Workshop on “Leadership Skill Development and Business Plan Construction & Presentation”

Zara Khair

On 9th October, 2010 BRAC University Business Club organized a day long workshop on “Leadership Skill Development and Business Plan Construction & Presentation”. The program kicked off at 10 AM with Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, Registrar of BRAC University, giving his presentation titled “Leadership Challenge for the Young Executive”. He shared his real life experiences and strategies on leadership development.

Isfaq Ilahi Choudhury, Registrar of BRAC University, taking the session on "Leadership Skill Development"

At the same time he talked about several world famous leaders in the political as well as social arenas, about their achievements and failures, and how they revolutionized and shaped the world today. Many important issues came up in the question-answer session and one of them was the importance of building a second line leadership in context to Bangladeshi corporate culture. After the first session, students were given a refreshment break.

Muhammad Intisar Alam, Lecturer of BRAC Business School, taking the session on “Business Plan Construction & Presentation”

After that Muhammad Intisar Alam, Lecturer of BRAC Business School, conducted another workshop on “Business Plan Construction & Presentation”. The detailed Business Plan writing format and tactics were demonstrated which was very useful for the students. He also described common and formidable errors that students tend to make and showed us ways of improvement.

Participants giving the presentation on their following Business Plan

After the intense session, students were divided into seven groups each consisting of three members for a competition on “Business Plan Presentation”. They were asked to launch a new product or service in the Bangladeshi market highlighting its objectives and unique features. Thus after the lunch break, the much-awaited nerve wracking presentations of each group began. Each group had about one hour to prepare themselves and only ten minutes for a group presentation.

These versatile and creative students came up with seven new products/services and they were: Electronic system with CCTV at traffic signals of Dhaka for letting priority cars (ambulances, school buses, etc) pass, totally flexible fold-able and fashionable spectacles, cheap water-run small cars concentrating rural zones, electronic rechargeable cigarettes to help smokers give up smoking, solar power generation plant, Bangla-robot which is a robot that would help urban people with their daily chores and alarm-system refrigerator to detect contaminated food. These ideas were very well received by a cheerful audience who appreciated and congratulated each group for their innovation and presentation.

Winner of the Presentation Competition. (Ding-Dong Refrigerator Ltd)

1st Runners Up.(Softtech Solutions Ltd.)

2nd Runners Up, (CEFC, Converted Environment Friendly Car, Ltd)

The first prize was taken by Ding-Dong Refrigerator Ltd. (alarm-system refrigerator to detect contaminated food), the first runners up was Softtech Solutions Ltd. (Electronic system with CCTV at traffic signals of Dhaka for letting priority cars (ambulances, school buses, etc) pass) and the second runners up was CEFC (Converted Environment Friendly Car) Ltd. (cheap water-run small cars concentrating rural zones) Trophy and prizes were distributed by Mr. Najmul Hasan, Students Affairs Officer, and Naimul Rashid, President of BIZ BEE, who were also the judge of the competition.