business
DHL–The Daily Star honour five entrepreneurs, businesses
Global logistics service provider DHL Express Bangladesh and Bangladesh’s largest-circulated English newspaper, The Daily Star, honoured five outstanding entrepreneurs and enterprises with the Bangladesh Business Awards on 23 September. The awards were given in five categories: Business Person of the Year, Best Financial Institution of the Year, Best Enterprise of the Year, Outstanding Woman in Business, and Lifetime Achievement Award. Business icon M Anis Ud Dowla, chairman of ACI Ltd, was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the Bangladesh economy. His story, like many others celebrated at the event, is a testament to the power of unwavering dedication. Dowla transformed an SME into ACI, one of Bangladesh’s largest conglomerates, employing more than 15,000 people. After a 27-year career in multinationals, he pioneered the local industry and continues to promote ethics, continuous learning, and youth entrepreneurship, seeing Bangladesh’s large population and rising middle class as the foundation of future growth. Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman and CEO of Pran-RFL Group, was named Business Person of the Year for 2024. Under his leadership, a modest family-run agro venture grew into one of Bangladesh’s most diversified conglomerates, spanning more than 6,000 product lines and employing 167,000 people, with annual revenues exceeding $3 billion—a transformation that mirrors the country’s own economic rise. The Enterprise of the Year award went to Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC, which has reshaped Bangladesh’s electronics market, moving from import dependence to global competitiveness. Founded in the early 2000s, Walton now produces refrigerators, televisions, and smartphones, employs thousands, exports to more than 50 countries, and symbolises the nation’s industrial diversification. City Bank was named Best Financial Institution of the Year 2024. Once considered troubled, City has emerged as one of the country’s leading lenders. Established in 1983, it now records strong asset growth, operates a vast agent banking network, runs gender-focused initiatives, and posts profits of over Tk 1,000 crore—underscoring its financial resilience and governance reforms. Sadia Haque received the Outstanding Woman in Business award for 2024. After leaving a thriving corporate career, Sadia co-founded ShareTrip, Bangladesh’s leading travel-tech startup. She turned her passion into innovation, pioneering digital booking, loyalty programmes, and fintech services. As a female founder, she champions entrepreneurship and breaks barriers in a male-dominated industry while redefining how Bangladesh travels. Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed presented the awards to the winners at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in Dhaka, where Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin was also present. Congratulating the winners, Adviser Salehuddin said Bangladesh’s businesses had shown “remarkable dynamism” in expanding their reach beyond national borders. He recalled being “pleasantly surprised” to find Pran Chanachur on shop shelves as far as Fiji. “This is how Bangladesh goes far away,” he said. Ahmed called on the country’s private sector to prepare for a more competitive global environment after graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) bracket. “You have to be competitive, you’ll have to look at the global situation and of course the local. We definitely try to facilitate all kinds of support through policy reforms, through process simplifications and through other support instruments,” he said. “Bangladesh is on a transformation journey, and its private sector continues to be the engine of growth.” At the event, Md Miarul Haque, managing director of DHL Express Bangladesh, said Bangladesh’s private sector must evolve with agility, innovation, and collaboration to remain competitive in a fast-changing global economy. “At DHL, we are proud to celebrate the leadership that drives this progress. Tonight’s awardees are not only shaping industries but also contributing to the nation’s economic advancement and global competitiveness.” Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, also lauded the past winners of the Bangladesh Business Awards. “These individuals represent the best of Bangladesh’s private sector—those who have built with integrity, broken barriers, and moved the nation forward.” Anam underscored that Bangladesh is nearing its graduation from LDC status, yet concerns remain about readiness. He argued that part of the answer lies in the state’s inconsistent support for the private sector. “We must distinguish between honest and dishonest businessmen,” he said. Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, Anis Ud Dowla said, “I am honoured and humbled by this recognition. It is truly an inspiration to strive for even greater excellence.” “This is the third time I feel honoured at this platform. In 2011 and 2017, I had the privilege of receiving awards on behalf of ACI and myself. But this Lifetime Achievement Award is profoundly moving,” he said. He ended his speech with a powerful quote: “Be punctual. Time is valuable. Not just yours, but everyone’s.” Pran-RFL Chairman and CEO Chowdhury said, “I must say, I didn’t have to do much in the beginning. It was the people behind Pran-RFL who made it happen. It’s our customers who have carried us forward.” ShareTrip CEO Haque said, “Tourism is not often seen as a key contributor to the GDP or economic growth. I hope this recognition, both for myself and for ShareTrip, marks a turning point for the industry.” Walton MD Alam called the award timely ahead of LDC graduation. He urged continued backing for local industries, saying, “Just as others say ‘Make in India’ or ‘America First’, we say: ‘Bangladesh on Top’.” City Bank CEO Arefin reflected on the bank’s transformation journey. “This was a long-anticipated recognition,” he said. “City Bank’s transformation began in 2007, from what was then considered a problem bank, with two central bank observers on its board, to now being one of the country’s leading financial institutions.” The event was attended by Sarah Cooke, British high commissioner to Bangladesh; Tapan Chowdhury, managing director of Square Pharmaceuticals; Simeen Rahman, group CEO of Transcom Group; AK Azad, chairman and CEO of Ha-Meem Group; Abdul Muktadir, chairman and managing director of Incepta Pharmaceuticals; Zaved Akhtar, president of The Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Naser Ezaz Bijoy, CEO of Standard Chartered Bangladesh; and Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager of Mastercard. Shaheen Anam, executive director
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