A stalwart supporter of free media, women entrepreneurs

Prominent entrepreneur Rokia Afzal Rahman breathed her last in the early morning today. She was 82.

The chairperson of Mediaworld Ltd, the owning company of The Daily Star, Rahman passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Mt. Elizabeth Novena Hospital in Singapore this morning.

She was a pioneer on many fronts, and was an active force in both business and the development sector till her demise. She played a crucial role in advancing the role of women in business and was a stalwart supporter of free media.

Rahman's business ventures

Rokia Afzal Rahman was the first woman bank manager in Bangladesh and was among the very few in the world back then. She stayed on in the banking sector for seven years. In 1980, she left banking and started her own agro-business in the form of R.R. Cold Storage Limited which dealt with the import and export of potatoes and storage of seeds and potatoes. She facilitated loans for farmers as a guarantor, taking loans and retailing it to them. Rahman soon bought another agro-business company-- Imaan Cold Storage Ltd.

With a firm footing in agro-business, Rahman diversified her business into other sectors. She ventured into media, insurance, real estate and the power sector.

At the time of her passing she was chairman of R.R. Cold Storage Ltd, R.R. Foundation, Aris Holdings Ltd, R.R. Estates Ltd and Arlinks Ltd.

She was also the chairperson of MIDAS Financing Ltd, a director of Mediastar Ltd, Ayna Broadcasting Corporation Ltd. Rahman also was a member of the Board of Directors of Grameenphone Ltd, Bangladesh Lamps Ltd and Marico Ltd.

She also was the vice president of International Chamber of Commerce and a Trustee Board member of Transparency International Bangladesh.

Rahman was also appointed as an adviser to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh in 2001. She served as a board member of the Central Bank of Bangladesh, and the President of the Bangladesh Employers Federation. She was also a director of Reliance Insurance Ltd and the former president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

Rahman's role in the development sector

Rokia Afzal Rahman's commitment towards development made her an important part in the boards of a number of development organisations. She served on the board of Brac and as a chairperson of Banchte Shekha based in Jashore that worked to alleviate the lives of the extremely poor. She was a board member of Grameen Telecom Trust, MRDI (Management and Resource Development Initiative) and DNET.

Over the years, Rahman has worked towards the development of women entrepreneurs all over Bangladesh. She was the founder president of Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (BFWE) which was launched in 2006.  

The federation works in different sectors through its member associations targeting women in secondary towns and rural areas of Bangladesh.

Back in 1994, the first Women Entrepreneurs Association (WEA) in Bangladesh was formed with 150 members and Rahman as founder president. In 1996, Rahman formed Women in Small Enterprises (WISE) to further promote the role of women in small enterprises and industries. WEA and WISE worked to bring about a change in the lives of women empowering them through entrepreneurship.

Women in business had to share a percentage of their profits with middlemen and to eliminate the role of middlemen, mini marts were established in 1992, which were owned and managed by a group of business women to sell diversified items. 

She was also the chairman of Presidency University and was in the board of Asian University for Women Support Foundation, Chittagong.