Bonnishikha Chowdhury, MBR Team

MBR: Please kindly share what motivated you to pursue ACCA and your journey of becoming the Education Manager of ACCA Bangladesh with us.

Prawma Tapashi Khan ACCA: I started my corporate career back in 2008 and I knew practically nothing about any professional qualification. When I entered the treasury department of one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh, I understood that I must future proof my career with a professional qualification to survive and rise in this sector. The more research I did, the more I contemplated the possibilities of going global. Further to that, I was already in a job, so switching to CA firms (which is mandatory for a CA) was not really an option, so ACCA seemed to be the most promising professional qualification. I registered for it. To finish it quickly, I went to the UK and studied at Kaplan Financials which gave me different perspectives of my life, philosophy and career choice. So, when I came back after being qualified, I chose to be an educator and started training ACCA in Bangladesh along with managing a training institute of 30+ employees including faculty members. And then the opportunity came to apply for a position at ACCA; the largest professional accountancy body in the world and I couldn’t miss it. So, here I am!

MBR: What are the prospects of getting the ACCA Qualification in Bangladesh and globally?

Prawma Tapashi Khan ACCA: One can easily kickstart the ACCA qualification and sit for exams from any country. Moreover, in Bangladesh, one can start their ACCA qualification with an entry-route called the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT). CAT is also an individual global qualification. Be it Dhaka or central London, you will be a part of the global community of ACCA. And with ACCA, you can earn other qualifications with zero to very few exams. For example, an ACCA member can achieve CPA Canada by attending only one exam from Bangladesh or two exams in Malaysia to become a Malaysian CA or ANZ CA qualification and AAA in the Middle East without any exam. And, there are many more collaborations globally, that will truly make you a global citizen of the financial world.

MBR: What does ACCA offer differently than other accounting certifications like – CPA/CMA?

Prawma Tapashi Khan ACCA: Firstly, every qualification has its unique proposition and beauty, I would say. Keeping that in mind, I am very proud to say that ACCA is the largest global body for professional accountants. When someone joins ACCA, the person becomes part of our diverse body of more than 227,000 fully qualified members and 544,000 future members in 179 countries.Employers across the globe seek out ACCA-trained professionals – because they know they have the strategic thinking, technical skills and professional values to drive their organizations forward. We currently work with more than 7571 approved employers and 98 global accountancy partnerships and connect our members with thousands of vacancies through the ACCA career portal. Another important aspect is when you study with ACCA, you can take your career in any direction you prefer. ACCA opens doors to the best and most interesting accounting and finance roles all over the world. And you become one of the sought-after finance professionals our fast-changing world needs. ACCA is the only professional body that gives you the option to choose advanced papers based on your strength and aspiration. In addition to that, we hold exam sessions each quarter and some of our exams can be taken on-demand as well, giving you the flexibility to progress through our qualifications at your own pace. Our flexible exams also give you the opportunity to specialize in a chosen area and in a number of countries you can even take exams based on your national tax and law. Additionally, you can even gain additional qualifications on your way to the prestigious ACCA membership, including BSc in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University and MSc in Professional Accountancy from the University of London.

MBR: What are the challenges of getting ACCA and how to mitigate those?

Prawma Tapashi Khan ACCA: The basic challenge I find is the proper mindset that consists of insincerity and lack of a plan. There is a saying, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Students get into ACCA and become overwhelmed in the first place and they hardly understand where to start or how to start. Especially, someone who wants to study by themselves. So when I started, I went through the full syllabus of ACCA, connected papers and planned when I would sit for which exam and how the papers would complement each other. I hardly see that now in our students. Another challenge is for corporate people. With an
extensive workload, it becomes difficult for them to study regularly. First of all, I would recommend that you choose to study with one of our approved learning partners since they have qualified members with vast teaching experience. Also, the environment will encourage you to keep your spirit on. Now the classes are online but soon they will be blended to bring the human touch. And most importantly, plan your way out and plan to pass!

MBR: Are people from non-numerical backgrounds encouraged to peruse ACCA? If yes, why do you think so?

Prawma Tapashi Khan ACCA: Yes, of course. ACCA is not rocket science. It is more about understanding what business needs and how strategically one can think. If you know the basics of equations, you are good to go. What I feel and know is, to pass ACCA, you need different skills than numerical. In fact, it is completely the opposite now. Exams are hardly calculative, they are more focused on ‘why?’ and ‘how’?’ The skills you need are analytical, professional skepticism, commercial acumen, digital, technical, time management, etc. The exams are online and students need to compose their thoughts into writing via software. So, if you have those skills, the spreadsheet will do the rest!

MBR: Is ACCA only for accountants? Will it add any value if the candidate is pursuing a financerelated career?

Prawma Tapashi Khan ACCA: ‘Accountant’ is a term which is too defined for ACCA and soon it is going to be a designation of the past! ACCA is the most forward-thinking professional accountancy body in the world. In fact, our motto is ‘Think Ahead’. You can call us business partners for accounting and finance. As I said before, the skills you need are different than the stereotyped ones. The numerical work is going to be done by AI and robotics. And ACCA prepares you to adopt new changes to ensure
sustainability. ACCAs are strategic professionals that would provide value to the business. So yes, of course, ACCA will definitely add value to people working in finance and accounting roles. The world is getting smaller by the virtue of globalization. You need to be Jack of many trades and also master of some. And through ACCA, you can be more than that.

Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA).

To apply for the Foundation Diploma, Bangladesh students need an additional verification letter. The partners with this letter issuing authorization is listed at accagloabl.com. Completing the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills exams takes about 12-18 months. To gain the ACCA qualification, one needs to complete the Strategic professional exams and three years’ relevant work experience. A working individual could complete everything in just three years.