ACI is one of the well-known multinational companies in Bangladesh. It produces foods, pharma, consumer products, logistics, chemicals, consumer electronics, automobile services, communication, etc.
But, do you know who the visionary of this multinational brand is? Yes, he is none other than Mr. M Anis Ud Dowla. He established this company as a brand with hard labor, foresight, vision, and outstanding leadership.
He has been offering his leadership to different fields of business from the very beginning of his professional life. This article will explore this 84-year-old legendary’s personality, professional life, leadership, and so many other things. So let’s deep dive into the words.
Early Life of Mr. Anis Ud Dowla
M Anis Ud Dowla was born on 1st March in 1937 at Faridpur, undivided west Pakistan. He is one of the sons of his parents’ seven children. His father’s name was Khan Bahadur Mohammad Ismail, and he was a lawmaker.
His mother’s name was Kakabun Nessa, and she was a housewife. His mother was very fond of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and regularly read his books.
His father was a very disciplined person, and he was taught to live a disciplined life by his father. He got the book reading habit from his mother. Both of his parents were pious and trained their children’s integrity and religious beliefs. That’s why Mr. Anis is a very righteous person in his life. His father encouraged them to listen to BBC news to develop their English listening skills. So you can realize how brilliant his father was!
He has four sisters and two more brothers. Today’s famous Nazrul Githi singer Firoza Begum was his younger sister.
Sister Feroza Begum-Legendary Singer
Google Doodle on July 28, 2018, Feroza Begum’s 88th Birthday
Legendary Feroza Begum was born on July 28, 1930. When she was just a student of class 6, a great hype was created surrounding her as she was a very prominent singer on All India Radio. Dur Dipobashini and Momer Putul are the two songs that brought her momentum success as a singer. Her outstanding contributions to Nazrul Geeti brought her “Swadhinata Padak”, “Ekushey Padak” and many more like:
Netaji Shubhash Chandra Bose Award,
Nasiruddin Gold Award,
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Gold Award and
D. Litt from Burdwam University.
Gold Disk from the renowned Japanese audio production company CBS.
the Nazrul Sammanana Award from the West Bengal government in India in 2012.
West Bengal’s highest cultural award, the Bangla Bibhushan Samman, in May 2015
Churulia Gold Medal
Meril-Prothom Alo Lifetime honorary award (2011)
Sheltech Award (2000)
Feroza Begum and Kamal on wedding day
In 1956, she was married to Kamal Dasgupta. Kamal converted to Islam before the marriage and took the name Kamal Uddin Ahmed). He was a singer, composer, and lyricist. Kamal died on 20 July 1974 at the age of 62. Two of their three sons, Hamin Ahmed and Shafin Ahmed are musicians. They are members of the rock band Miles.
Feroza breathed her last on September 9, 2014, at the age of 84. She is in the heart of Bengali-speaking people for her evergreen songs.
Educational Background of Mr. Ud Dowla
He started his study life at Faridpur Zilla School. At that time, today’s most renowned poet Golam Mostafa was his headmaster. He was an outstanding student, so every teacher loved him.
Then in 1952, he got admitted into the University of Dhaka and received his certificates in Physics. Later he got a scholarship from the Asia Foundation in Public Administration in Karachi. He got admitted to Karachi University in 1959 for that scholarship. He wanted to be a civil service professional after passing out from the University.
The Beginning of His Career
Mr. Anis joined Pakistan Oxygen Limited as a Regional Branch Manager at the starting period of the company. At that time, the British had ruled the country. So he got the chance to join different world-leading business subsidiaries.
He could learn many skills, got knowledge about many aspects of the business from these business subsidiaries. In 1970 he came to Dhaka after developing his career into different positions over West Pakistan. After the independence of Bangladesh, he got the charge of the newly inaugurated Bangladesh Oxygen Branch as a managing director.
Mr. Dowla and Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI)
1987 was Mr.Dowla’s turning point. He joined another British multinational company called Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). As he had experience playing the managing director role for Pakistan Oxygen Limited, he joined as a Managing Director.
Suddenly, most of the shareholders of the company left their shares. As Mr. Dowla is an intelligent person, he picked the opportunity. He took the leading position and became the Chairman of this Company. After that, in 1992, he changed the name of ICI to ACI.
ACI started its journey with eight cores and 350 employees. That was the revolutionary period of the ACI group. Then it spread its breaches from one company to another under the leadership of Mr. Dowla.
Now, it creates employment opportunities for more than 15 thousand employees. And that eight crores capital reaches 5000 crores. So at present, you can see ACI is playing the crown role in the betterment of Bangladesh’s economy.
Behind the success of the ACI group
Success doesn’t come overnight. It needs persistence, focus, and hard work. Mr. Dowla always focused on the product’s quality, innovation, and customers’ attention. The combination of those three brought the success of the ACI group and also Mr. Dowla’s life.
As the recognition of this company’s product quality, it achieved the globally standard ISP- 14001 Certificate in 2000
Ideology of M Anis Ud Dowla
He believes in fundamental knowledge. He tried to understand his job nature first in terms of the technical aspects wherever he started his work. He tried to be a step ahead of other employees.
This is why, in his first job, he became the most knowledgeable technical person within two years. He was also a cooperative person besides having advanced technical knowledge. His colleagues and other staff took help from him as he could get the technical things very quickly.
He has been elected as the president of BAPLC for the tenure 2022-2023. BAPLC represents the publicly listed companies of Bangladesh in the capital market.
Conclusion
The powerful personality of Mr. M Anis Ud Dowla always pays his attention in honesty. He doesn’t like to go through any shortcut or dishonest way. He thinks that if you want to grow, you have to practice some qualities to be a quality person. And honesty is the first prioritized among them.
However, he is a role model for those people who think nothing is possible in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the highest potential land to build one’s career success.
Therefore, nobody needs to leave Bangladesh and go abroad to build a career from his thoughts.
With just a swiping of your credit card, you pay a handsome bill of thousands to lacs worldwide instantly without any penny with you. Your credit cards make it possible. However, such wide-accepted safe transaction has not been successful overnight. There goes a long history of credit cards to come today’s perfection.
