Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) organised a memorial meeting in honour of its three former presidents—Late Samson H Chowdhury, S H Kabir and Amjad Khan Chowdhury—at its conference room on Saturday. A minute’s silence was observ
Speakers at a commemorative meeting on Saturday sought from the government national recognition for the services of top businessmen who had always pursued ethical business practices, putting the people's welfare at the centre of their all activities.
"None of them (businesses), who had paid lots of revenue to the government exchequer and contributed a lot to the society, was given any national award like Ekushey Padak", said eminent lawyer Barrister Rafiqul Haque while addressing the memorial meeting.
The Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), organised the meeting in honour of three of its former presidents --late Samson H. Chowdhury (for the years 1996 and 1997), S.H. Kabir (1979 and 1984) and Amjad Khan Chowdhury (2011 and 2012) -- at its conference room.
Business leaders, economists, lawyers and civil society members, who attended the meeting, recalled the contributions of the business tycoons and urged the businessmen, entrepreneurs and industrialists to take lessons from their lives and build businesses without violating rules. They paid rich tributes to the memory of the business tycoons for their contributions.
Terming them as architects of post-liberation industrialisation, CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya said they set examples how corporate executives could become successful entrepreneurs and spread Bangladeshi products worldwide. He called for introducing their names and contributions in text-books.
"They had introduced the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities much earlier than the concept was born, did a lot of philanthropic work, and never compromised with business ethics," said the CPD Fellow highlighting the urgency for introducing a commemorative lecture on lives and activities of these business leaders.
Dwelling on their lives and activities of the past presidents, former adviser to the caretaker government Syed Manjur-e-Elahi said they established themselves as role models for the business community.
"Now-a-days, most of the businessmen run after money. But they led very simple and humble life and became symbols of honesty and ideals. They taught us how to earn money maintaining ethics in business," said the former adviser.
Most of the past presidents including Latifur Rahman, Anis Ud Dowla, Salman F Rahman, Laila Kabir and Abdul Hafiz Choudhury, who addressed the programme, dwelt on contributions of the trio in establishing the rights of business people and their personal achievements in transforming their own enterprises into world-class business conglomerates.
Mr Salman F Rahman recollected his association with SH Kabir and 32-year long friendship with Samson H. Chowdhury. Both of them, he said, contributed a lot in formulating the country's drug policy. Especially SH Kabir had worked for the Pfizer Laboratories (BD) Ltd.
According to the speakers, they were the heroes to their followers, business icons to their contemporaries and guides to young entrepreneurs.
"Samson H Chowdhury was undoubtedly one of the greatest businessmen of the country who had demonstrated entrepreneurship despite a modest start," said a former president. "With sheer devotion and entrepreneurial ability, he established one of the largest conglomerates in the country. This enabled him to outshine others." he added.
Amjad Khan Chowdhury was the pioneer of agro-business, said another businessman adding that he established Bangladesh's agro-business world-wide despite all odds.
"They all made enormous contribution to creating employment with high professionalism," they pointed out.
The programme was also addressed among others by former Managing Director of Singer Bangladesh Mahbub Jamil, former Secretary General of the MCCI CK Hyder and MCCI Vice President Anis A. Khan. Samson H. Chowdhury's son Anjan Chowdhury, SH Kabir's son Kaiser Kabir and Amjad Khan Chowdhury's son Ahsan Khan Chowdhy also spoke on behalf of their families and sought blessings of all to fulfill the dream of their fathers.
MCCI president Syed Nasim Manzur moderated the prorgamme, which was also attended among others by eminent lawyer Dr. Kmal Hossain.
In his presidential address, Mr Manzur also highlighted the contributions of the past presidents. He also handed over portraits of the past presidents to their families.
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