Personal and business history of different company's CEO, Chairman of Bangladesh

[Golam Kibria]

Muhammad Yunus (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit (small loans to poor people possessing no collateral) to help its clients establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. In 2006 Yunus and Grameen received the Nobel Prize for Peace. Yunus himself has received several other national and international honors.

He previously was a professor of economics where he developed the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. He is the author of Banker to the Poor and a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation. In early 2007 Yunus showed interest in launching a political party in Bangladesh named Nagorik Shakti (Citizen Power), but later discarded the plan. He is one of the founding members of Global Elders.

Yunus also serves on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support United Nations causes. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN

Family:
In 1967 while Yunus attended Vanderbilt University, he met Vera Forostenko, a student of Russian literature at Vanderbilt University and daughter of Russian immigrants to Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. They were married in 1970. Yunus's marriage with Vera ended within months of the birth of their baby girl, Monica Yunus (b. 1979 Chittagong), as Vera returned to New Jersey claiming that Bangladesh was not a good place to raise a baby. Yunus later married Afrozi Yunus, who was then a researcher in physics at Manchester University. She was later appointed as a professor of physics at Jahangirnagar University. Their daughter Deena Afroz Yunus was born in 1986.

His brothers are also active in academia. His brother Muhammad Ibrahim is a professor of physics at Dhaka University and the founder of The Center for Mass Education in Science (CMES), which brings science education to adolescent girls in villages. His younger brother Muhammad Jahangir is a popular television presenter and a well known social activist in Bangladesh. He is also the moderator of several Talk show programmes in Bangladesh. Monica Yunus, his elder daughter, is a Bangladeshi-Russian American soprano singer, working in New York City.

[Golam Kibria]

Mr Nasir-ur Rahman Sinha, Chairman of the The ACME Laboratories Ltd., obtained M.A. in political science from Dhaka University in 1965 and is a pioneer manufacturing industrialist having vast entrepreneurial foresightedness of business. He is also the Chairman of "Sinha Printers Ltd" engaged as a pharmaceutical packers and printers unit. He is connected with Dhaka Stock Exchange Ltd. since 1969 and is also a member of D.S.E. He is the Managing Director of National Equities and Financial Promoters Ltd. (Securities and Investment Advisor). He is also the Director of "Sinha Fabrics Ltd", "Sinha Wool Wears Ltd", ACME IT Ltd" and "The ACME Agrovet and Beverage Ltd"

Besides, he sponsored the first Internet Service Provider of the country 'Information Services Network Ltd.' (Bangla Net) as it's Director. He is also a sponsor director of "Holiday Publication Ltd." engaged in publishing 'Weekly Holiday' and 'Daily New Age'. He is widely connected with many socio-cultural and philanthropic organizations.

He is a disabled man as he is suffering from Cerebral Palsy since his birth but due to his sincere and serious efforts and co-operation of his parents, wife and siblings he turned as a bold man to face all obstructions successfully. He is also the Chairman of Salvation for the Deserving (SFD), a non profit organization, for rehabilitating the disabled of Bangladesh.

[Golam Kibria]

The iconic businessman of Bangladesh has a rich educational and professional background. Born and brought up in a business family, educated in the United States (Ivy League), bags in a long aviation business experience.

He has over twenty years of functional expertise in Finance and Accounts, Marketing, Internal consulting, Strategic & General management. It all began for this aviation veteran in 1998 as he set up GMG Airlines from scratch with two Canadian built Dash 8s. After spending six years at setting up GMG Airlines, the company received International Air Transport Operator’s License; the sky was the limit for Mr. Sattar. He was appointed by the president of Republic of Cyprus as Honorary Consul for Bangladesh. Remarkable as it is, Mr. Sattar has been the CEO & Accountable Manager for the airline, a well known public speaker on standards of safety, operations & airworthiness. Currently focused to turn GMG into a global icon in terms of being a truly international airline, Mr. Sattar says he has miles to go before he sleeps!