Bangladesh is not lagging behind in the era of credit cards, the Cashless Bangladesh movement has fueled it too. Let’s find credit cards in Bangladesh in short.
Key Takeaways: Credit Cards in Bangladesh
Market Growth: The credit card sector has expanded significantly, with over 2.8 million cards now in circulation and monthly transactions exceeding 3,500 crore BDT.
Interest Rate Landscape: Most major banks maintain a monthly interest rate amounting around 25-30% per year.
Dual-Currency Dominance: Dual-currency cards are now a standard necessity for managing global subscriptions and foreign travel, subject to the annual $12,000 travel quota limit.
Fee Waiver Culture: Most institutions offer annual fee waivers based on usage, typically requiring between 12 to 24 transactions per year to void the cost.
Lifestyle Perks: Competition among issuers is driven by Buy-One-Get-One dining offers at 5-star hotels and unlimited airport lounge access through networks like Priority Pass or local SkyLounges.
History of Credit Cards
Credit cards have a long history to reach today’s destination. We will present the whole story and history in some short details to give you an overview.
Pre-history of Credit Cards
The history begins with the idea of credit cards in science by Edward Bellamy in his book Looking Backward, first published in 1888. The credit card was cited 11 times in the book!
Then, Charge/Courtesy cards in the 1920s and Charga Plate in 1934 made the ideas of the cards more realistic and implementable.
Modern Card History
The tribute for credit cards goes to Frank McNamara, who devised the idea of dining now, pay later concept. There is a story that he went for dinner in a restaurant in New York City but forgot to carry his wallet. When the bill arrived, he was embarrassed and thought of the idea of ways to pay later. The game started in 1949.
In 1950, he and his friend Ralph Schneider started Dinners Club primarily with 27 restaurants and 200 members. They charged $3 yearly from members and 7% from the merchants. The concept was so successful that it increased to 20000 members in the first year. The success spread the card out of the USA to Canada, France by 1953.
Around the same time, Alfred Bloomingdale started Sign and Dine cards in Los Angeles. Hearing the story of Diners Club, he contacted and discussed with Frank and Ralph and consolidated their card business.
Bank of America introduced cards in 1958, and the cards soon spread all over the world.
Few World Statistics
First credit card issuer bank is Bank of America
Walter Cavanagh won the Guinness Book of World Records with 1,497 cards, a credit line of $1.7 mill.
Around 2.8 billion cards are issued
Canada has the highest % of card users(82.58%)
VISA is the highest number of the card issuer, followed by Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
Few Insights in American Aspects
79% of Consumers have at least one credit/charge card
Visa is the most used card, followed by Mastercard.
Discover and Amex are the third and fourth in the queue of service providers.
History of Credit Cards in Bangladesh
Credit cards have become a must-have possession for the last couple of years in Bangladesh. Almost all the banks and financial institutions are vying severely to give a card with lots of sweet talks and offers. People from all walks of life, especially jobholders, are the main targets of these card issuers. Cards are distributed and activated with many colorful aspirations, but life gets caught with the debts and loans after a few months.
Credit cards in Bangladesh
Formal orientation of credit cards in Bangladesh happened with Standard Chartered Bank in January 1, 1997. SCB was then with the name ANZ Grindlays Bank. At first, the VISA and Mastercards were in BDT. National Bank Limited in 1997 initiated the dual currency cards. And now? There is hardly any banks/NBFIs that do not issue credit cards.
You need not take me wrong that I am discouraging with the drawbacks of any credit card. But, it’s not like that. Today, I will share both pros and cons of a credit card but be sure that I will focus mainly on the wrong aspects to keep your life easy, comfortable, and debt-free for long. Taking benefits of the modern tools has never been bad, but if the benefits can not outweigh your problems, I must suggest not approaching that sweet topic.
Few statistics in Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s credit card infrastructure appears to be thriving as the monthly domestic transactions is more than Tk 3,500 crore.
The number of ATM/CDM/CRM is more than 13,000.
As of January 2026, the number of Credit cards issued was around 28,00,000.
Department stores such as Shwapno, Meena Bazar, Unimart capture nearly half of all domestic credit card spending
Credit Card Products in Bangladesh
Each bank?NBFI is different in its card names and features. Some of the names of cards are as the list goes:
The evolution of credit cards presents the history of problem solutions. Cards were born to drive away holders’ limitations and shortcomings. Let’s explore the advantages of credit cards in the perspective of Bangladesh.
Less physical theft
Carrying a handsome amount of cash is risky of theft and robbery. Your cards can save you from them. You are taking only a plastic card to avoid the scenario as the cards are not readily usable as cash. In addition, cards are password and authentication protected, so thieves are not very interested in stealing them.
Reward points
It is bizarre but true that buying in cash hardly provides rewards nowadays. But, with some specialty cards, you can lot of offers, rewards, and concessions. So, have some ideal cards and avail the bonuses and discount offers on almost all outlets. Accumulating reward points will give you options of encashment or availing of free purchases.
Safety
Cards are issued and maintained by the reputed and most prominent organizations. They are worldwide entities concerned a lot about security and reputation, and your safety is their concern. With cards, you are not only safe from physical theft; the issuers will handle online scams if you follow timely steps. In addition, the platform and the reputation will ensure you more cybersecurity than cash transactions.
Comfortable
Carrying a card is much more comfortable than having a good amount of cash notes. In terms of space, comfort, and ease, cards outweigh the facilities of cash.
Transportable
Cards are easy to transport and carry compared to cash. A plastic card will facilitate you with a few lacs of cash equivalent. You are carrying a plastic card that can provide all the cash requirements readily. Taking bundles of cash has become obsolete with the arrival of cards.
Digital
In the digital world era, cards are the perfect partner in your digital journey and lifestyle. With credit cards, you can harvest the true potentials of digitization. Your life gets more virtual than ever with the virtue of a card. Payments, receipts, transfers are all made with some taps of fingers.
Versatile
Credit cards offer you a true sense of versatility. Previously cards were well known for facilitating credit purchases. The time has changed a lot to provide booking, ticketing of bus, train, theatre, cinemas, mobile recharge, fund transfers and many more. Nothing that involves money is out of the purview of cards nowadays.
