In Barapukuria, one of the poorest regions in Bangladesh, there is a young man named Mominul. He hails from a poor rural family and lived an austere and hard life. With no skills, he had to return home after graduating from middle school and began his seemingly endless farming life. Things changed in 2013 when CMC, a subsidiary of Genertec International, came to Bangladesh to build the Sirajganj power station. Mominul got a job at the project. 

Construction of the Sirajganj power station spanned more than 10 years. The four-phase project consists of three 225 MW gas-steam combined cycle units, with a total installed capacity of 675 MW. It is one of the most important power plants in the northwest of Bangladesh, making great contribution to power supply in the region. While offering a brand-new work environment for Mominul, the project enabled him to be exposed to new knowledge and skills. 

A workplace newbie

As a beginner, Mominul’s main tasks were cleaning and carrying supplies among other chores. He would also farm and feed dogs and birds after work. However, he knew that working at the project was a precious opportunity that would change his life. So, with a beautiful expectation for the future, Mominul seized every opportunity to learn new knowledge and skills.

Staying diligent and curious

One time when Chinese colleagues were repairing an air conditioner, Mominul came forward and asked if he could help. With an agile mind, Mominul listened carefully to every detail and asked for further explanation whenever he could not follow. They could not understand each other’s language, but managed to communicate by means of a translation app and body language. Seeing this young man so hunger for knowledge, the Chinese colleagues explained every detail to their utmost efforts and patience. With the colleagues’ help, Mominul gradually got familiar with all working procedure and operation instructions, and established good relations with his co-workers. The patient and amicable Chinese colleagues made Mominul feel the warmth and support from the team, and more determined to work hard and improve himself.

Journey of Chinese learning

Mominul gradually realized that he must learn Chinese so that he can better communicate with his Chinese colleagues and learn more knowledge. The Chinese language is not only vitally important to his career growth, but also a prerequisite for effective communication with his colleagues. Therefore, he was determined to master the language.

Mominul made a plan and implemented it. He went to Chinese colleagues for help. Upon learning that pinyin is the foundation for understanding and pronouncing Chinese characters, he bought books and began to study pinyin in his spare time. He started from the basics, and then mastered the rules for pronunciation and spelling, which laid a solid foundation for his follow-up Chinese learning.

Apart from self-learning, Mominul attended Chinese classes and lectures organized by his Chinese colleagues. These activities not only improved his listening and speaking skills, but also broadened his horizon so that he could better understand the culture and history of China. Through constant learning and practicing, his Chinese language skills gradually improved, and the young man became able to make conversations with Chinese colleagues.

Mominul also met some difficulties and challenges. The biggest ones were reading and writing. The strokes and structure of Chinese characters are complicated to a Bengalese, requiring more time and energy to master.  Mominul combined reading and writing to overcome the challenge. Extensive reading allowed him to have a better understanding and memory of Chinese characters. He also spent his spare time practicing writing. After relentless practice, he could read and write with proficiency.

Mominul learns Chinese with help from a Chinese colleague.

Mominul made marked progress in Chinese language with his listening, speaking, reading and writing comprehensively improved. He can fluently speak Chinese and help his Chinese colleagues handle daily routines. This won him wide acclaim from colleagues and strengthened his confidence in continuing Chinese learning.

As he speaks better Chinese, Mominul is more popular among colleagues. They admire Mominul’s diligence and readiness to help others, and began to have more contacts with him. The contacts helped Mominul better understand Chinese culture and society, and created an environment for him to speak and practice Chinese. He gradually integrated with his Chinese colleagues and became their trusted partner.

Looking into the future, Mominul plans to continue learning Chinese and have more opportunities to turn it into a strength in pursuing career development. He hopes there will be more training sessions and opportunities to learn Chinese and other skill. He also dreams of visiting China to personally experience the Chinese culture and understand the past and present of China.

A life-changing experience

As Mominul grows in workplace, his life gradually improved. Born into a typical poor rural family, Mominul has been taking on heavy pressure in life. His parents are ill, and he has many siblings. Their life was miserable.

After joining in the Sirajganj power station project, Mominul got stable enough incomes to improve his parents’ life. He also met his wife. Now, they live a happy life, and even bought land and built a house in his hometown. The changes earned Mominul admiration and respect from his fellow villagers. Mominul’s success brought happiness and content to himself and his family, but also inspired other villagers to work hard for a better life. They realized that as long as they stay positive and work hard, they can also change their life and live a happy life.

Mominul’s BRI appointment

With nine years of hard work, Mominul succeeded thanks to the opportunities created by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). From a rural lad to an outstanding employee proficient in many skills, from a young man who only spoke local tongue to one who could speak Chinese fluently, Mominul inspires people around him and those from similar backgrounds. His perseverance makes more people realize that as long as there is determination and diligence, people can change their fate. He has become a role model for all employees of Genertec International. His story also fully demonstrates that Genertec International is committed to the BRI to work with local people for a better future.

The Sirajganj power station project has created thousands of jobs for Bangladesh. While helping solve employment problems, it injected new impetus to the country’s economy. Jobs the project created range from frontline workers to technicians, managers and service staff, providing opportunities for people of different social statuses in the country. In addition, the smooth operation of the project ensured stable and trustworthy power supply for local life and production, providing strong support for sustainable development of local society and improving people’s livelihoods. The Chinese company fully demonstrated its competence in technology and management and strong sense of social responsibility, winning recognition and acclaim from local people and government. It thus built up a responsible corporate image in Bangladesh.

Genertec International’s corporate philosophy of actively performing its due social responsibilities and staying committed to creating a better life for local people touched Mominul deeply. Following the philosophy, he has been active in charitable activities, extending a helping hand to those in need and telling China’s BRI stories to more people around him. His success represents not only personal honor, but also the achievements of Genertec International’s efforts to join hands with local people for a better future.

Looking into the future, Mominul said he will continue to work hard and learn more to better improve his skills and competence. He hopes that he can deliver greater contributions to Genertec International and the BRI, bringing more benefits and hopes to more people. With his story shared with more and more people in BRI participating countries, Mominul is becoming a role model.