We created 3.7 million entrepreneurs without charging a single taka

From leaving a coveted position as General Manager at a multinational company to inspiring millions of aspiring entrepreneurs, Iqbal Bahar Zahid has become one of Bangladesh’s most recognized figures in entrepreneurship development, skills training, and employment generation.

Guided by his philosophy—“I will not seek a job; I will create jobs”—he has devoted his career to helping others build businesses and careers of their own.

Today, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Optimax Communication Limited, Managing Director of Aladin.com, and Founder and President of Nijer Bolar Moto Ekta Golpo Foundation (A Story Worth Telling Foundation). For 3,105 consecutive days, he has conducted free training sessions—an initiative that has grown from a handful of participants into a global movement spanning all 64 districts of Bangladesh and more than 50 countries. According to his organization, the platform has reached over 3.7 million learners, helped develop more than 150,000 entrepreneurs, and contributed to the creation of nearly 500,000 jobs.

In a conversation on Asia Post's business programme Beyond Business, hosted by Riazul Karim and edited by Zayed Al Mahbub, Bahar reflected on his childhood, career setbacks, entrepreneurial journey, leadership philosophy, and the mission that continues to shape his life's work.

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Asia Post: Let's begin with your childhood. What memories from your school days stand out the most?

Iqbal Bahar: I spent my childhood in a village in Fulgazi, Feni district. Our school life was full of joy. We grew up in a joint family where discipline was quite strict. As soon as the evening call to prayer was heard, we had to sit down to study. Early every morning, we attended the local maktab to learn Arabic. After returning, we would bathe together in the village pond, have breakfast, and head to school. Once school ended, the rest of the day was spent playing outdoors. Our childhood was truly wonderful—something children of today's generation rarely get to experience.

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Asia Post: At that time, did you ever imagine that you would become a businessman?

Iqbal Bahar: Honestly, we didn't dream very big ourselves. Our parents dreamed on our behalf. My father wanted me to become an engineer, and gradually that became my goal as well. I enrolled in the science stream in ninth grade and passed my SSC with good results. In our family, there was a tradition that after SSC everyone would move to Dhaka for higher secondary education. Following that tradition, I came to Dhaka in 1985 and enrolled at Government Titumir College.

I lived with my cousins, and moving to Dhaka gave me a sense of freedom because I was no longer under my parents' direct supervision. As a result, I became somewhat distracted from my studies and also became involved in various cultural activities.

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Asia Post: What happened after that?

Iqbal Bahar: I failed my Higher Secondary examination. At that moment, I felt my life had come to a standstill. I became so discouraged that I even thought about running away from home.

But my father stood beside me during that difficult time. He placed his hand on my head and said, "You are not the kind of student who is meant to fail. Start again." Those words gave me the strength to rebuild my life.

However, because of my SSC and HSC results, my dream of becoming an engineer came to an end. I also lost the opportunity to study at any public university. During that period, many friends and relatives turned away from me. Some even told me that my life was over and that I should be satisfied with becoming a schoolteacher.

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Asia Post: How did that failure shape your life, and how did you overcome those difficult times?

Iqbal Bahar: The negative comments from people around me forced me to mature very quickly. I changed my goal and enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce (Pass Course) programme at Titumir College. I wanted to complete my studies quickly and enter the workforce.

While preparing for my B.Com examinations, I started approaching different organizations in search of work. But almost everywhere I was rejected because of my academic record. Since I had failed my HSC, no one wanted to hire me.

Finally, I approached one company and said, "I don't need a salary. I just want to learn." They were surprised to hear such determination from a 19-year-old and gave me the opportunity. I worked there without pay for six months, simply to gain experience.

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Asia Post: How did your professional career begin?

Iqbal Bahar: After completing my B.Com, I enrolled in the Chartered Accountancy (CA) programme. My life began to change from that point onward. After finishing the course, I joined an IT company in its finance department. It was during that period that I first dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur.

Although I worked in finance, I was deeply interested in sales, marketing, branding, and customer care. I realized that a regular job would never give me complete freedom to pursue those interests. I needed a company of my own.