Remote payment
Suppose you will pay another city/country. Can cash help you comfortably? Cards may be the right choice here. You can pay anyone, anywhere.
Prepayment
Suppose you will visit another city/country next month and need to pay for your hotel bills in advance. Cards are the perfect tool to make your advance bills in seconds from your home.
Status
Having a credit card is no longer limited to status; it is getting to necessity. Still, it has always been a symbol of status. To maintain the friend circle and society’s class, you may need to own one or more cards to use on different occasions and locations.
Lounge
If you are to use airports now and then for official/business/personal tours, you must feel the necessity to avail the lounge facilities offered to credit card holders. For a safe and honorable stay at lounges without any extra charges(in most cases), you will require to have a card. So, credit cards are not only for transactions; they are sometimes for relaxation.
Foreign payments
Those who pay for various bills and subscriptions in foreign currencies can feel the relaxation with cards. Dual-currency cards can make your foreign payments hassle-free. You need not visit any bank branch or money changer to make the payment.
The Quickest
Credit cards are the quickest payment solution for your busy life. You need not waste your valuable time in counting, checking cash. All you need is to authenticate the transactions. Besides, you need not visit the banks and grocery outlets. You can make everything from home. You can pay with cards and take home delivery.
Emergency fund
Credit card debt may be a good source of emergency funds. You may withdraw with card checks or cards and even can transfer to MFSs without any extra charge. So, when you require urgent funds, your cards are just saviors.
Grace period
You may purchase on credit cards at home and abroad as there is a grace period of around 45-50 days maximum based on the billing cycle. For example, suppose your bill generate on the 4th, and the last payment date is the 20th. If you make a transaction on the 5th, you will get a grace period of 45 days. If you transact on the 4th, your grace period comes down to 15 days.
Smart
With digitization at its peak, smart payments and transactions are getting priority. Credit cards ensure smart payments at ease. Cards may be one of the most used ways available near you.
Supplementary Card
Another great feature you can enjoy is the supplementary card. You can avail supplementary cards for your family members who do not fulfill the conditions to get a card by themselves. Receiving a supplementary card is very easy, contact the issuer card division or your known representative to avail one.
Insurance Coverage
Some card issuers provide insurance benefits for credit card users get insurance benefits in case of an accident, permanent total disability, and death. Usually, dues are waived and some prefixed amount is given to the cardholder /nominees.
Disadvantages of Credit Cards
Excessive and unnecessary expenses
As you do not have to carry cash, you can expense any amount. But, again, as you are not paying now, you consume even for unnecessary and less urgent items. Carrying cash puts a limit, but cards encourage consumption with offers and reward points.
Falling in debt trap
Most of the credit cardholders fall into debt over time with unnecessary consumption. The first few months are easy to manage with help from the near and dear ones, but situations get tougher and unmanageable over time. Then, debts start piling, and you may be a victim of the loans.
High-interest rate
Credit cards are payment solutions, not fund sources. If you finance from cards by not paying your dues, you must bear an unbearable interest rate. The effective rate and charges now is around 30% in Bangladesh,(The declared interest rate from March 2026, as per Bangladesh Bank is 25%) though banks’ lending rate is under 15%.
Lots of fees
Using credit cards becomes sour when you miss the last date of payment. You are charged a heavy extra in the name of late payment fees. In addition, the interest gets higher if you are to make any amount for delayed payments.
Pressure in date management
If you are several cardholders, you will feel the hard pressure of managing the dates to make the bill payments in time.
Inaccessibility
Another ignored sad story may be the inaccessibility or unavailability of services. Suppose you are out of home with your card and found that the services will not be available for scheduled maintenance; life will become a burden as you have no cash as a digital life lover. However, card issuers send messages/emails before causing any maintenance. So, be careful to avoid such wrong timings.
Not allowing own account.
Withdrawal of funds from card checks is cheap, but the problem is that you can not place the check in your account. Instead, you have to deposit it in another person’s account. It creates some complexities.
Extra Charges
Things are not always rosy for credit cardholders in Bangladesh. Some retailers may want to charge you 1%-2% extra if you pay in cards. If you have ever visited and tried to pay with credit cards in IDB for electric items, you must have faced such a weird situation, I believe.
Origins of credit card traps
Too many cards
The trap and burden of credit cards start when you are opting for multiple cards. Having several cards may not harm you until you pay the dues of one card with another card’s funds.
Too much limit
A man, by nature, is not self-regulated. Some regulations and limitations make him abide by the existing policies. When you have access to a considerable amount, you are expected to spend more in most cases. Try to keep your limit as minimum as possible to keep out of spending addiction.
Using cash withdrawal facilities
You will hardly fall prey to the debt burden if you are not taking cash facilities from credit cards. Taking funds makes you more prone to fail in non-payments on due dates. Credit card funds are expensive, and when you are using this facility, you will have to pay a lot as an interest charge.
Missing full payments
It is crucial to pay your monthly bills in full. Usually, interest is heavily charged until you complete full payment. Paying the minimum amount is not enough to avoid an interest charge. If you pay partially, interest is charged on full dues.
Waiting the last minutes and forgetting the last dates
Many cardholders wait for the last date to pay for cards and sometimes miss the deadline due to being busy, sick, or having other issues. As a result, some of you may forget to pay at last. If you have several cards, it is natural that few dates will be out of your memory. When you miss the deadline, you are to pay a high charge.
Carrying always with you
If you desire to be out of the credit card trap, you should not always carry your cards with you. Instead, when you are going shopping or for other purposes, take the card with you. This method will help you avoid unnecessary expenses.
Best Credit Cards in Bangladesh
Best cards with lower interest rates and charges
Dutch Bangla Bank Limited cards
Prime Bank Limited Cards
Best cards with lounge facilities
EBL cards
City Bank Amex Cards
BRAC Bank Cards
SCB Cards
Best cards from International issuers
SCB cards
FAQs
What are the requirements for a credit card in Bangladesh?
Basic Documents
Application form
Copy of valid N Identity Card/Machine Readable Passport
Copy of valid passport for dual/international card
Copy of E-TIN Certificate
Two copies of photographs
CIB Enquiry & CIB Undertaking forms
Supplementary Card
Copy of National ID Card/Passport/Birth Registration Certificate for a supplementary cardholder.