[Golam Kibria]

Mr. Syed Manzur Elahi started his career as a professional with a leading multinational corporation and then became an entrepreneur in the early post independence days,. Mr. Elahi is a prominent businessman of the country and is the Chairman of Apex Group, a leading business organization of the country. Throughout his illustrious career, he has made significant contributions to the founding and development of various industrial and business enterprises including banking. He is the founding Chairman of Apex Tannery Ltd., Apex Adelchi Footwear Ltd., Apex Pharma Ltd., Pioneer Insurance Co. Ltd. and Grey Advertising (Bangladesh) Ltd.

Mr. Elahi is the former Chairman of Bangladesh Association of Banks, and has served as a Director on the boards of Bangladesh Bank, Sonali Bank, and Bangladesh Krishi Bank. He has served as President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and as Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Association of Public Listed Companies. Mr. Elahi was Chairman of the East West University Foundation. He is a Director of International Publications Ltd., the Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Ltd. and of ACI Ltd. He has also served as a Director of the Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh. Besides being an eminent industrialist, Mr. Elahi was also appointed Adviser to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh, twice, for his leadership qualities and professionalism.

He is the President of the Dhaka University Alumni Association and a Trustee Board member of the Centre for Policy Dialogue. He was also the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Belgium in Bangladesh. He has won various awards for his contributions to the business sector of the country, including "Business Executive of the year 2000" by the American Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh and later the "Business Person of the Year 2002" award, sponsored by the Daily Star and DHL Worldwide Express. Mr. Elahi holds an M.A. from the University of Dhaka.

[Golam Kibria]

Tapan Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi businessman. On January 14, 2007, he was appointed as one of the advisers for the Caretaker government of Bangladesh under Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed. He resigned from caretaker government on January 8, 2008.

He was born in Aataikula, Pabna. His father, Samson Hossain Choudhury, was the founder and chairman of Square (Bangladesh) group of industries. Though he a catholic christian, he is married to a muslim lady. His only son, Aaron Choudhury (Danny), died in a trgic car accident in USA in 2004.

Business career
Chowdhury is one of the founders of the Square (Bangladesh) Pharmaceutical Ltd and Square Textiles Limited. Both companies are among the largest enterprises in their respective sectors.

Chowdhury was a President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). He was also associated with the Young Man Christian Association (YMCA) as its president, and was the Vice-President of Bangladesh Baptist fellowship.

Chowdhury also was a member of the executive committee of the Bangladesh Employers Association, and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association.

Chowdhury's other positions includes the Directorship of Square Toiletries Ltd, Pioneer Insurance Ltd, Continental Hospital Ltd, and several other companies.

[Golam Kibria]

Mr. Yussuf A. Harun, is a renouned business personality in Bangladesh. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (FCA) and has more than 40 years experience in various business both in home and abroad. Mr. Harun was the two times elected President of FBCCI, the top trade apex body of Bangladesh. Founder Vice president BIMSTEC chember of commerce & Industry. President, European Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bangladesh Chapter. The Vice President, SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Vice President, Confederation of Asian-Pacific Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

[Golam Kibria]

Dr. Hafiz G.A. Siddiqi was appointed as Depositor Director to the board of BRAC Bank Limited in 2008. Dr. Siddiqi is the vice chancellor of North South University. He is the president of the Hyderabad based Association of Management Development Institution in South Asia (AMDISA), A SAARC affiliated association of the top business schools of South Asia.

He is the member of Steering Committee, Bangladesh Commission for UNESCO, founder Chairman of Institute of Management Consultants, Bangladesh Member and founder Chairman in the Board of Directors of MIDAS, Dr. Siddiqi worked as international consultant to many renowned organizations including the World Bank. He advised many agencies of the Government of Bangladesh on various aspects relating to management development, marketing, performance evaluation, human resources development, globalization & technology transfer. He is the author/co-author and editor of 14 books and has published many articles. His latest book is "The Readymade Garment Industry of Bangladesh" published by University Press Ltd., Dhaka in 2004. Dr. Siddiqi has more than 40 years of experience as an educationist, researcher, international consultant and business executive.

