Sabuhi Abdullayev, Head of Barda branch office: “During the war, we were the closest branch to the battle area”

Our today’s interlocutor in “AccessBank faces” section is the Head of Barda branch office Sabuhi Abdullayev.

Mr. Sabuhi, how many years do you work in “AccessBank”? How do you remember your first working day?

For many years! It will be 16 years this autumn! I remember my first working day very well – I started my work in Ganja branch office of “AccessBank” on November 5, 2005. The Bank is named differently at that time – Micro Finance Bank of Azerbaijan. I was invited to take a test exam to get a job in the bank. But I heard the exam time wrong – I came at 2 instead of 12 o'clock. Since the question was translated inaccurately from Russian into Azerbaijani, I could not answer only one of ten questions in the exam. At that time, when a Turkish consultant working at the Bank wanted to explain the question to me, it turned out that my Turkish was also weak. Therefore, I asked him to call an Azerbaijani-speaking employee. How was I supposed to know that this person would be my manager after the exam?!

Mr. Sabuhi, currently you are a Head of Barda branch office. It’s said, that everyone in the frontline is a soldier regardless of the position. How do you see yourself on this position? Can the bank employees serving in this zone also be called soldiers of the economy?  

 You know, when I say “a soldier”, I do not mean a person in military uniform at all. During 44-days’ war we were the only AccessBank branch office closest to the battle area. From the first day of onset of hostilities our team has changed its work schedule completely. A part of our team continued working as usual, and another part of them went to the borders of battle area to deliver products, water and medicine to wounded civilians and soldiers. In addition, some of our colleagues registered at the military commissariat on the first days of military operations and went to protect our lands. Thank God, everyone returned safe and sound.

As a Head of the only branch office of AccessBank in Karabakh, what does the last war mean to you?

Yes, at present the only branch office of AccessBank in Karabakh is situated in Barda city. However, I hope that branch offices of our Bank will start functioning in other liberated cities of Karabakh. As per the war, first of all, this is a victory for me. Above all, we restored the territorial integrity of our Motherland, as well as gained a new impetus for our improvement.

As the branch office of AccessBank situated closest to the frontline, how did you arrange customer services last autumn?

As I have already mentioned, we continued to work. There were some days that I even don’t want to remember, like a shell explosion nearby the office when we were working. However, we kept working, because at that time customers needed our services more. For instance we had to execute some operations on an expedited basis, temporarily freeze the loan payments of our war-affected customers and etc. We put ourselves in the customers’ shoes and understood their feelings and did our best to support them during those hard times.

How do you feel after the war? What has this war changed for you? What has it affected on in your life, in your mind?

Honestly confessing, after the war I got rid of the feeling of walking on this land with the sense of shame. On top of everything else, it was a battle of liberation, a battle to get rid of spiritual suffering. I was proud to see the unity of the people during the war. I wondered how true and valuable the saying "Power is in being together" is.

What does the patriotism mean to you? Do you consider yourself a patriot?

 There is a queston – “Where does the Motherland begin from?” The Motherland begins from the border. To protect this motherland and its borders is the solemn duty of each child of motherland. Because I’m proud of being an Azerbaijani!

You are married and have children. What future do you wish them?

 Probably, firstly, I would like to be proud of them. I would like them to be told often, "How well brought up these children are!". I think that every parent is proud to hear these words addressed to their children.

Of course, I would like them to be physically healthy, spiritually rich, free and happy. I would like all Azerbaijani children to live in peace, to be able to build their life and career and surely, reach their goals.

 Last but not least, I would like my children to have loyal colleagues just like at AccessBank.