For Salaried Persons
Salary Certificate/ Pay Slip
Latest 3 months’ bank statement
Based on your profession, the documents required may vary from bank to bank. so, please collect the documents list from the representative while applying.
What are credit card CVV and expiration dates? How long is a CVV number?
Card verification value (CVV) is a security and identity feature. It reduces theft and fraud. Card verification code (CVC) or card security code (CSC) also refers to the same issue. For online payments/transactions, you will require to confirm the CVV and expiration dates. CVV is usually 3/4 numbers.
Do you have to pay for a credit card?
There are yearly and SMS charges you are to pay for a credit card. However, you may have some offers and conditions to avoid the charges, especially the yearly charge with some specified transactions.
What are the best dual-currency cards for freelancers?
Bank Asia SHADHIN Mastercard and EBL Aqua card are easy to get and convenient dual-currency cards specially designed for freelancers.
Is MasterCard available in Bangladesh?
Mastercard Debit and Credit cards are widely available and usable in Bangladesh. You can use almost all POSs and ATMs over the country.
Is VISA Card available in Bangladesh?
VISA is one of the most issued cards in Bangladesh, backed by most of banks and non-bank financial institutions. You can avail of and use them on almost all ATMs, POSs, and online platforms.
How can I pay my VISA card bill online in Bangladesh?
Paying your VISA card bill is more comfortable and flexible than you think. You may pay with dropboxes(particular banks), visiting bank branches, online banking or apps, Mobile Financial Services, and many more ways.
How can I pay my Mastercard bill online in Bangladesh?
You can pay for MasterCard by bank branches, dropboxes, online platforms. However, Bkash is not providing services for these card payments though it supports VISA and Amex bill payments.
Is a credit card company/network and issuer same?
May be the same as Amex and Discover or different as Visa and Mastercard.
Checklist for a credit card selection?
Getting a credit card is very easy in Bangladesh. But before taking any card, be aware of the following checklist:
Annual fee
Interest Rate
Late Fee
Credit Limit
Wide Acceptability
Necessity
Loyalty/Reward points
Lounge Facilities
Payment options
Fund Transfer
Grace Period
Security Deposits
EMI coverage
Final Notes
Over the years credit cards have been usually the boons all over the world. However, there are many instances that people have submerged in debts with the misuse of cards. If you look before leaping. The use of cards (credit cards, priority, shopping cards, and debit cards ) in Bangladesh may make your lifestyle comfortable and worth living. Avoid the debt trap and enjoy the virtues of innovation. Find details on Credit Card Operations Policy.
Women empowerment is booming in this twenty-first century. Many women start their businesses to be self-employed and create employment opportunities for others. Here, Rubana Huq is one of the successful businesswomen and keeps a significant impact on the concept of the business arena in Bangladesh. We are going to explore all about Rubana Huq biography and how she succeeded as a great female leader of the apex body of the garment industry.
She is a well-known figure in Bangladesh because of her intellectual knowledge in business, entrepreneurship, and poetry. She is the wife of late Mayor Anisul Haq.
She has been performing the Managing Director role of Mohammadi Group, one of the country’s largest conglomerates, for several years. Not only that, she was the first female elected as the president of (BGMEA) Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cRNlRUBq3g
If you are a real fan of Rubana Huq and want to know her biography from birth to today, then stick to us. This article describes all her personal life, marriage, children, professional life, and net worth. Let’s get started.
Rubana Huq Biography
Rubana Huq was born in Dhaka on 9th February 1964. That means she was born before the birth of Bangladesh and witnessed our liberation war.
She was a student of the famous Viqarunnisa Noon School, and from there, she has completed her schooling. Then she was admitted into Holy Cross College to receive her higher secondary certificate.
She was also a student of Dhaka University but couldn’t continue her studies there because of politics. But, she was not satisfied with her education, and there was a thirst for education. This is why, after a long gap, she was admitted to the East-West University, and in 2008 she received her bachelor’s degree in English.
She wanted to take the highest educational degree. So in 2018, at the age of 54, she took her Ph.D. degree from Jadavpur University.
So now you can realize there is no age limit to take education. You can be a student at any age if you are hungry for education.
The career of Rubana Huq
She started her career by television presenting. There she learned many aspects of television media. After that, she worked as the CEO of one of the Kolkata-based television channels, Southasia, from 2006 to 2010.
She was the managing director of Mohammadi Group from 1995-2017. It was her family business, and its main work was dealing with ready-made garments. First, she diversified the business operation into digital distribution, software, power generation, real estate, etc. Besides handling this company, she launched the Nagorik television channel.
In her colorful career, another new chapter opened in 2019. She was the first female who was elected as the president of BGMEA. She is now working there to develop Bangladesh‘s ready-made garment sector and its million workers’ well-being.
Rubana Huq as a Vice- Chancellor
She was a proud women member of Asian University’s trustee board, and there she honestly performed her responsibilities. She became the chair of the trustee.
The government has recently selected her as the Vice Chancellor of AUW. Her tenure starts on February 15, 2022.
Rubana Huq as a writer
She loves to read poems and other books. And there is a poetic mind in her. So she wrote a poetry book named Time of My Life. In her book, she tried to write poems according to her life journey, how she defines her life and many other things.
Personal life of Rubana Huq
Now she is a widow. In London’s Wellington Hospital, her husband, Dhaka North mayor, Mr. Annisul Huq, died on 30th November, 2017. Before that, she was happily married to her husband though it was both of their second marriages. Navidul huq, Wamik, Tanisha, and Sharaf are the names of her four children. Now she has two grandchildren.
Awards
Undoubtedly, she is a multi-talented lady and also very intelligent. As a result, she received awards from some organizations, which motivated her to take her next steps.
● In 2006 she received the SAARC Literary Award because of her book.
● In 2013 and 2014, she was also featured for the BBC 100 Women because of her contribution to Bangladeshi business.
● She won the DHL-Daily Star Bangladesh Business Award under the “Outstanding Business Women of The Year.”
Net worth
As she is involved with many works, she can make a good amount from her business. In 2020 and 2021, her net worth significantly enriched, and now her net worth is a few million dollars.