Dr. Siddiqi obtained his Ph.D from Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK his MBA from Graduate School of Business, Indiana University, USA, his Master of Public and International Affairs (MPIA) from University of Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, USA and his M.A. (Economies) from University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

[Golam Kibria]

Kaiser A Chowdhury has been appointed as president and managing director of AB Bank. He has been serving the bank holding the same post from 2005.

Chowdhury started his banking career with Grindlays Bank in 1975 and serve the organisation in different capacities at home and abroad, said a statement.

He also worked with ONE Bank as deputy managing director from 1999 to 2004.

He is the winner of Century ERA award at Geneva 2008 and International Quality Summit award at New York 2010 by Business Initiative Directions.

[Golam Kibria]

Khondaker Muzammel Huq Newly Appointed Chairman of Grameen Bank

He worked for Grameen Bank as a general manager and director for research, training, planning and special programmes between 1982 and 2003, said Jannat-E-Quanine, a general manager of the bank.

A former research scholar at Oxford University, Muzammel also worked with the Development Bank of France, Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Central Bank of Nepal as adviser on micro-credit and small enterprise development.

He is also the managing director of Enterprise Development Company Ltd, a private sector financial organisation.

[Golam Kibria]

Rashid's role as a CEO of Citibank, N.A. is also an integral part of his identity. He is quite frank and upbeat about Citi's role in contributing towards developing a proper `corporate culture' of the country. Although it is the leading financial institutions in the world, Citibank has deliberately kept a low profile in the current corporate milieu, choosing to work efficiently instead of hogging the spotlight.

'Given that our country has huge potential, Citibank considers itself as a conduit for transfer of world-class banking services to our homeland. We want to provide our customers with a more integrated set of products and services, yet a more simplified experience. But I must also mention that when we talk about shaping the future of country's financial climate, we must not only talk about banks but also the industry as a whole since individual industries are all interlinked. Citibank has a large role to play as far as trend setting is concerned and its track record speaks for itself. Clients continuously require customized solutions at competitive prices.

When these are combined, banks need continuous innovation to survive. But success stories have also relied on the much more stable financial climate that has been in the country for the last decade or so. Such a consistent monetary policy and central banks' ongoing reform programs have truly evened out the fluctuations that are normally associated with business cycles of most developing economies."

[Golam Kibria]

Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited joined the bank at the time of its inception in 1983 as Public Relations Officer. Later, he worked in its Nawabpur & Islampur Branch and served as Branch Incumbent in different capacities in Jessore, Mouchak and Head Office Complex Corporate branch for more than a decade with Success.

He received the First Best Manager award of the bank for his outstanding performance in 1991 & 1993. He moved to Saudi Arabia in 1995 as the Bank’s marketing & development representative for KSA and subsequently he was simultaneously assigned to five other Gulf States, namely Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the U.A.E. He served in those GCC countries till June 2000 and did extensive groundwork for facilitating expatriate remittance to the country as well as to the bank. After returning from his assignment in abroad he took the charge of Head Office Complex Corporate Branch in August 2000 and under his leadership the branch became one of the top branch of the bank within a very short time. He was promoted to the post of Executive Vice President in January 2003. Mr. Mannan took the charge of International Banking Wing in August 2005. He was promoted as Deputy Executive President in 2006.

Mohammad Abdul Mannan is closely associated with various socio-economic & socio-cultural organizations. Some of those are : Islamic Economics Research Bureau, Bangladesh Islami Bankers Association (BIBA), Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Itihash Parishad, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Bangladesh Islamic Centre, Bangla Sahitya Parisad, Natya Moncho Bangladesh, Sahitya Sanskrity Kendra & Centre For National Culture.

Born in 1952 Mr. Abdul Mannan hails from Satyabhandi under Araihazar Upazilla of Narayanganj District.

[Golam Kibria]

Muhammad A. (Rumee) Ali, joined the Board of BRAC Bank in 2007 and was elected the Chairman, in 2008, taking over from the Founder Chairman Mr. Fazle Hasan Abed.

