M Manzur Alam, managing director of Mostafa Hakim Group, one of the major corporate industrial houses based in Chittagong, spoke to The Financial Express about how he is steering the multiple businesses and social welfare activities and launching the new steel plant towards their cherished goal. Mr Alam is a renowned public figure in Chittagong and was a former successful mayor of Chittagong City Corporation, the biggest city corporation after Dhaka. He was elected as CCC mayor in 2010 election and won over his rival candidate by over 0.1 million (one lakh) votes. The Nagorik Committee of Chittagong nominated him in the 2015 CCC election as well. He participated in the election but abandoned after three hours on different allegations against his main opponent. The former mayor is now busy in steering the family business as well as
rendering social welfare services for the people irrespective of caste and creed in different areas of Chittagong and beyond. As part of continuous business expansion activity Mostafa Hakim Group will launch their new steel plant - Golden Steel Limited, with commitment to ensure supplying quality product in a bid to play a leading role in the domestic steel market. Recently he shared his thoughts on the Group's existing business and new plans in near future and reflections on personal experiences in an interview by the Chittagong Correspondent of the FE. Following are the excerpts:
Financial Express (FE): You are an entrepreneur-turned- politician. After enjoying a long political life you are again back to family business. Will you please say a few words?
Managing Director (MD): Basically I have been looking after our businesses and multiple social welfare activities for the last three years. Even when I was in politics, rendering social services to the poor was my main objective. It is such a platform from where I can communicate with so many people. After serving the city dwellers for five years as the City Mayor I have been working for our business alongside establishing a college at Sitakunda, a school at Dighinala of Khagrachari hill district and a number of mosques, madrasas, graveyards and other charitable establishments at different areas in Chittagong. I am also concentrating on establishing a dental hospital for the people of Chittagong. These social welfare activities are being rendered through Mostafa Halim Foundation, a charitable organization which is currently running more than 50 service-oriented institutions.
FE: How many people are employed in your business enterprises and social welfare organizations?
MD: About 50, 000 people are engaged in different business enterprises and social welfare organizations run by the Mostafa Hakim Group of Companies and Mostafa Hakim Foundation. Over one million (10 lakh) people have been benefited in many ways by the Foundation from 1977 to 2017. One-third of the amount we earn from businesses is spent on welfare activities annually. The activities of the Foundation are financed completely from our business earning. The Foundation does not accept any kind of monetary assistance or grant from any private or public source.
FE: Under the business expansion you are stepping onto the steel manufacturing sector through Golden Steel Ltd. Are you confident enough to shine in the highly competitive local steel sector?
MD: With experience of the last 40 years' business engagements the Mustafa Hakim Group has undertaken this project. Currently we are manufacturing 40-grade rod in our two industries - Golden Iron, established in 1984 and Golden Steel, established in 1987. Now we are stepping in the manufacturing of 500-550 TMT bar in the Golden Steel Ltd set up at Baro Kumira of Sitakunda, which has started its journey very recently through formal inauguration having 0.2 million metric tonnes annual production capacity in the auto-rerolling plant. Our target is to increase the level of production in future. Our commitment is to produce & supply world-class rods for the country. To maintain our commitment to the customers we have planned to add high quality machinery and technology already imported from Germany.
Production facility of the factory stands an area of 12 acres of land which may increase to 20 acres. Initially we have targeted production of 0.2 million (two lakh) metric tons of TMT Extreme rod in the industry a year. Raw material of this industry is still import-dependent. But we will use high technology to produce billets as raw material from local sources which will reduce dependence on imported raw material.
FE: The local steel manufacturing industry is highly competitive now. In this situation you are starting a new project. Are you confident?
MD: Amid a competitive market situation Bangladesh is progressing onward from a lower middle income country to upper middle income one. Development activities are also increasing gradually in the country. So, we would like to have our presence in the national development through participation. As many as 14 business establishments of our group are directly involved with infrastructure development. Ensuring business efficiency and quality products and services is a big challenge to a big initiative. We have planned to market our products of the Golden Steels Ltd efficiently throughout the country ensuring its quality and services. The Mostafa Hakim Group of Companies has an established reputation, reliability and trust of the customers in the market. This is also a big achievement for us.
FE: The name of Manzur Alam in the upcoming 2019 mayoral election mooted between Awami League and BNP. Have you ever thought about it?
MD: It is true that involvement in politics is a better opportunity to meet with all kinds of people. Maybe, the election is away by one and a half years. So I don't want to talk details about this night now.
FE: You were the acting City Mayor of Chittagong for about three and a half years and elected Mayor for five years. How will you evaluate your performance during the two periods?
MD: During my tenure the CCC accomplished development works worth Tk 9 billion (Tk 900 crore). Of the amount, Tk 5 billion came from the annual government development fund and the remaining amount of Tk 4 billion was spent from the CCC's revenue income. During my election campaign I told the voters that I will work for the people of those areas which are deprived of development. I will develop the undeveloped and under-developed areas in the city. I worked for five years as an elected mayor and during that long tenure I did not take leave for more than three weeks in total and worked in all working days. When I was mayor I tried to run the CCC following the parliamentary rules.
Now the city's population has increased but the budget & manpower of the CCC is not being enhanced accordingly. The CCC is facing the challenge of time with all these limitations. Another point I should mention here. During my tenure the CCC was fully impartial and free from political interference. The councillors were followers of different political parties. We followed a culture of working together.
FE: Will you say a few words about yourself as a person?
MD: There is nothing greater than the love and cooperation I have got from the people. When you stand beside the distressed you have a rare feeling that can never be expressed, nor forgotten. You have nothing so great than that. Seated on an important position you cannot only think of yourself. We need to speak well of the people. I was fortunate to serve the people from an important position, which I always tried to perform with utmost honesty. I will keep it doing for the humanity in future as well.
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