Unknown facts of Rubana Huq
She is a beautiful woman, and her height is 5.6 feet which are more than the average Bangladeshi woman’s height. So we can say she is a tall lady. As to weight, she is 64 kg. Her eyes and hair color are black. Rubana Huq & Navidul Huq is the first ever mother and son duo elected as Directors in BGMEA. And she is also famous for her great speeches. Sometimes her speech/lecture became viral through social media.
Conclusion
Rubana Huq is the name of the glory of Bangladesh. She became successful because of her hard work, merit, and making the right decision at the right time. She can even understand the psychology of people so that she can lead one of the most prominent organizations in Bangladesh without any rumor.
But, she couldn’t reach this position within a day. Her every baby step brings her here. If you want to be like her, start with baby steps without delaying any more.
It’s very challenging to find people who are not familiar with Bashundhara Group Ltd. You are using many products of this group every day. The reputation of this organization has spread all around. But they have had to burn a lot of wood to get to this position today.
Today you get the success story of earning total assets of $5.884 billion of this Group of company LTD. But there are a lot of ups and downs behind the success.
This article will discover the company’s behind the story and some personal information about its founder, Mr. Ahmed Akbar. We all know the story of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The old story of Akbar’s reign and his rule is in everyone’s mouth.
Let us know about the influential Business and prestige of Ahmed Akbar’s Bashundhara from the old to the present era. Then let’s start the discussion.
History Of Bashundhara Group
Bashundhara Group was first and foremost a paper and cement business. Ahmed Akbar has contributed the most to come to this position today from the paper and cement.
He is a hardworking, successful entrepreneur and the most significant symbol of honesty. Bashundhara Group started its journey through East-West Development and Properties Limited.
Which later became famous as Bashundhara Housing. Ensuring the highest quality of service, this company has become an unrivaled name of consumer confidence. The way forward for the Bashundhara Group was never easy.
Mr. Ahmed Akbar had to go through many ups and downs to bring the Bashundhara Group to this stage. In any case, he was trying to advance his business. Through honesty, dedication, patience, and effort, he has brought Bashundhara Group to its present position.
Bashundhara Group has expanded its business to at least three dozen other large-scale industries. For example, steel, engineering, paper, tissue, cement, LP gas, sanitary napkins, paper products, shipbuilding, food and beverage, iron pipe manufacturing. Ahmed Akbar’s skillful management, foresight, and skillful planning have paved the way for success in every field.
Bashundhara Group has created an enormous workplace not only in the business sector. The group often employs more than 50,000 workers in various sectors. Besides, more than fifty lakh people are working directly and indirectly in Bashundhara Group.
It has played a unique role in the socio-economic sector of the country through its vast contribution to the revenue sector. The company has been successful as the country’s top revenue earner for many years.
Acquisition
Ahmed Akbar is not in affiliation with any political party in Bangladesh. But he owns four influential media outlets. They are; The daily Kaler Kantho, The daily Bangladesh Pratidin, the Daily Sun, and BD News 24. He is also associated with multiple banks.
Not only that, the Basundhara group has already taken place in the playground. It had built a football team named Basundhara Kings. The team leaders also forced their opponents to form quality footballers.
It is an effort to develop football in our country. And both the teams are trying to get visitors back from the beginning. Besides forming a football team, Bashundhara Group has also created a fan club. He takes various programs with the club members throughout the season.
Basundhara Kings have done everything for the club in the Bashundhara area. Along with this, the construction work of a complete complex is in full swing. All of these happened because of the sincerity of Ahmed Akbar. The chairman of Bashundhara Group loved sports and played at a very young age.
He created Bashundhara King because of his weakness in the game. One season has often cost eleven million dollars behind this team. Besides, the name of this group has spread to everyone through this football team in a short time.
Net Worth Of Bashundhara Group
Bashundhara Group’s total assets amount to 5.884 billion dollars or BDT 50,000 crore.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Vision Of This Company
There are four visions of the Bashundhara group. Such as
● The first and foremost slogan is to move forward unitedly.
● The unwavering desire of this company is to bring harmony to all types of buyers and customers, including all employees, investors, and customer service providers working in the company.
● It has always been trying to figure out how to produce quality and sustainable products.
● The main goal and challenge is to deliver the best product to every household in Bangladesh with customer satisfaction and affordable price.
Enterprises Of Bashundhara Company
Bashundhara group now operates over forty Enterprise companies all over Bangladesh. Here is the list of enterprises
● East-West Property Development (Pvt) Limited
● Meghna Cement Mills Limited
● Bashundhara Shipping Lines Limited
● Bashundhara Shipping Limited
● Bashundhara Logistics Limited
● Bashundhara Horticulture Limited
● Bashundhara Chemical Industries Limited
● Bashundhara Trading Company Limited
● Bashundhara International Trade Center Limited
● Bashundhara Multi Trading Limited
● Bashundhara General Trading LLC Dubai
● Bashundhara Employment Services
● Bashundhara Electricity Limited
● Bashundhara Infrastructure Development Limited
● Bashundhara Import Export Limited
● Bashundhara Agricultural Products Limited
● Bashundhara Multi Agricultural Company Limited
● Bashundhara Multi Paper Industries Limited
● Bashundhara Amusement Park Limited
● Bashundhara Oil and Gas Company Limited
● Bashundhara Multipurpose Port Limited
● Bashundhara Textile Mills Limited
● Bashundhara Airways Limited
● Bashundhara Multi Food Products Limited
● Bashundhara Technologies Limited
● Bashundhara Paper Mills Limited
● Bashundhara Fine Paper Limited
● Bashundhara Pulp & Board Mills Limited
● Bashundhara LP Gas Limited
● Bashundhara City Development Limited
● Bashundhara Steel Complex Limited
● Bashundhara Industrial Complex Limited
● Bashundhara Steel And Engineering Limited
● Bashundhara Multi Steel Industries
● Bashundhara Foundation
● Bashundhara Convention Center
● Bashundhara Dredging Company Limited
● Bashundhara Technical Institute
● Bashundhara Telecommunications Network Limited
● Bashundhara Food and Beverage Industries Limited
● Sundarban Industrial Complex Limited
● Bashundhara Cement Industries Limited
● Bashundhara Prefabricated Building Manufacturing Industries
● Dhaka Multi Agricultural Complex Limited
● Sea Real Estate Developers Limited
● East-West Media Group
● Bashundhara Kings
● Rangpur Riders
● Kebab Turki Baba Rafi (Bangladesh)
● Toggi Services Limited
● T Sports
Some Personal information of Ahmed Akbar
Ahmed Akbar is the chairman of Bashundhara Group, one of the most leading industrial companies in the country. His full name is Ahmed Akbar Sobhan. Akbar was born in February 1952 in an aristocratic family in Islampur, Old Dhaka. His village home is Bancharampur in Adi Brahmanbaria district.