Later, I worked for another organization before joining a multinational company. Thanks to honesty, dedication, and hard work, I was promoted rapidly and eventually became the General Manager.

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Asia Post: How long did it take you to become a General Manager, and what did you plan afterward?

Iqbal Bahar: It took me only three years to reach the position of General Manager.

During that time, while still employed, I founded Optimax with a few friends. We launched the company in 2003 and managed both my job and business simultaneously. I worked at my office from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., then continued working on the business until 10:00 at night. On Fridays and Saturdays, I devoted 12 to 14 hours to it.

Eventually, I realized it was becoming impossible to manage both responsibilities. So I decided to leave my job.

At that time, the company was struggling. We barely had enough money to pay office rent or employee salaries. I wasn't even sure whether the business would survive. Despite all that uncertainty, I resigned from my job to focus entirely on the business.

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Asia Post: What was Optimax's business focus in its early days?

Iqbal Bahar: We started as an internet company, introducing second-generation broadband internet services. At that time, we didn't even have a brand name or logo. We started completely from scratch.

The first two years were extremely difficult, but after I began working full-time, the company turned around within a year. Today, the business has been operating for 24 years.

Once I had established myself, I began asking, "I've done something for myself, but what have I done for others?" That question led to the creation of the Nijer Bolar Moto Ekta Golpo platform.

I realized that unemployment and the lack of skills were among Bangladesh's biggest challenges. Many young people had academic certificates but lacked practical skills. So I decided to share the lessons I had learned during my 15 years as an entrepreneur. I wanted to do something different.

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Asia Post: Had you ever taught or conducted training before?

Iqbal Bahar: No. Before that, I only shared my entrepreneurial journey. Later, I realized that inspiring people to dream wasn't enough—I also had to show them how to turn those dreams into reality.

So I decided to teach every single day, and I made another important decision: I would never charge money for it.

On January 1, 2018, I launched the online training programme. Each batch runs for 90 consecutive days. So far, I have created 1,700 training videos and written five books. It is a professionally structured training programme with an estimated market value of at least Tk 200,000.

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Asia Post: Why did you choose to offer such extensive training entirely free of charge?

Iqbal Bahar: Bangladesh has always been at the centre of my thoughts. I wanted to contribute something meaningful to my country. I may not be a very big entrepreneur, but as a moderately successful one, I can certainly share my knowledge.

My greatest investment has been my time.

Every day, I dedicate four to five hours to this initiative. I have travelled to all 64 districts of Bangladesh and met expatriate Bangladeshis abroad. Everyone working with me is a volunteer. Through volunteerism, I teach people how to become entrepreneurs while also developing leadership, networking, and communication skills.

We started with just 164 participants in our first batch. Today, nearly 3.7 million learners have joined the programme.

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Asia Post: How are your training activities being conducted now?

Iqbal Bahar: Around 100,000 students join every new batch. My content receives more than 100 million views every month.

This is a world record because I have continued this work uninterrupted for 3,105 consecutive days. Even when I was ill or travelling abroad, I never stopped for a single day.

Many people have offered to pay me for these courses. I could have earned millions from every batch. But I started this initiative with the intention of serving people, and I want to remain true to that purpose.

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Asia Post: Given the amount of time and effort you devote to this initiative, it could have affected your own business. How do you view that trade-off?

Iqbal Bahar: Perhaps I could have earned much more money. But how much money does a person really need to live?

We all need to do something that gives us inner peace.

Over the past eight and a half years, I have contributed to creating nearly 500,000 jobs—something I could never have achieved through my 24 years in business alone. The impact of this initiative is far greater. People's lives are changing. They are becoming more humane, more positive, and more confident.

Asia Post: How do new entrepreneurs receive support from your platform during business challenges?

Iqbal Bahar: We have decentralized the entire support system. We have teams in all 64 districts, 492 upazilas, and across 50 countries. We have also established a parallel learning system. Every evening, experienced entrepreneurs join online meetups where they guide newcomers and help solve their business challenges. In this way, we collectively support our members.

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Asia Post: Many people sell entrepreneurship courses online at high prices. What is your opinion on this?

