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DHL, The Daily Star honor 2 businessmen, 2 institutions
Staff Correspondent
Sat Jul 6, 2019 12:00 AM
From left to right, Mominul Islam, Managing Director of IPDC Finance Ltd; Azam J Chowdhury, President of East Coast Group; NR Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys; Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister; Hafizur Rahman Khan, President of Runner Group; Qamrun Nahar Zahir, President of Ananta Apparels Ltd; Yasmin Khan, executive vice president of Asia-Pacific operations (excluding China) of DHL Express; and Miarul Haque, Country Manager of DHL Express Bangladesh, pose for a photo last night at the 18th Bangladesh Business Awards at the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital. Photo: Star
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From left to right, Mominul Islam, Managing Director of IPDC Finance Ltd; Azam J Chowdhury, President of East Coast Group; NR Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys; Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister; Hafizur Rahman Khan, President of Runner Group; Qamrun Nahar Zahir, President of Ananta Apparels Ltd; Yasmin Khan, executive vice president of Asia-Pacific operations (excluding China) of DHL Express; and Miarul Haque, Country Manager of DHL Express Bangladesh, pose for a photo last night at the 18th Bangladesh Business Awards at the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital. Photo: Star
Two companies and two individuals were honored yesterday for their extraordinary success and contribution to the economy at the 18th Bangladesh Business Awards, the annual event which honors influential people in the business world.
Indian IT pioneer NR Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys, now a world leader in technology services and consulting, joined renowned business leaders, diplomats and citizens to toast the winners.
For all the latest news, follow the Daily Star’s Google News channel. Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister, presented the trophies to Azam J Chowdhury, President of East Coast Group; Mominul Islam, Managing Director of IPDC Finance; Hafizur Rahman Khan, President of Runner Group; and Qamrun Nahar Zahir, President of Ananta Apparels.
From left to right, Gowher Rizvi, adviser on international affairs to the Prime Minister; NR Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys; Yasmin Khan, executive vice president of Asia-Pacific operations (excluding China) of DHL Express; and Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of the Daily Star, speaking at the Bangladesh Business Awards last night.
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From left to right, Gowher Rizvi, adviser on international affairs to the Prime Minister; NR Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys; Yasmin Khan, executive vice president of Asia-Pacific operations (excluding China) of DHL Express; and Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of the Daily Star, speaking at the Bangladesh Business Awards last night.
DHL Express, the world’s leading logistics company, and The Daily Star, Bangladesh’s leading English newspaper, hosted the event at the Radisson Hotel in the capital.
IPDC Finance, the country’s first non-bank financial institution, won the award in the Best Financial Institution category.
Qamrun Nahar Zahir, President of Ananta Apparels, one of the leading providers of clothing solutions in Bangladesh, won the award in the Outstanding Business Woman category.
Azam J Chowdhury was named Businessman of the Year.
Runner Group won the Company of the Year award for its remarkable journey to becoming the nation’s leading manufacturer and exporter of two-wheelers in less than two decades.
This year’s award theme, “A Better Business Environment for Tomorrowâ€, couldn’t come at a better time. The global e-commerce market is estimated to be around $ 3.4 trillion by the end of this year, of which $ 1,000 billion is attributed to cross-border e-commerce.
Countries that are able to execute faster regulatory reforms and create favorable policies that encourage cross-border trade will stand the best, said Yasmin Khan, executive vice president of DHL’s Asia-Pacific (ex-China) operations.
“We see huge opportunities in Bangladesh and we will continue to invest heavily not only in our infrastructure, but also to help small and medium enterprises start selling globally,†she added.
Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, said the winners continued to push Bangladesh forward in a way the country was now immediately recognizable on the world stage.
“The Bangladesh business community deserves special attention for its contribution to the economy and the country,†he added.
He said the economy is growing and the country is industrializing. At the same time, there is environmental pollution.
In the pursuit of industrialization and higher growth, rivers are destroyed and water is overexploited. This is not acceptable because it destroys the future of the nation, he said.
“This is the reality we can no longer ignore,†he said.
Distinguished guests on the program last night at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel in the capital. Two businessmen and two institutions were awarded the 18th Bangladesh Business Awards at the ceremony.
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Distinguished guests on the program last night at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel in the capital. Two businessmen and two institutions were awarded the 18th Bangladesh Business Awards at the ceremony.