He is the Managing Director, Enterprises at BRAC and also a Director of BRAC BDMail Network Limited, Delta Brac Housing Finance Corporation Limited, BRAC Karnofuli Tea Company Ltd., BRAC Kayachora Tea Company Ltd., BRAC Bashkhali Tea Company Ltd., BRAC Kodala Tea Estate, BRAC Services Limited (BRAC Centre Inn), Bangladesh Netting Factory Limited. He was elected the Chairman of BRAC EPL Investments Limited and BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Limited in July 2009 after BRAC Bank Limited acquisition of these companies.

Mr. Rumee Ali served at different levels in local and international banking sectors. Prior to joining BRAC in 2007, he served as the Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank from 2002 to 2006 and was responsible for Supervision, Anti Money Laundering and Information Technology. During this period he was also involved in regulatory reforms, particularly in the Risk Management area. With his appointment as Country Head and General Manager of ANZ Grindlays in March 1997, Rumee Ali became the first Bangladeshi to head a major international bank in Bangladesh. In July 2000, following the takeover of ANZ Grindlays by Standard Chartered Bank, Rumee Ali was appointed the CEO of the Standard Chartered Group in Bangladesh, heading both Standard Chartered Bank and Standard Chartered Grindlays Bank. His banking experience includes stints in India, United Kingdom and Australia. Rumee Ali was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, Bangladesh, in 2001. At present, he is the Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Association of Banks and Vice President of Bangladesh Employers Federation.

Rumee Ali is a director on the boards of several organizations including The CSR Institute, International Centre for Study of Bengal Art, Sub-Committee for Taxation of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industries, a council member of The Institute of Bankers, Bangladesh, and is a member of the Global Steering Committee of the ‘Performance Based Grants Initiative’ of the International Finance Corporation, Washington DC. He served as a member of the Better Business Forum and is, at present a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund. He also served as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Small & Medium Enterprises (2005/6) and is associated with the Small & Medium Enterprises Foundation as a member of the General Body.

Rumee Ali was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 1951. He has a Masters in Economics from Dhaka University.

[Golam Kibria]

Nihad Kabir was elected as an Independent Director on the Board of BRAC Bank Limited in July 2007 and was also nominated as a Depositor Director by the Board of Directors. In addition, she is a member of the Board Audit Committee of the Bank. She is the Senior Partner of Syed Ishttaq Ahmad and Associates. She is also a Director of Kedarpur Tea Company Limited, Sathgao Tea Estate and Shaistaganj CNG Company Ltd.

Nihad Kabir is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and the Treasurer of Ain O Salish Kendra. She is the Legal Adviser of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Committee Member of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as Chair to Its Commercial Legislation Sub-Committee. She is a member of the Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance. She has been a member of the Company Law Reform Committee and the WTO working group on TRIPS and TBT, Government of Bangladesh. She was the first legal counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission. She worked as counsel at the Asian Development Bank and is currently a member of the National Education Policy Committee. She has more than 18 years of work experience as a lawyer.

Nihad Kabir was called to the Bar from Grays Inn in England. She has a B.A. (Hons) degree in Law and an LLM from the University of Cambridge, England.

[Golam Kibria]

Quazi Mohammad Shariful Ala was appointed as Director to the Board of BRAC Bank Limited in April 2005. He is presently the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Delta BRAC Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DBH). Besides, he is a non-executive Director on the Boards of several prominent companies including Mobil Jamuna Lubricants Limited and Mobil Jamuna Fuels Ltd.

He has more than 29 years of varied professional work experience primarily in the financial sector both in Bangladesh and in the United Kingdom.

Quazi Mohammad Shariful Ala is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. He graduated in Economics with first class honors from the London School of Economics (LSE), University of London.

[Golam Kibria]

Mr. Syed Mahbubur Rahman has been working with BRAC Bank limited since November 2008, prior to joining BRAC Bank Limited, he served with Prime Bank Limited as Deputy Managing Director. He also worked with IDLC, Standard Chartered. ANZ Grindlays Bank and Citibank, NA in different capacities. He started his career in Saudi Bangladesh Agricultural and Industrial Investment Co. (SABINCO).

He has 22 years of experience in Banking & Financial Institutions. During his banking career, he attended numerous trainings, seminars and workshops on different aspects of banking held in the country and abroad. Mr. Rahman obtained MBA from the Institution of Business Administration, Dhaka University.