Staff Reporter: With the vision of developing capable, values-driven leadership aligned with modern demands in the country’s corporate sector, the ‘CEO Factory Leadership Summit 2026’ has successfully concluded. The day-long, prestigious summit took place on Friday at the M. Mahbub Uz Zaman Academy Building seminar hall of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. A first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the platform brought together top corporate executives, emerging entrepreneurs, academics, media professionals, researchers, and university students. Running from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, the event served as a productive bridge between veteran professionals and the youth.
Organized by CEO Factory, the summit delved into the contemporary challenges and opportunities within the global corporate landscape. Key sessions focused on leadership development, strategic planning, the practical application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), corporate communication, brand building, modern media management, marketing strategies, and organizational efficiency. Speakers particularly emphasized strategies to adapt to today’s rapidly evolving technological ecosystem.
A major highlight of the summit was a specialized training session titled ‘Agribusiness, Strategy, Reporting, and Public Welfare’. Conducted by prominent agriculturist Md. Bashirul Islam, the session underscored the importance of effective leadership in sustainable agricultural development. “Modern agricultural management and data-driven decision-making are the needs of the hour,” he remarked, while also noting the vital role of agricultural journalism in promoting public welfare and reflecting grassroots realities.
Other sessions throughout the day were facilitated by DZM Mizanur Rahman, S.M. Akash, Dr. Islam Shafiq, Md. Kazi Mohiuddin, Munaf Mujib Chowdhury, Dr. Shariful Islam Dulu, and Abir Shawkat. The speakers stressed the effective application of digital technologies to foster a positive workplace culture and achieve institutional excellence.
Dr. Sukomal Barua, Independence award and Ekushey Padak recipient, eminent academic, and Supernumerary Professor at Dhaka University, graced the closing ceremony as the chief guest. Addressing the youth, he said, “It is not just commercial success, but leadership rooted in knowledge, ethics, and human values that can transform society and the nation.”
Speaking as the Guest of Honor, Professor Dr. Dipu Siddiqui, Dean at Royal University, noted that the workshop offered young students a rare opportunity to interact directly with established corporate leaders. He added that the summit would help bridge the widening gap between academic education and practical industries caused by rapid technological innovations, ultimately contributing to curbing unemployment.
The event was chaired by DZM Mizanur Rahman, President of CEO Factory. In his concluding remarks, he stated, “Our primary objective is to cultivate visionary and welfare-oriented leadership in the country’s corporate sector. The spontaneous participation today proves that we have successfully built an effective platform for professional skill development.”
Following the discussion and training sessions, a cake-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the first anniversary of CEO Factory. The second phase of the event featured the presentation of honorary awards to distinguished individuals for their contributions to various sectors.
The awardees included Professor Dr. Sukomal Barua; S.M. Akash, Head of News at Deepto TV; Dr. Islam Shafiq, Head of Nexus Television and university faculty; Professor Dr. Dipu Siddiqui, Dean at Royal University; Jahangir Alam, Senior Producer at NTV; Rafiqul Islam Roli of Asian TV; Md mustafizur Rahman head of digital daily Naya Diganta,Raju Ahmed, President of Jhalak Shilpi Sangha; and Tarequzzaman Khan, Editor of Uttara News. The summit concluded in a festive atmosphere with the distribution of certificates among the participants.