A Life Well-Lived

I am deeply shocked and grieved at the sad demise of ICC Bangladesh Vice-President Rokia Afzal Rahman, an illustrious business personality in Bangladesh and a former adviser to the caretaker government. She was the president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI) for two consecutive terms in 2013 and 2014. She was the founder president of the Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (BFWE).

I knew Rokia Bhabi, as I used to call her, and her husband Harun Bhai for a long time. Harun Bhai was a prominent businessman in the then East Pakistan among Bangalee entrepreneurs.

Rokia Afzal Rahman was one of the most famous icons of women empowerment in Bangladesh. In post-liberation Bangladesh, she played a big role in developing agriculture and industry. Over 15,000 farmers in Munshiganj have worked with her. With MIDAS Financing Limited, she endeavoured to create women entrepreneurs, and in the process played an instrumental role in Bangladesh's economy.

She reflected on her journey of becoming the first woman bank manager of the country in 1964 to becoming a well-known entrepreneur, all the while paving the way for women with drive and determination.

In post-liberation Bangladesh, she played a big role in developing agriculture and industry. Over 15,000 farmers in Munshiganj have worked with her. With MIDAS Financing Limited, she endeavoured to create women entrepreneurs, and in the process played an instrumental role in Bangladesh's economy.

In 1980, when she started a cold storage business for potatoes in Munshiganj, local farmers were initially apprehensive as she was a woman. Her persistence led the farmers to take a chance, and eventually the business flourished. Rokia remains the sole woman in the region to have owned and operated a cold storage.

She joined the board of MIDAS Financing Limited In 1982, where she advocated to raise the borrowing cap without any mortgage from Tk 2 lakh to Tk 25 lakh. The benefits of MIDAS' borrowing schemes have benefited women across generations.

Her firm commitment to affect substantive social change led her to become an adviser to the caretaker government of the country, in charge of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Social Welfare, and Ministry of Culture.

With time, Rokia made her mark in diverse sectors including media, insurance, real estate, and power. She was the chairperson of Mediaworld Limited, which publishes The Daily Star.

Rokia maintained a strong collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, and associations like the Women Entrepreneurs' Association (WEA), Women in Small Enterprises (WISE), Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (BFWE), and several other renowned NGOs where she was a board member. She was also the founder chairman of Presidency University and former chairperson of Asian University for Women.

Her notable presence in international development platforms includes her membership of the Business Advisory Council at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and her membership of the South Asia Women's Network (SWAN). In 1991, she was recognised as one of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World in Monte Carlo. In 2003, she was recognised as the Businessperson of the Year by the American Chamber; she also received the Priyadarshani Award in India.

Mahbubur Rahman is president of the International Chamber of Commerce Bangladesh, and chairman and CEO of ETBL Holdings Limited.