Ashraf Ullah left school after eighth grade, yet today he leads regional financial planning and analysis for a British multinational and manages its Mauritius operations, a rise few could have foreseen.
He was born in Azimpur, Sandwip, Chattogram, a village of families who had lost land to river erosion. The eighth of ten siblings, Ashraf grew up in a modest home. His father Anis Ullah was a member of the local union parishad.
Life was simple, but opportunities were scarce. School was never easy. Struggling with mathematics, Ashraf needed concessions to advance academically. He found the river more compelling than textbooks. By 2003, he had quit school entirely.
His father refused to give up on him. A year later, he enrolled Ashraf in Haji Abdul Baten High School in Muchapur, Sandwip, where he lived with his elder sister. That small move changed everything, as he came into contact with mentors there, including his nephew Hasan.
The turnaround was dramatic. In the tenth grade, Ashraf scored over 70 marks in mathematics and stood fifth in the class, stunning the entire school. From that moment, failure was no longer an option. He graduated as the school’s top student in the 2006 SSC examination with a GPA of 5.00, repeating the feat in the higher secondary examination at Chattogram Government Haji Mohammad Mohsin College two years later.
University admission brought new challenges. In the 2008–09 session, Ashraf ranked 16th at Dhaka University and joint first at Chattogram University for the business studies programmes. He also qualified for Jagannath and Rajshahi universities but chose Dhaka University’s Finance Department, where mathematics is non-negotiable.
Even before completing his degree, Ashraf began working at Robi Axiata Limited, spending three and a half years learning corporate life. He later joined the local industrial group ACI, and in 2018 moved to the British multinational Intertek.
Today, he works at its Delhi regional headquarters, overseeing the South Asia wing’s financial planning and analysis.
Politics never tempted him. Despite opportunities, he never attempted the BCS examination, preferring an education with practical value.
Behind Ashraf’s success is a network of mentors and family who refused to let him fail. His father, dreaming under a tin roof, believed in Dhaka University. Teachers like Golam Mortuza Rana and private tutors Didar and Hashim guided him patiently, while his elder sisters supported him at every step.
Former Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khan Mohammad Nurul Amin remained a steady mentor. Institutional support, including the Prime Bank Foundation Scholarship, eased financial pressures during the turnaround.
Reflecting on his journey, Ashraf says, “When I changed schools, I told myself SSC was just two years away. I decided to try fully. My tenth-grade performance proved that effort pays off. From there, I never looked back. Many guided me, and that made all the difference.”
“Often, we do not realise our talent because we do not try,” he added, addressing all struggling students.
From a backbencher in a flood-prone village to a leader in a multinational company, Ashraf Ullah’s story proves that perseverance, guidance, and determination can make the impossible possible.
