An illustrious son of the soil, BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed needs no introduction. He was an institution himself. Sir Fazle Hasan Abed is one of those few NGO personalities in Bangladesh who played an active role in transforming the country into what it is now. His work for the rural poor people of Bangladesh began when the country achieved its independence.

When Bangladesh was hit by a devastating cyclone in 1970 followed by the country’s liberation struggle, a senior corporate executive of Pakistan Shell Oil Company realised that to lead a life with a cushy job should not be his goal. When he saw the sufferings and abject condition of his fellow countryman during the Liberation War, he went to London and founded two organisations – Action Bangladesh and Help Bangladesh – in support of Bangladesh’s independence. He lobbied for Bangladesh’s independence in European countries.

After independence, he decided that he must do what he can for the war-torn country and founded BRAC in 1972 with a small relief and rehabilitation project in north-eastern Bangladesh. Due to his humanity, vision and astute leadership, the NGO is the largest of its kind in the world, helping rural people to change their living condition in not just Bangladesh but in other parts of the globe including the underdeveloped Africa countries. BRAC now employs almost 200,000 people across the world and its microfinance programme alone involves some $3 billion. This indeed is a great feat.

His contribution to Bangladesh’s economy through microfinance activities, making people literate through non-formal schooling, creating income generation activities, research and higher education project made Sir Fazle Hasan Abed a household name in Bangladesh. He received Bangladesh’s highest civilian award Swadhinata Padak.  Sir Fazle was a member of an advisory council formed by the UN secretary general. In 2014 and 2017, he was selected as one of the 50 most influential persons by Fortune. This year, he won the prestigious Yidan Prize, the largest international prize in education.

Though he retired from his role as the chairperson of BRAC he was a Chair Emeritus from August 2019. After his death, it is expected that the existing leadership of BRAC would be able retain its image as a great NGO and continue to flourish.