Full Name: Salman Fazlur Rahman

Affiliation: Bangladesh Awami League

Current Position: Private Sector Industry & Investment Adviser to the Prime Minister and Incumbent Member of Parliament

Date of Birth: May 23, 1951

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Dhaka

Constituency: 174, Dhaka-1

Term: First (11th-2018)

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Salman Fazlur Rahman prominently known as Salman F Rahman (born 23 May 1951) is a Bangladeshi Industralist, Business Tycoon, Politician and Incumbent Member of Parliament representing Dhaka-1 constituency. He was ranked 1685th on the list of billionaires in the world published by Beijing-based Hurun Gobal in 2017.

In 2018, Rahman participated in the National Election from Dhaka-1 constituency (Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas) and was elected as a Member of Parliament. From January 2019, he is holding the rank of a Cabinet Minister and serving as the Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser to Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He is the current Vice Chairman of Beximco Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh. Since 2009, he has been serving as the private sector development affairs adviser to the Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina. He was the president of several trade bodies including Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO). His visionary steps over the years have significantly contributed in shaping up the country’s business and economic growth.

Rahman joined into family business in mid 1960s. In 1972, he along with his brother Ahmed Sohail Fasihur Rahman founded Bangladesh Export and Import Company Limited (Beximco) and started exporting seafood and crushed bones to Europe and importing medicines in exchange. As Beximco has grown over the years, it is now one of the largest private sector industrial conglomerates in Bangladesh with Rahman as its Vice Chairman. This conglomerate has operations and investments across a wide range of industries including textiles, pharmaceuticals, trading, marine food, real estate development, construction, information and communication technologies, media, ceramics, financial services and energy. Beximco Pharma was listed as the first Bangladeshi company in the Alternative Investment Market of London Stock Exchange. Beximco is also the largest employer in the private sector in Bangladesh and employs over 70,000 people worldwide. With clear vision and determination, Rahman not only ensured growth and expansion of Beximco Group but also changed the dynamics of Bangladesh’s business sector. His contributions in developing the private sector in the early stage of the country just after independence were of vital importance.

Rahman is the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, a leading think tank engaged in advocacy for promoting the interests of the private sector of the country. He is the Chairman of the Board of Editors of the Independent, one of the leading daily English language newspapers published from Dhaka. He is also the Chairman of Independent Television, a 24-hour news channel. He is the Chairman of Abahani Ltd., country’s premier sporting club. In the past, he served as the President of Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries. He was the President of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, which is the apex trade organization of the SAARC region. He was also the Presidents of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Dhaka (MCCI), Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) as well as Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies.

In mid 1990s Rahman started his political career and founded a political party named Samriddhya Bangladesh Andolan. Later he joined Bangladesh Awami League. In 2018, he participated in the National Election from Dhaka-1 constituency (Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas) and was elected as a Member of Parliament.

After the outbreak of Coronavirus, Rahman set up a fund and distributed 12,000 packets in Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas to help low income group of the society. Additionally personal protective equipment (PPE), disinfectant spray and 17.5 thousand masks were distributed in the health centers and community hospitals of Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas from this fund. In addition, under his management, Beximco Group distributed personal protective equipment (PPE), medicines, and test kits worth USD$1.8 million (15 crore BDT) to testing centers and government designated hospitals. Beximco Group also provided financial support in creation of modern laboratory facilities and enhance hospital facilities those are providing medical treatment to Coronavirus effected people.

Rahman is a patron of Proyash, a specialized institute that works for the holistic development of children with special educational needs through different programs which include early childhood development programs (ECD), special schooling, therapeutic interventions, medical and neuro-developmental assessment, leisure time and co-curricular activities, training for the teachers, parents and integrated services.

Rahman highly emphasizes on creating an educated nation to lead the way to social and economic progresses. Therefore, he has always been contributing to the development of educational institutions in his locality Dohar and Nawabganj. A few examples to be mentioned are his supports and financial assistances for Tasulla High School, Padma University College, Dohar-Nawabganj College. To facilitate modern computer education in supports of building a digital Bangladesh, he provided free computers to all the high schools at Dohar. Besides these, he is regularly making charity contributions through Gono Sahajjo Songstha (GSS) for the educational development for the unprivileged. Since 2006, he has been providing yearly grants to the Economics Department of University of Dhaka.

Rahman is also a great supporter and promoter of sports in Bangladesh. He regularly sponsors various sports events, players, and teams. Beximco was the official sponsor of Bangladesh National Cricket team for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. He also organized and sponsored the FIFA friendly match in Dhaka between Argentina and Nigeria in September 2011.

Distribution of free medicines and clothing is one of his frequent charitable works for the society. To ensure health and wellbeing of the people of Dohar, he installed more than 240 arsenic free tube-wells and also started a free medical assistance program where 16 doctors are regularly providing treatments and medicines to the people.

Rahman was born in Dohar Upazila of Dhaka District to Fazlur Rahman and Syeda Fatina Rahman. He is married to Syeda Rubaba Rahman and has a son named Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman. He graduated from the University of Karachi.

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