‘Credit facilities very flexible, investment-friendly’

Following is the full text of the  interview:
FE.     Please take us through the journey of S. Alam Group over the last 28 years.
SA:     Down to the memory lane with a nostalgic mind, we need to go back to      the year 1985, when we started our business as a small scale trader in the local market of Khatungonj, Chittagong. It was just a starting with a mind to do something……….not willing to do any job, just to do something of my own. That time I was not thinking for my own, I was a young man with a can-do-mind, restless and impatience to sit idle. Finally we started trading business in the name of S. Alam & Company. We traded in the local market with huge turnover and volume, buying and selling, fortune was on our side.  By this way, we accumulated some capital. Then in the year 1988, we launched transportation business. It made double click; we multiplied lines and destinations within couple of years. Then in the year 1995, we ventured to shift into industrial area by establishing S. Alam Steels Limited with machineries of Japan origin and capacities 100 MT per day. For meeting the huge market demand, we had to produce proficiently whole day and night, after that we need not to turn back, in the year 1998, we established the second line and following year third line of steel. Further our growths were in proliferation. We were able to establish different types and set of industries, diversified our investments in different portfolio. It covered hatchery, cements, oil refinery, bag manufacturing, steel, cold rolled steels, super edible refinery, real estate, seed extraction plant, and so on. In the year 2007, we successfully set up sugar refinery plant and small size power plant, and hot rolled steels mill and so on, now we have country's largest coal based power project joint venture with China and sizeable investment in bourses. We are considered as the largest food items, including sugar, oil and wheat importer in Bangladesh. Apart from we have significant investment in Electronic Media, IGW, and ICT sector. We feel proud to own major shares of four schedule banks, non-banking investment institute, leasing company, merchant banking and insurance. All these could be possible for us due to our joint work, sense of working together, team spirit, we all brothers with  our family members together with all employees work together, day and night, dawn to mid night, sleeplessly.
FE. List your company's contribution in the economic growth of Bangladesh.
A: It's a very difficult question for me to reply categorically. We never think from the point of contribution in national economy, we put emphasises what can do for the country. In general, we can humbly say that we are trying to do something for the country by creating employment opportunity for qualified and skilled and unskilled people. Before putting every single step, the issue of employment creation comes to our mind first, that is our priority, people should not be unemployed. You see, descent employment enhances dignity and ignite the sense of self-reliance, self-respect and equality.  Now, thousands and thousands people are working with us and contributing to the national economy with their skills, knowledge, talents, strength and patriotic mind-set. Nation shines with their smiles. Moreover, We pay, in group and in individual, substantial Tax and VAT revenue to the government treasury. Our single/joint venture investment reached USD2.5 billion.  We strive to keep the price level of essentials specially food grains low by importing from big suppliers around the globe that helps to keep the essentials' market stable, check price hike. In every business plan and investment initiative, we put the people first, think of environment  and keep the country's interest in our head.    
FE:  What is the current scenario of banking industry in Bangladesh?
SA: It is considered that Asia is the world's economic powerhouse while Bangladesh is its vibrant part with a steady 6% impressive annual growth and it will be 8% by 2020 as per prediction of World Bank. This inspiring matter is happening based on a healthy financial sector with timely policy. Total economy of Bangladesh is based on a strong banking and finance policy. Bangladesh has framed and adopted all significant rules and regulations of international standard in banking and finance, signed and ratified all major international conventions and protocols in these regards. Financial regulation is very strong here. Central bank plays pivotal role in all aspects with the support of government. They are very vigilant and always keep the eyes wide open on financial sector. Banks have reached the grassroots and marginalised section of people. Access to banking near about all strata of people bears a green testimony of banking progress. In fine, banking sector enjoys sunny days here. Government strongly check and control money laundering and terrorism financing. Capital investment and credit facilities are very flexible and investment friendly.  Moreover, human capitals in banking sector are of praiseworthy with knowledge and skills.    
FE: You are one of the most successful supports of banking industry  of the country. How did you enter the sector?
SA: First of all, I am a businessman. From very beginning of my business and for smooth transaction, I have to work very closely with the several banks for last more three decades. we have to comply with a lot of banking regulations, practices and norms. We have to satisfy their legal requirements. Hence a good rapport and affinity have been developed with the banking sector, its people, managements and professionals. We always try to be sincere with my banking activities. We feel they are keys to my financial progress and business growth. With their whole hearted support we are here. We always express gratitude for their professional and timely supports. Banks not only provide financial assistance but also they give us timely guideline and consultations in growing our business tress.  Moreover, I humbly remind you that I am son of a banker. My father worked for central bank. Hence I inherited gene of a banker in my blood.  
FE: You are the Chairman of the Ekushey Television. How do you enjoy it?
SA: Ekushey Television is one of the social ventures of our business. I believe media plays a very important role in our daily and national life. It acts as mirror of society and safeguards the basic rights of human being. It contributes in shaping the society by drive away the darkness and superstition from the core. They extract true and present it before us. Hence I have great admiration for media and media people. I always appreciate the role they play for betterment of the society.  
FE: What did inspire you to take up the country's biggest private sector power generation plant with a Chinese giant? Please elaborate on the project.
SA: In course of my business and setting up various medium and large industries, I feel in my heart that power plays pivotal and central role in all development activities, business progress, industrializations and over all total growth. We can not think for a single moment without power. Power is the roots of all progress. For this inner urge, feelings and with sincere inspiration of our Hon'able Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we endeavoured to take up a power project venture in Bangladesh. Actually I am indebted to our most Hon'able Prime Minister for her continuous inspiration, encouragement, idea, selfless support and blessings. It becomes possible due to her personal attention and caring for the project. She bears a bold heart to encourage private sector to progress further. She firmly believes that private sector can contribute much than that of public sector. Her iconic and charismatic leadership, quick decision making ability, timely support, firm positive believe make all the thing happened. She dreams for a Bangladesh where people live in a harmony with self respect and dignity, a society free from poverty, repression, superstition. Based on her vision, we started working. It is a good beginning. It's a joint venture project with China aiming generation of 1320 MW power supply to our national grid, an ever largest project in private sector in Bangladesh. All super ultra modern state-of-the-arts machineries will be set up there for quality and uninterrupted power supply. It's our dreamt projects. Its a national project.  We always show our respects and gratitude  to those who always support us in each step of project progress, specially High officials of PMO, government officials, professionals of power sector, management people, all regulatory bodies, those who sacrificed their valuable land for the project, media people and categorically mass people of Bangladesh.  We solicit cooperation from all strata of life for successful timely completion of the project. I am humbly grateful to Hon'able Prime Minister for entrusting us with such a prestigious mega project. I believe this project for an enlightened Bangladesh, for a self-reliant Bangladesh, for a developed Bangladesh.
In fine, by the grace of Almighty, S Alam Group has already realized company motto. Now we are striving for community and country. We would like to reiterate that S. Alam Group works for country, for community, for a smiling nation, a liveable Bangladesh, a Bangladesh dreamt by the valiant heroes, true sons of the soil, and freedom fighters of our Liberation War.
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