Iqbal Bahar: If someone chooses to charge for courses, that's their personal decision. As for me, I work for the country and do not see this as a business. For those paying large sums for training, my advice is to carefully check the mentor's profile and background. What matters most is how successful that person has been in business. Spending money to learn is perfectly reasonable, but paying huge amounts solely for motivation is not.

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Asia Post: Can you share any success stories of people who have taken courses through your platform?

Iqbal Bahar: One of my first-batch students, Robiul, was unemployed when he joined us. He started selling trousers on the roadside with just Tk 5,000. Today, he owns a garment factory and generates sales worth several crore taka every month. After buying his first car, he took me for a ride in it because, as he said, I had shown him the path.

There are thousands of similar success stories. Anyone can find them on our YouTube channel.

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Asia Post: What initiatives have you taken to help women overcome barriers in business?

Iqbal Bahar: We have worked to bring entrepreneurship training directly into people's homes. Our learning materials are designed in a simple and accessible way so that everyone—from self-taught individuals to PhD holders—can understand them easily. We have also created an online marketplace where our entrepreneurs are both buyers and sellers, helping them overcome marketing and sales challenges. Beyond that, we focus on helping women build their own identity while emphasizing ethical entrepreneurship to ensure they are not exploited or deceived.

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Asia Post: What should someone do if they want to join your platform?

Iqbal Bahar: Anyone can begin by joining our Facebook group, Facebook page, or YouTube channel to access our training. They can also become part of district-based networks to promote their own brands. We have even created opportunities for someone sitting in Jamalpur to showcase products in the Saudi Arabian market.

I always encourage people to start small because it minimizes risk. I don't believe there is any shortcut to becoming wealthy overnight. Success comes only through hard work.

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Asia Post: What is your view on the lack of direction or perceived laziness among today's youth?

Iqbal Bahar: I don't want to blame young people. The responsibility lies with us because we have failed to guide them properly. I have seen tremendous potential in many young people.

I have four key pieces of advice for them. First, dream big and write your dreams down where you can see them every day. Second, be courageous. Courage comes from knowledge, training, and being surrounded by the right people.

Third, take action. Don't worry about what others think because those same people will praise you once you succeed. Finally, stay persistent. There are no shortcuts. Just as you must climb a staircase step by step, success requires sustained effort.

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Asia Post: Many entrepreneurs want to start multiple businesses at the same time. What is your advice?

Iqbal Bahar: It's much like flying an aircraft. Before taking off, a pilot must undergo extensive training. Entrepreneurship is no different. First, establish a strong foundation in one business. Once you are confident that you can run it successfully, only then should you consider expanding into other ventures. Taking on multiple businesses too early can be risky.

Even if you look at large industrial groups, you'll see that many of them struggle when policies change or circumstances shift. That's why new entrepreneurs should focus all their attention on building one successful business before diversifying.

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Asia Post: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the SME sector today?

Iqbal Bahar: Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of our economy. Yet, when policies are formulated, the concerns of SME entrepreneurs often receive little attention. Governments regularly consult large industrialists, but the everyday challenges faced by small entrepreneurs frequently go unnoticed.

We've been hearing about a "one-stop service" for years, but in reality, very little has changed. Even obtaining a trade license can take months, requiring entrepreneurs to visit multiple offices and endure unnecessary bureaucratic hassles. Few people truly understand this struggle.

Access to finance is another major obstacle. In Bangladesh, getting a loan without collateral is almost impossible. Without influential recommendations, the process becomes so complicated that many entrepreneurs simply give up.

I believe that if we want to keep the economy moving, the government cannot focus only on large industries. It must create a more SME-friendly environment. Supporting SMEs will encourage more people to become entrepreneurs and ultimately strengthen the national economy.

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Asia Post: What advice would you like to give to young people?

Iqbal Bahar: My message to young people is simple: don't spend your entire life chasing degrees and certificates. Your true qualification lies in your skills and ability to do the work. Paper credentials alone will not take you far if you lack practical expertise.

Forget the idea of getting rich through shortcuts. Be patient, give yourself time to learn, and continuously develop new skills. Stay honest, work hard, and keep moving forward. One day, you will build your own identity and personal brand. Once you reach that point, opportunities will begin to find you.