His father, Alhaj Abdul Sobhan, is a lawyer in the Dhaka High Court. And his mother, Umme Kulsum, is a housewife. Akbar Sobhan is the youngest of his four siblings. He graduated from Dhaka University with a degree in business.
As a student, he was a healthy sportsman and the most alert among his classmates. From that time on, he never dreamed of getting a job. Instead, he dreamed of giving a job to others. To fulfill that dream, he started his career in the internal services sector in 1986. He always believes in the same motto of there is no shortcut to success.
Social activities of Ahmed Akbar and Bashundhara group
Apart from his business endeavors, Ahmed Akbar has also made exemplary contributions to social activities at the national and international levels. Despite being at the top of success, he did not forget to stand by the native culture and poor people. He continues to contribute to developmental activities every day.
● The two Human Welfare Foundations established by Bashundhara Group have been working tirelessly to facilitate the way of life of the bereaved.
● Bashundhara Group has been generously donating to help the girl’s poor father to marry their daughter.
● Ahmed Akbar Sobhan has achieved a shining example of social service by carrying out all the medical expenses. He provides financial assistance to the journalists working in different media of the country in an accident or disaster while performing their professional duties.
● He has also set many examples of standing by helpless and endangered people. He has stood beside the people affected by any disaster, including floods, cyclones, and even the Rana Plaza tragedy.
● In his generosity, he donated generously to children suffering from complex diseases.
● He also donated to build a mosque-madrasa and to establish a school college.
● He has also provided scholarships to deserving students and arranged education for the children of needy families.
● Not only that, he has been providing medical services through Manikganj and Brakshanbaria Free Fide Clinics.
● Bashundhara Group bears the health and medical expenses of all types of employees employed in East-West Company.
● He has installed many deep and shallow tube wells to solve the water crisis in remote areas.
● He has generously given donations to construct and renovate roads, bridges, culverts, and various institutions.
● He has provided free food to about 600 students in his village Durgapur.
● Thousands of students are getting Dwini education in different places, including Manikganj and Brakshanbaria, with his grant.
One of his notable statements is – “I will not be good alone; it is never desirable. Rather, let the people of the country be all good. I desire to find a way to be good.”
He added, “When a family loses its master, they have nothing. When they become helpless, the support that the Bashundhara Group is providing in this situation will always continue. The goal of the Bashundhara Group is to stand by the welfare of the country.”
In the meantime, he will stand by the students of Dhaka University studying journalism and mass communication, including the National Press Club and Dhaka Reporter. He wants to do something for these three organizations not to have to reach out to people for financial support. Find the social works of an actor, producer, and entrepreneur.
Conclusion
Bashundhara Group, created by Sobhan Ali Akbar, is the pride of our country. There is no equal company that makes this vast economic development of Bangladesh far-reaching and fruitful. The current board of directors and chairman of the company, which serves the country and the world, has taken up several plans.
Ahmed Akbar said that “all the income of Bashundhara Group from East-West Media will be given” to the journalists.” We wish him success in his endeavors to benefit the journalists and expand his efforts and cooperation towards the welfare of the people. Let Ahmed Akbar go further and make the interest of this country more prosperous.
Hopefully, in the future, Bashundhara Group will be more focused on serving the country as the number one company in the country. It will take Bangladesh forward to the pinnacle of development.
Salman F Rahman is one of the top-known businessmen and politicians of Bangladesh. He has been the first person in Bangladesh who has made the place on the list of the top richest people in the world. Hurun Global is a Beijing’s report which publishes the world billionaire number every year. It published Salman F Rahman’s name as 1685th billionaires in 2017.
He is prominently known as Salman F Rahman. He is the Co-founder and Vice president of the largest conglomerate of Bangladesh, Beximco Group.
He became a member of parliament in 2018 and 2024. Now he holds the rank of a cabinet minister. However, he works as the Investment Adviser for the Private Sector Industry to Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Biography of Salman F Rahman
In his 69 years of life, there are many facts about his career, business, personal life, net worth to know about him. Let’s go through the article to know about him.
Early-stage
Salman F Rahman was born in 1952 on 23rd May in Dhaka District’s Dohar Upazila. He is the second child of father Fazlur Rahman and his mother, Syeda Fatina Rahman.
He has an elder brother named Ahmed Sohail Faisur Rahman. Faisur Rahman is also the co-founder and Chairman of Beximco Group.
Educational Background of Salman F Rahman
He has done his higher secondary education at Notre Dame College in Science. Then he took his bachelor’s degree in physics from Karachi University in Pakistan.
Career as a Businessman
In 1966, Salman F Rahman started his career by operating his family’s jute mill business along with his brother Faisur Rahman. Later it was nationalized by the Bangladesh government in 1971 after independence.
Then, the two brothers founded the Beximco group (Bangladesh Import and Export Company Limited) in 1972. They export crushed foods and seafood in different countries like Britain, Germany, Netherlands, France, Belgium, etc. He also imported medicines in the initial days of Beximco.
Beximco Pharmaceutical was the first subsidiary of the Beximco group. It was founded in 1976 by the Rahman brothers. Beximco Pharma was the first drug company in Bangladesh to sell products in the USA and be on the list of Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.
