Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Tributes will be paid to eminent industrialist, philanthropist and Adviser of two caretaker governments Syed Manzur Elahi today on the first anniversary of his passing.
Chairman of Apex Group, Manzur Elahi breathed his last on March 12 last year at a hospital in Singapore while undergoing treatment for various old-age complications, at age 83.
Apex Group will hold a commemorative meeting and dua mahfil at its office in the city's Gulshan area today.
Syed Manzur Elahi was also Managing Director of International Publications Limited, the owning company of The Financial Express, and also publisher of the newspaper.
Syed Manzur Elahi was one of the finest industrialists of the country, a man who built not just businesses but reputed institutions -- Apex Footwear, Apex Tannery, Mutual Trust Bank, Pioneer Insurance, Grey Advertising, East West University, Sunbeams School, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Freedom Foundation and many more.
Besides being an eminent industrialist, Manzur Elahi was also appointed Adviser of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh, twice in 1996 and 2001, for his leadership qualities, professionalism and non-partisanship.
Born on September 26, 1942 in Calcutta, British India, he belonged to a family of legal minds. His father, Sir Syed Nasim Ali, was the Chief Justice of undivided Bengal.
Elahi's education took place at St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. He completed his Bachelor of Arts with distinction in 1962. Shortly afterwards, he moved to Dhaka and pursued a Master's in Economics at the University of Dhaka, graduating in 1964.
Syed Manzur Elahi, the pioneer of Bangladesh's leather industry, established a company namely Manzur Industries in 1972. Four years later in 1976, he bought a state-owned company, Orient Tannery, and set up Apex Tannery with other partners.
As the founding Chairman of Apex Footwear Ltd, he transformed the firm into one of Bangladesh's largest footwear exporters.
He played key roles in the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB), Bangladesh Bank, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), and several other financial and industrial institutions.
He was also Director of Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB), Director of Central Depository Bangladesh Ltd. (CDBL), Chairman of the Board of Trustees of East West University, Member of the Board of Trustees of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Member of Trustee Board of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh and Member of Trustee Board of Bangladesh Freedom Foundation, President, Bangladesh Employers' Association (BEA), President of the Dhaka University Alumni Association (DUAA), and Honorary Consul for Belgium in Bangladesh.
His contributions to Bangladesh's economic landscape earned him prestigious honours, including 'Business Executive of the Year 2000' by AmCham, 'Business Person of the Year 2002' by The Daily Star and DHL, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 from UKBCCI.
In honour of the departed soul, Mutual Trust Bank PLC (MTB) and its subsidiaries -- MTB Capital Ltd and MTB Securities PLC -- paid tribute on his first death anniversary, according to a statement
"A visionary entrepreneur, respected industrialist, and statesman, Elahi played a pivotal role in shaping Bangladesh's business and corporate landscape," says the statement.
Beyond business, he dedicated his life to education and social development, contributing significantly through East West University and the Manusher Jonno Foundation, it notes. Recognized for his lifelong commitment to ethics, excellence, and public service, he received numerous prestigious awards.
The MTB Family fondly remembers his extraordinary contributions and enduring legacy, and prays for the eternal peace of his soul, adds the statement.
saif.febd@gmail.com