Staying in same govt job over five years hinders creativity: CA Yunus

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has urged a rethink in how government employees approach their careers, warning that staying in the same government jobs for over five years can stifle creativity.

"Being in the same job for a long time hardens the mindset and destroys creativity," Yunus said today (28 January) at the inauguration of the "Digital Device and Innovation Expo-2026" at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre. "Every institution should be restarted every ten years. As goals evolve, people often remain stuck in old ways of thinking."

At the event, he also unveiled the website and logo for the "Bangladesh Innovation Challenge."

Yunus encouraged citizens to pursue entrepreneurship rather than rely solely on guaranteed jobs. "The idea of guaranteed jobs for everyone is a misconception. It is part of a system of servitude. The government must support people to become entrepreneurs," he said.

Highlighting the rapid pace of global change, he stressed, "The world of the future will be fundamentally different. What we cannot even imagine today will become reality. If we cannot increase our pace and adapt, we must consider how far behind we will fall."

He cautioned that Bangladesh often lags in thinking, implementation, and preparedness, attributing the gap to insufficient focus on the ICT sector, which he called a "core sector" that will shape the future. While traditional sectors will survive, technology will act as a driving force, transforming every industry.

Yunus urged policymakers to move beyond conventional thinking, noting that the discussions, future visions, and institutional structures developed through initiatives like the expo will largely determine the country's trajectory.

He also highlighted the growing generational gap in leadership, saying today's children are almost innately attuned to technology. This divide is creating a leadership crisis, as older generations struggle to guide youth – not out of ill intent, but because their ways of thinking differ.

On Bangladesh's ICT sector, he added, "To deliver government services effectively, a truly digital governance system must be implemented. People will not come to the government; instead, government services will reach the people. If implemented, this will significantly reduce corruption."

The four-day exhibition, organised by the ICT Division, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA), and Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), runs until 31 January under the theme "Bangladesh to the World."

Special guest Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the Chief Adviser on Post, Telecommunications, and ICT, delivered remarks, while ICT Division Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury presided. Welcome addresses were given by Md Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan, managing director of BHTPA, and Mohammad Zaherul Islam, president of BCS.