A special attraction of last night’s event was the opening speech presented by Narayana Murthy titled “Building a Dynamic Software Services Industry in Bangladeshâ€.
“We are living in extraordinary times. Never before has the competition been so intense, the opportunities so enormous and the challenges so daunting. It’s because of an important phenomenon – globalization, â€he said.
Hailed as the “father of India’s IT industry†by Time magazine, Narayana Murthy said Bangladesh, with its large educated population, should seize global software opportunities.
“Today we live in a global village. No country can afford to isolate itself from the global market.
READ: Murthy’s Full Speech
Each country is leveraging its competitive advantages to trade in the global bazaar of products and services that reap the benefits, Murthy said. “This is the best way to create jobs in Bangladesh. “
The export orientation helps Bangladeshi companies compare their products and services globally.
“If you are successful in the highly competitive global market, you are likely to provide high quality products at the best prices, even in the domestic market. “
According to Murthy, a big advantage of Bangladesh is its pool of well educated and high quality English speaking people.
“Your talent pool is a unique asset. Your young people will be successful if they are willing to unlearn old ideas, learn new ideas, apply them and move from “reactive problem solving” to “proactive problem identification and resolution” for your customers ” , he added.
Rizvi congratulated the award winners and thanked DHL and The Daily Star for hosting the event for the past 18 years.
“It is an extraordinary achievement,” he said, adding that Bangladesh’s business sector has taken the country to where it is today.
Bangladesh was born in a deplorable state, but today it has defied all odds and has become an example of development in the world, he said. “In this task, the role of the business sector has been extraordinary. “
NR Narayana Murthy interacts with top local ICT entrepreneurs during a session at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel yesterday morning. Also in attendance were Michael Patrick Foley and Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, CEO of Grameenphone and Robi, Mahboob Zaman, CEO of DataSoft, Habibullah N Karim, CEO of Technohaven Company, and Farhana A Rahman, Senior Vice President of BASIS. Photo: Star
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NR Narayana Murthy interacts with top local ICT entrepreneurs during a session at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden hotel yesterday morning. Also in attendance were Michael Patrick Foley and Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, CEO of Grameenphone and Robi, Mahboob Zaman, CEO of DataSoft, Habibullah N Karim, CEO of Technohaven Company, and Farhana A Rahman, Senior Vice President of BASIS. Photo: Star
The adviser said that Bangladesh has made great progress, but challenges remain, including poverty.
He lamented the fact that Bangladesh still has two tier education and health systems.
Those who are educated do better and those who are left behind receive little, he said.
The country has some of the best hospitals while there are people who are not getting quality health care, he added.
“We must give access to success to all. If we don’t do this, we will not have achieved the dream that Bangladesh was founded with, â€he said.
Rizvi said Bangladesh still lags behind on social justice. The poor do not have enough opportunities. “I urge you to look beyond your business to your greater responsibility. “
The Bangladesh Business Awards is the country’s most prestigious and important business award, said Michael Foley, CEO of Grameenphone.
The jury that selects the winners is so professional and neutral that no questions were raised about the awards, said Syed Mahbubur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Bankers Association.
“It makes the winners work even harder,” said Rahman, also managing director of Dhaka Bank.
BGMEA President Rubana Huq said: “The award remains important as it is a token of recognition of the contribution of businesses to the country. Aspirations are strengthened and entrepreneurs feel encouraged by recognition.
“I sincerely believe that this award grows bigger and bigger every year and encourages the private sector to excel beyond the usual practices.”
The program was followed by Mr. Matiul Islam, the country’s first finance secretary; Mr. Anis Ud Dowla, President of ACI; Mahbubur Rahman, President of the Bangladesh International Chamber of Commerce; Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow of the Center for Policy Dialogue.
Marie-Annick Bourdin, French Ambassador to Bangladesh, Winnie Petersen, Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh, Miarul Haque, Country Manager of DHL Express Bangladesh; Naser Ejaz Bijoy, CEO of Standard Chartered Bangladesh; AF Nesaruddin, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh; Shah Husain Imam, editor-in-chief of Financial Express; KAM Majedur Rahman, Managing Director of the Dhaka Stock Exchange; Arif Khan, Managing Director of IDLC Finance; and Syed M Kamal, Country Manager of Mastercard Bangladesh, were also in attendance.
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