The first overseas retail garment business of Beximco was Yellow, a clothing brand founded in Karachi, Pakistan. Later it expanded its outlets in different cities of Bangladesh and Pakistan. Not only this, in 2014, it announced the opening of new outlets in Toronto, New York City, and Dubai. But the corporate headquarter of Yellow is in Beximco Industrial Park, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
At present, Beximco has four public companies- Bangladesh Export and Import Company Limited, Beximco pharmaceuticals, Shinepukur Ceramics, and Beximco Synthetic limited. The rest of the 17 companies are held privately.
Career as an Investor
In 1982, the Rahman brothers established AB Bank along with Dubai-based Galadari Brothers. But in 1985, due to some reasons, Salman F Rahman sold his shares, and his other partners bought them.
Later, both brothers purchased 30% of the share of IFIC bank. It does not end here. In 2010, Salman F Rahman became the Chairman of the bank. He became Chairman for the second time of IFIC Bank in 2016. Now it is a leading private commercial bank in Bangladesh.
In 1995, Salman F Rahman started an English newspaper named “Independent,” published in Dhaka. At present, it is one of the leading newspapers in Bangladesh.
Then he started a private 24-hour news channel of the same name Independent in 2010. It has an official Bangladesh government license. Now he is the Chairman of the Board of Editors of both the Independent Newspaper and News channel.
Career as a Politician
Salman F Rahman started his political career in the middle of 1990. He founded his political party named “Samriddhya Bangladesh Andolan” then. After that, in 2001, he joined the Bangladesh Awami League. At that time, he was a nominee for the Dhaka-1 Dohar Upazila constituency but could not succeed.
Though he did not win the election, he did not stop. In 2009, he became the private sector development advisor to the President of Bangladesh Awami League and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. From here, he starts his successful political career.
In this continuation, he became the private sector development advisor to the President of Bangladesh Awami League and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, for the second time.
Then, again he got the nomination for Dhaka-1 (Dohar-Nawabganj) constituency in the general election of Bangladesh from Awami League. And this time, he succeeded and won by a considerable amount of votes.
In this election, he secured a total of 86.5% votes. That’s how he introduced himself as a member of the Bangladesh national Parliament in 2019 and held cabinet minister’s rank.
At present, he is successfully serving as an investment advisor to the prime minister and helping to shape up the country’s business and economic growth with his proactive steps over the years. Another politician, businessperson and actress.
Leadership & Contribution
Salman F Rahman is such a multidisciplinary person. There is a wide range of fields that he has gone through successfully. He has a particular interest in sports, especially Cricket. In this continuation, presently, he is serving Abahani Ltd, the largest premier sporting club in Bangladesh as a chairman.
He worked as the President of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, an Apex trade organization of the SAARC region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbeYOPCJCas
There are many more key positions he held in different organizations. Let’s see all of them at a glance.
Chairman
Board of Governors of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Board of Directors of IFIC Bank Ltd
Independent newspaper
Independent Television
Chairman of Abahani Ltd.
Vice-Chairman
Beximco Group
President
SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI)
Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Dhaka (MCCI)
Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI)
Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC)
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA)
Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO)
LPG Operators Association (LOAB),
Salman F Rahman has founded the largest private-sector group in Bangladesh that has been growing over the years. It has been actively exporting products globally.
It has its operations and investments across diverse industries such as pharmaceuticals, ceramics, real estate, marine food, textiles, etc. In a few years, Beximco became the largest conglomerate business in Bangladesh and the premiere contributor of Bangladesh GDP(Gross Domestic Products).
Personal Life
Salman F Rahman is married to Syada Rubaba Rahman. They have a son named Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman and a daughter named Shamaila Narmeen Fazlur Rahman.
Shamaila was born on 22 January 1978 in London, UK. She was a very meritorious student pursuing Legal Studies with a wonderful personality. Unfortunately, she died in a tragic accident in London on Sunday 7th October 2001 at the age of 23.
Her namaz-e-janaza was held after Zohar prayers on 11th October at the Gulshan Central Mosque and buried alongside her grandfather Late Mr. Fazlur Rahman at the family graveyard at Azimpur. On Friday the 12th of October, her qul khawani held after asar prayers at family residence in Gulshan. May Allah grant her the happiest and heavenly abode in eternal peace.
Net Worth of Salman F Rahman
As Salman F Rahman has invested in diverse industries, it’s pretty apparent his net worth won’t be that less.
According to the list of billionaires in the world published by Beijing-based Hurun Global in 2017, Salman F Rahman has a net worth of $1.3 billion. In this list, he was ranked 1685 among 2257 people in the world.
So it’s not so surprising that he is the 3rd ranked ten richest man in Bangladesh. However, he denies the fact about the net worth. He said that the reports were not his wealth; it was under his business portfolio.
Controversies
In 2007, Wikileaks alleged Salman F Rahman that he is one of Bangladesh’s largest bank loan defaulters. He was even arrested on charges in 11 cases in 2008 but got bail from the Bangladesh high court in the case of bank default.
In 1996, he was also charged for the stock market-related case but the high court quashed the claims declaring they had no merit in 2015. As a man of versatile virtues, he has been always in a safe and good image despite some claims against him. However, in 2024, after the student-led movement, he has been put to jail on some allegations.
Wrap Up
Salman F Rahman is indeed a multidisciplinary person. He is a prominent businessman and political figure in Bangladesh. He is the founder and chairman of BEXIMCO Group, one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in Bangladesh, with interests in sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, media, and many more. He has taken the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh to the next level.
In addition to his business pursuits, Rahman has also been active in politics and public service. He has served as an adviser to the government of Bangladesh on various economic and development issues, and he has also played a key role in promoting Bangladesh’s economic relations with other countries. Rahman is known for his commitment to corporate social responsibility, and he has supported a range of charitable and philanthropic causes in Bangladesh and abroad.
Mr. Rahman is a highly respected (along with allegations) and influential figure in Bangladesh, known for his entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen, and dedication to public service. Though there are some controversies, his contribution to Bangladesh’s economy and GDP is noteworthy.
Maliha Quadir is one of the top young and female entrepreneurs in the world. Successful Entrepreneur, Businesswoman, Leader these are a few words to describe her success.
