Our first peon is still with us. He was employee number 7 and he often comes to see me.
Anyways, I'm from Feni. Most of our partners are from the same area. The chairman, MD, and E-commerce director of our company are all from Feni. Another director is also from Feni, and the finance director and another director are from Chandpur, and they are brothers.
However, regional closeness is not the most important thing. The most important thing is respect and sacrifice. In a partnership, you need to respect the leader, even if you know more or are older. I may have less knowledge or more problems, but they respect my leadership. We also have a chain of command, and we sacrifice for each other. We still have this. We discuss our shortcomings and make adjustments. The majority must be granted; if I make a mistake, they convince me. And everyone is willing to listen.
If someone only wants to talk and not listen, that's a problem for a partnership. Respect and sacrifice are key to making a partnership work.
Ruhul: What are your plans for the next 10-20 years?
Rashed: We have lots of dreams. Our current dream is to make technology products and services easily available to everyone in Bangladesh. We are working towards that goal.
We are expanding slowly according to our growth. We have 20 branches now and we are planning to increase this number. We want to be present all over Bangladesh and provide our services everywhere. We want our services to be easily available.
Ruhul: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a business?
Rashed: My primary advice would be to gain experience by working in established companies before starting your own venture. We've seen this work—many former Star Tech employees have gone on to create successful IT businesses, like Techland and Inspire. The IT sector offers abundant opportunities for those who prepare themselves properly.
Ruhul: You have more than 20 years of business experience. What are some of the most important lessons you've learned?
Rashed: The most crucial lesson is that you need practical experience—you simply cannot succeed without knowing the work inside out. Beyond that, I've learned that success in the IT business requires four key elements: experience, hard work, honesty, and commitment. While experience is foundational, commitment is equally vital—if you break a promise to a customer, your business will suffer. Trust is essential in this industry. The combination of being honest and hardworking, along with these other elements, creates the foundation for success in this business.
Ruhul: How big is the computer hardware and technology industry in Bangladesh and what is its growth trajectory?
Rashed: Foreign companies see Bangladesh primarily as a consumer market because we haven't yet developed our own technology sector. There are substantial business opportunities here, though many of us operating in this sector don't have formal technological education—we've learned through hands-on experience.
More foreign companies are entering Bangladesh, and this sector will continue to expand as our population becomes more technologically savvy. However, we need to develop this sector further, which includes providing better training for business owners. If we receive more training and support, we can compete effectively. Otherwise, foreign companies will dominate the market. While there are plenty of opportunities, we need government support to succeed. The industry is growing steadily and shows no signs of slowing down.
Ruhul: What is your philosophy about life?
Rashed: We study to get jobs or become businesspeople. We all have dreams and we are constantly running after these dreams. We are always living in the future. However, I think life is for enjoyment. You have to enjoy life in whatever situation God puts you in. Whether you're a student or an employee, you must find enjoyment. Don't worry excessively about the future. You should have fun during your student life. You should enjoy movies, parties, and outings during your working life. Don't worry too much about what others think.
We should live in the moment and be grateful for our current state. We often think we could be more or better. And thus we make our life miserable. We should be thankful for what we have. Being grateful increases our blessing and can improve our life. All in all, we should take advantage of opportunities that come our way, be grateful, and enjoy life to the fullest to our ability.
