Industrialist Manzur Elahi remembered

Officials and employees of Apex Footwear Ltd on Thursday remembered their late founding chairman Syed Manzur Elahi by paying rich tributes to his memory, recalling his honesty, visionary leadership, and deep sense of social responsibility at a memorial event held at the company's corporate office in the capital's Gulshan.

Speakers at the event reflected on Elahi's personal values and leadership style, saying his principles of integrity, respect for people, and forward-looking vision would continue to shape the company's culture.

One year after his passing, Elahi is remembered not just as an industrialist but also as a man who prioritised humanity and decency above all else.

During his remarkable 83-year journey, he demonstrated that it was possible to build a lasting legacy with humility and integrity. His passing on March 12, 2025, brought together people from all walks of life.

Firoze Mohammad, CEO of Apex Footwear Ltd (Unit-2), said Elahi believed honesty was the greatest asset of any organisation, a value that became deeply embedded in the company's brands and operations.

His driver Jahangir Alam recalled that Elahi always treated employees with dignity.

"During events or meetings, he would often remind organisers that he had a driver with him and ensured that everyone was taken care of," he said. Apex Footwear official Idris Ali shared an experience, describing how Elahi instilled a strong sense of responsibility among his employees.

Recalling the death of Syed Abul Monsur, the elder brother of the founding chairman of Apex Footwear Ltd, Ali said Monsur lived in Kolkata but often visited Dhaka.

During one such visit, Monsur passed away in Dhaka, while the founder chairman and the managing director were out of the country.

Chief Manufacturing Officer of Apex Footwear Unit-1 Md Azam Khan said Elahi showed deep concern for employees' personal and family matters and handled them with compassion.

Recalling an early phase of the company's export operations, Khan said he once had to manage raw materials for around 40,000-50,000 pairs of shoes manually before software systems were introduced.

Apex Footwear Additional Managing Director Dilip Kajuri said the company had been trying to uphold Elahi's legacy over the past year.

"His honesty and integrity were so strong that no pressure could force him to break a promise once he had given his commitment," he said.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director of Apex Footwear Syed Nasim Manzur reflected on his father's life and values.

Nasim said Elahi came from an ordinary Muslim family in Howrah, Kolkata, and grew up in modest circumstances.

However, his father, Syed Nasim Ali, was the chief justice of the Kolkata High Court and came from a Muslim family known for teaching the Quran and Hadith, he added.

Tragedy struck early in Elahi's life when he lost his father at a young age, when he was only five, he said.

Nasim said his father was then raised under the care of his elder uncle, who also served as the chief justice of the Kolkata High Court.

Chairman of Apex Footwear Golam Moinuddin said Elahi had once worked at a multination company for nearly seven years before returning with a vision to build a globally competitive company in Bangladesh.

He noted that Elahi's reputation and integrity were widely recognised internationally.

"When I sought permission from my global office (BAT) to join the Apex board as an independent director, they approved immediately after hearing the name of Manzur Elahi," he said.

Moinuddin also highlighted Elahi's contributions beyond business, including his role as a founding partner of East West University and the founder of Sunbeam School.

He further noted that Elahi's stature and integrity led to his appointment as an adviser to Bangladesh's caretaker government on two occasions.

The Apex Footwear chairman said the best way to honour his memory would be to carry forward his values and strengthen the institution he built for future generations.

He also proposed publishing a compilation of his work experiences and values so that younger entrepreneurs and business leaders could learn from his legacy.

While statistics like exporting to 63 countries and founding multiple companies highlight his achievements in trade and commerce, the man behind all of these was defined by his heart.

Those closest to him measure his legacy not in revenue, but in his quiet acts of kindness, from anonymously covering workers' medical bills to personally responding to employees' family needs.

This same moral compass guided his business.

`A defining moment in his journey as a pioneer in the tannery industry came at Apex Tannery when he fulfilled a substantial order despite knowing well that it would cause significant losses to his struggling company, famously stating, "Our word should be worth more than our immediate profit."

That single act of integrity forged a lasting partnership that opened doors across Europe.

He firmly believed, and once taught a young executive, that business was ultimately "about creating something that everyone is proud to be a part of - a philosophy that became a cornerstone of his life," said a press release.

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