Summit Group chairman pledges $1m to icddr,b

Chairman of Summit Group Muhammed Aziz Khan has pledged to donate US$0.5 million from Summit Corporation and personally, along with his wife a matching funds from the Anjuman & Aziz Charitable Trust -- a total of US$ 1 million -- to the icddr,b Hospital endowment fund, making it the largest private donation pledge ever to icddr,b from a Bangladeshi, says a press release.

Mr Aziz Khan made the pledge during a recent visit to icddr,b Hospital. He was accompanied by his wife Anjuman Aziz Khan and daughter Azeeza Aziz Khan ACCA, both directors of Summit Group. During the visit, they witnessed first-hand the high number of patients being attended with life-saving care.

Mr Aziz Khan said, "It is a privilege and honour for me and my family to be able to support the humanitarian works that icddr,b does. We are humbled to support its research which saved hundreds of millions of children. Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Dr Firdausi Qadri and all make Bangladesh proud. We support and celebrate Bangladesh's independence by supporting one of the finest institutions of the world."

Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, executive director of icddr,b, explained that currently the icddr,b hospitals are providing treatment to a historical record number of patients since its inception in the 1960s free-of-charge.

"Mr Muhammed Aziz Khan and Mrs Anjuman Aziz Khan surprised us by pledging USD 1 million, which will considerably boost our strive to achieve our target. We are enormously grateful to Mr and Mrs Khan, and the Summit Corporation for their kind generosity. We have set a target for ourselves to make our hospitals sustainable and grow the hospital endowment fund," he added.