Syed Manzur Elahi laid to eternal rest

Eminent businessman and philanthropist Syed Manzur Elahi was laid to eternal rest at the Banani graveyard in Dhaka on Thursday.

He was buried beside his wife, Niloufer Manzur, following the second namaz-e-janaza after Zuhr prayers at Azad Masjid in Gulshan-2.

Distinguished individuals and people from all walks of life attended the funeral prayer.

The first namaz-e-janaza for the prominent businessman and chairman of Apex Group was held around 10:30 am on the East West University premises in the capital.

Earlier in the morning, his body was brought to the headquarters of Mutual Trust Bank PLC, where employees of the private bank and Apex Group paid their respects and bid him farewell.

The body of Syed Manzur Elahi was brought to Dhaka on a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore around 10:20 pm and then taken to his residence at around 11:30 pm on Wednesday.

He breathed his last at Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore on Wednesday around 7:30 am Bangladesh time. He was suffering from old-age complications. He was 83.

Syed Manzur Elahi had been suffering from various old age-related complications for some time.

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.

He was not merely an industrialist of great repute but a leader who inspired integrity in his illustrious career.

He was Chairman of Apex Group and also Managing Director of International Publications Limited, the owning company of The Financial Express, and also publisher of the newspaper.

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. While he could have trodden the same path, he chose entrepreneurship and industry.

After completing his education at St Xavier's College, Kolkata, and earning a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Dhaka, he briefly worked at British American Tobacco before venturing into business.

Syed Manzur Elahi, the pioneer of Bangladesh's leather industry, established a company namely Manzur Industries, in 1972. A French businessman gave him his first break, a chance to trade leather between Dhaka and Paris. From that moment, there had been no turning back. 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.

His leadership shaped industries that fuelled the nation's economy, extending to Apex Footwear, Apex Tannery, Mutual Trust Bank, Pioneer Insurance, and beyond. His wisdom and vision guided organisations such as the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, and The Financial Express.

Twice, the nation called upon him to serve as an adviser of caretaker government, and twice, he answered. He also 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.

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 2020, he faced a profound loss when his wife, Niloufer Manzur, the founder of Sunbeams School, was taken by the pandemic. Yet, he remained steadfast, a man less whole but no less determined.

On Wednesday, his story reached its final chapter. But legends do not end -- they echo. His name will be whispered in boardrooms, etched into ambition, and carried in the steps of those who walk in his shoes -- quite literally.

Syed Manzur Elahi leaves behind his beloved family -- his daughter, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, relatives, and dear friends.