Maliha Quadir At a Glance
Name: Maliha Malik Quadir
School: South Breeze School
High school: Scholastica
BS: Smith College of US in Computer Science and Economics
MBA: Harvard Business School in Management
First job: Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in New York
Spouse/Husband: Khalid Quadir
Founder and MD: Shohoz.com
She is the founding Managing Director of Shohoz.com. Shohoz is the first online-based ticketing system. In terms of transactions, Shohoz is one of the leading startups in Bangladesh that is growing expeditiously.
Maliha M Quadir has successfully digitalized the unorganized transport system. And she turned it into a technological revolution in the transport industry of Bangladesh.
But the beginning of her journey was not that easy as we can see today. Nevertheless, her confidence and hard work made her one of the best women entrepreneurs in the world. Track record in multinational companies encourages her to build amazing company with business lines.
So if you want to know about her journey, let’s go through the article.
Early life of Maliha Quadir
Maliha Quadir was born and brought up in Dhaka for her first few years. Then she shifted to the US. Unfortunately, we could not get so much info about her parents.
Educational Background
Maliha Quadir completed her schooling at South Breeze School. After schooling, she completed her O level and A level from Scholastica.
She has done her BS from Smith College of US in Computer Science and Economics. She also took her MBA from Harvard Business School in Management.
She was an exceptionally meritorious student.
So when she applied for her MBA in five universities in the US. The names of the universities are Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, and Wharton, and she got selected in all of them. Then she chose Harvard Business School and completed her MBA.
Career of Maliha M Quadir
After her MBA, Maliha Quadir started her career. Her first job was as an Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in New York and San Francisco in 2000. She was working there in the Utilities Mergers and Acquisition department.
Then she joined the ISP called BRACNet Limited. While working on BRACNet, she founded an online portal in Bangladesh. After that, she worked with Standard Chartered Bank Singapore, where she worked for around one year.
Then she moved to the Nokia Mobile Phone, where she worked on Nokia Life Tools. There she covered many countries like India, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, and Nigeria,
Finally, she worked in Vistaprint’s digital business as a Director of Singapore.
Behind the Story of Shohoz
From the beginning, Maliha was a tech person. However, she always dreamed of her own business with fintech products. She dreamed of working or doing something for her own country Bangladesh.
That’s why she was looking for ideas to start an e-commerce business in Bangladesh. Then She found the idea of working with the transportation industry. She noticed that it was very disorganized and very challenging to bring digitization there. That’s how she started the startup “Shohoz.”
Bangladesh is a small and developing from poor country with 160 million people. The transportation system is one of the facts that connect them all. Here, she got the idea to make it a mass marketplace for business.
Thus Maliha Quadir thought to make this process easy for the people of Bangladesh by the startup ‘Shohoz.’
Why is the name “Shohoz”?
Shohoz means easy in Bengali. She got this idea from making life easy by offering all kinds of online services to the people of Bangladesh.
In 2014, Maliha Quadir founded a startup called Shohoz Limited. Then it was just a team of six people.
Initially, Shohoz started as an online Bus ticketing company. It provided long-distance ticket-selling services online for the first three years. This is how she made it a recognizable brand with the spread of services.
In 2018, Shohoz started to provide ride-hailing services and got a massive response.
Firstly it started with bikes inside Dhaka city. Later Shohoz also added cars in October, and the progress was excellent. Then they began to provide their bike riding service outside of Dhaka also.
It closed a $15 million funding round which was the highest for any tech company in Bangladesh. And a few business entrepreneurs can achieve this amount from investors like Golden Gate Ventures of Singapore.
Later it included various service providers like food delivery(Shohoz Food), ride-sharing, truck rental, health care, and learning material. And more on-demand services are going to be added to Shohoz in the future.
Her main aim is to empower people by solving and simplifying their daily problems. Besides this, she wishes to make their life easier (Shohoz) with tech-driven solutions.
At present, Shohoz is one of the biggest online service platforms in Bangladesh. Find the amazing growth story:
It has more than one lakh registered drivers. The one lakh drivers served 5 Million people to date with 350 employees. The great news is that it is the fastest-growing start-up.
It is growing with the vision of being a ubiquitous digital platform and a Super App. It is the most fast-growing e-commerce business in Bangladesh with the most significant number of services ie online ticketing, movie tickets, bike riding service, Shohoz foods at your dining table,
So no doubt Shohoz is going to be the first super app of Bangladesh shortly.
Achievement of Maliha Quadir
In 2017, the World Economic Forum recognized her as one of the 100 Young Global Leaders (YGL).
In 2019, Maliha Quadir received the Business Innovation Award in the American Alumni Association (AAA) Awards.
During the same year, she won the Best Woman Entrepreneur Award at the third Digital Bangladesh Day by the ICT Ministry from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It is one of the prestigious DYDF Youth Icon Awards in the Entrepreneurship Category.
She also received The Daily Star Best ICT Startup of the year Award.
Besides, she was recognized as one of the top 100 Global Female Founders by business insider magazine of UK.
Personal life
Maliha Quadir is married to Khalid Quadir who founded several business organizations. Khalid Quadir is the co-founder and managing partner of Brummer, Bangladesh. He is also the founder of BRACNet.
Khalid Quadir also came from an entrepreneurial family. He has two brothers Iqbal Quadir and Kamal Quadir, respectively.
Iqbal Quadir is the founder of the first mobile company of Bangladesh, the Grameen phone and Gonofone. WEF recognized him as a Global Leader of Tomorrow in 1999. In addition, he is one of the members of the World Wide Web Foundation Board of Directors.
On the other hand, Kamal Quadir is the founder of the first e-commerce of Bangladesh, CellBazar, and mobile financial service, bKash. In 2009, he was also a Young Global Leader by WEF.
Wrap Up
Shohoz founder Maliha Quadir is the most promising woman entrepreneur of Bangladesh. She is an inspiration for all the women entrepreneurs of Bangladesh. Her hard work, passion, and continuous effort towards her ambition have paid off in the form of her success.
According to her-
“Don’t wait for regulation to change. Instead, you should continuously operate with a sense of urgency. That’s something I regret. So often, unnecessarily waiting for things to happen, whereas taking action can make a huge difference.”
Maliha Quadir is an excellent example of a woman who can be an entrepreneur, a leader, and a businesswoman, a female founder of the online platform for Bangladeshi people for economic development.
