Every time I open my social media feed, I see another friend posing at an international airport with a passport in hand. They are heading off for a master’s degree or a new job abroad. We celebrate these posts. We comment with congratulations. But quietly, those of us who choose to stay back in Bangladesh often ask ourselves if we are making a mistake.
The narrative we grew up with tells us that success means getting out. The roads are better, the pay is higher, and the systems just work. That is all true. I will not pretend that navigating Dhaka traffic or dealing with local bureaucracy is easy. It is frustrating. But there is another side to the story that we often ignore.
Bangladesh is changing. We have challenges, but we also have a massive youth population that is hungry for growth. From tech startups to creative agencies sprouting up across the country, there is a distinct energy here. When you stay, you are not just taking a job. You are helping shape the future of a developing nation. You get to be part of the solution.
Building a career here means you stay close to your family and your culture. You do not have to translate your jokes or explain your holidays to anyone. You are home. Yes, the struggle is real, but the victories feel much more personal. When you build something successful in Bangladesh, you pave the way for ten others behind you.
Leaving is a valid choice. But staying is not a failure. It is an active and brave decision to invest your talent into the soil that raised you. We need bright minds to fix our broken systems. If everyone leaves, who is going to build the country we all dream of?
By Zara Hasan
