Portrait of an insurance legend

He was born Md Azizus Samad. M.A. Samad was the short form. Mula was his nickname, used among his family and close friend circle. His adoring juniors called him Mula Bhai with enormous love and affection. Others who had the least idea about his genius and achievements will continue to revere him as a guardian-like figure in many respects.

M. A. Samad played a pioneering role in the growth of the insurance sector in Bangladesh. His vast experience in this sector and his determined efforts to infuse vibrancy into it had taken him to great heights in the field of insurance. Born on January 01, 1923, he nurtured a knack for literary activities, apart from being a person of outstanding professional qualities. He had excelled in the insurance and the allied sectors. Late M.A. Samad was known not only in the country, but also in the international arena. His personality reinforced by charisma, scholarship and professionalism and his unique approach to insurance-selling skills are encountered rarely in a developing country like Bangladesh. His visions are reflected in different books written by him. His works on general insurance can also be enjoyed as proof of high-quality creativity.

M.A. Samad's insurance related books include 'Je Byabsa Sommaner' (The Business of Honour), 'Je Byabsaye Muldhan Lage Na' (The Business without Capital) etc. 'Life Insurance Selling in Action' (Related to life insurance), 'Successful Agency Building' (Related to life insurance), 'Sadharan Bima'r A, Aa, Ka, Kha' ( Related to ABCD of general insurance) are the some other books.

Apart from those, M. A. Samad composed a Bangla sketch-book on different subjects of daily life. It is titled 'Shanibarer Chhuti', nicely prefaced by Prof Syed Ali Ahsan. The book is highly appreciated in the literary circles. Late Samad proved himself a successful original author. It is undeniable that his books on insurance finally emerged as a genuine pathfinder in insurance education, due to their unalloyed professional nature.

Late Samad started his career as a media man in the 'All India Radio' in 1945. A brilliant student of History, he chose the insurance sector as his career despite the challenges accompanying it. As he viewed, the financial security and the interests of the common people in this country remain handicapped by a section of people, who are, in fact, not 'pro-people'.

The man of scores of rare qualities, his philanthropic trait being the dominant, is no more with us. He left this world on October 17 in 2005. In his long illustrious career, M.A. Samad held many important posts. They included managing director (MD) of Jiban Bima Corporation, founder-director, Bangladesh Insurance Academy, chairman, Bangladesh Insurance Association, and founder-chairman and MD, Bangladesh General Insurance Company Ltd (the country's first insurance company in the private sector).

M. A. Samad had established the Bangladesh Insurance Academy with great hopes. Definitely it was set up for quantitative and creative output of insurance education which emphasises prominence of professional dignity. Sadly, the impact of the academy has faded out. The importance of insurance as a subject is rarely cared for in the country's educational institutions. Lately, throughout the country the objectives of insurance education, its creative resources etc have been awfully belittled by ignorance and wrong notions. Apart from it, the current younger generation, including the emerging entrepreneurs belonging to the upper level of society is not found interested at all in the fruits that come from insurance. They can play a great role in bringing back the dignity the insurance sector enjoyed in its past glorious days.

Sanaul Haq Khan is a poet and Fellow of Bangla Academy.

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