Mahbub Jamil no more
Mahbub Jamil, the man who made home appliance maker Singer a household name, is no more.
He was 83.
A special assistant to the chief adviser of the last caretaker government and a cultural personality, Jamil breathed his last early yesterday.
He was suffering from various old-age complications and had been undergoing treatment at the Evercare Hospital since October 26, his son Rubaiyat Jamil told The Daily Star.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Jamil was laid to rest at the Banani Graveyard after his namaaz-e-janaza at the Gulshan Azad Mosque following Zohr prayers.
He was famous for being the one steering Singer Bangladesh Ltd to reach the households even in remote villages.
"Mahbub Jamil has long been identified as the face of Singer Bangladesh. His departure is a great loss for the business community, cultural community and the intellectual society of the country. His lifelong contribution will remain unparalleled and the void of his absence will remain unfulfilled," said the company in a statement.
Jamil joined Singer in September 1984 as a marketing manager. He was appointed as managing director of Singer on January 15, 1985, and became chairman on October 4, 1987.
He was the chairman of Singer Bangladesh Board until April 2015. He was also a senior vice president of Singer Asia Ltd.
Apart from running Singer, Jamil led the Foreign Investors' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as its president.
He was also president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and board member of the International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh.
He was also a member of the academic council of Brac University, committee member of Bangladesh Employers' Federation, and founder member of American Chamber of Commerce.
"With his passing, we have lost a great leader, mentor and friend," said Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, former chief executive officer of Robi Axiata Ltd.
Sharing his experience when Jamil was president of the FICCI and he was working at the Unilever, Mahtab said, "I saw a leader who drew respect and adulation from everyone present in the room. I learnt in my early days from the way he handled the chamber, the policymakers, and how he articulated issues effortlessly."
Mahtab said one of the key successes Jamil had during his tenure as special assistant to the chief adviser was restructuring Biman and ordering new Boeing aircraft through direct negotiation.
Rupali Haque Chowdhury, former president of FICCI and managing director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Ltd, said Jamil was a true Bangladeshi managing director of a multinational company who created brand image of Singer in Bangladesh.
Mamun Rashid, managing director of PwC Bangladesh and former managing director & country officer of Citibank, NA, said, "He was a perfect gentleman and an insightful business leader with a lot of love for the country, especially its cultural heritage."