2nd Death Anniversary of Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury: A Development Legend

Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury was a legendary personality in the socio-economic arena of Bangladesh and beyond. He was among the few people who came forward to serve humanity and help poverty-stricken people by establishing non-government organisations after the emergence of Bangladesh. He received huge appreciations and recognitions from international organisations for his unique contribution in strengthening and widening financial inclusion and welfare initiatives. He founded ASA, which became the top MFI of the world for its innovative microfinance model and sustainability while delivering services to a huge clientele.  

As a result of perpetual colonial rule during the pre-liberation period, our country inherited a void economy and unbearable poverty. After liberation, NGOs were conceived with the mission to assist deprived people and backward communities so that they could improve their living standards and be free of the curse of poverty.

Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury used to visit villages frequently to make people aware about their rights and their role in breaking out of the poverty trap. During the 1980s, ASA had conducted scores of programmes to assist the extreme poor and people living in disaster-prone areas in order to make them self-reliant. Those programmes were supported by foreign donors. But Mr Choudhury couldn't accept foreign aid in his heart. He believed that a country can't prosper by depending on foreign donations. He always put emphasis on accumulating one's own resources and utilising them properly for the meaningful development of the country. That vision propelled ASA to become a self-reliant and self-financed organisation. ASA gained self-reliance in 2000 and since then it has been operating with its own resources. 

Meanwhile, ASA has spent over four and a half decades on its unwavering journey towards establishing a society free from poverty. Over the last two decades, it has been continuously providing financial and other services to seven million people, mostly women. Considering the households of the service recipients the gross beneficiary of ASA would be nearly three crores. 

How did Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury develop ASA into such a large organisation and make it sustainable? What was his vision? 

He was a student of social science at Dhaka University in the late 1960s. This was a most significant decade that generated political integrity and cultural consciousness among Bangladeshi people, which ultimately led to the liberation war in 1971, establishing Bangladesh as an independent country. During his student life, he was involved in progressive politics that changed his mindset and thought process forever. 

After completing higher education, he joined the then EPARD in Cumilla and got the opportunity to come into contact with poor and underprivileged people and to learn about their lives closely. Miseries of the poor stirred him deeply, and he made up his mind to continue his career to serve humanity and become involved in social welfare. He had been born into a wealthy family. His father was a landlord, having over 200 bighas of agricultural land. So, he had had no experience of economic hardship in his early life. The gentleman ultimately turned into an avid advocate for the cause of the poor and spent his entire life working with the mission of poverty alleviation and welfare of the poor.

At this point, a unique part of his life deserves to be mentioned, which will help us to understand his characteristics more precisely. He appeared for the civil service examination and joined government administrative service. But after a few days, he returned to his previous job, quitting government service. Leaving a secure and prestigious government job was not an easy choice. He had to face formidable opposition from family, relatives, and friends over his tough decision. That decision indicates how resolute and committed he was about his future endeavours.   

In the early 1990s, Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury brought about a revolutionary change in ASA's operations by transforming it into a core microfinance institution. It was a risky and ambitious step for ASA, as the organisation had had no previous experience of microfinance operation. But within a couple of years, ASA became one of the top three microfinance institutions of Bangladesh thanks to its founder's foresightedness and bold leadership. 

After attaining laudable success at home, Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury moved on to promote the ASA model across the globe. Bandhan, an Indian NGO, sought ASA's assistance in implementing a microfinance programme there. ASA extended generous support to Bandhan by providing skilled manpower and technical assistance. ASA's assistance played a catalytic role for Bandhan, making it a leading NGO in India. Besides this, two NGOs of the Philippines CARD and Life Bank have become top MFIs of their country by getting technical and knowledge support from ASA.

Furthermore, ASA's founder took initiatives in establishing ASA International for extending financial inclusion facilities to support the poor around the world. Investors from Europe and North America joined hands in this venture. As a result, ASA International emerged as a leading microfinance company internationally. It is now providing microfinance services to 2.5 million clients in 13 countries of Asia and Africa. Hundreds of Bangladeshi microfinance experts work with ASA International to implement microfinance in those countries, earning a significant amount of valuable foreign currencies for Bangladesh. 

For a brief period, Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury became an advisor to the caretaker government of Bangladesh. He made an indelible mark in accomplishing his duties during his short tenure. For his outstanding work and devotion, he became a development icon in Bangladesh and beyond. He enjoyed enormous fame and recognition from across the world for his achievements in containing poverty and social development. But he lived a simple and humble life and was reluctant to publicise himself. Whenever he was asked for the reason behind this, he replied humbly, "I work for the poor. If I can do something for them, that would be a great reward." 

Md Shafiqual Haque Choudhury died on February 12, 2021 at the age of 72. He dedicated his entire life to the cause of the poor and to humanity. He left behind a unique legacy: welfare of the poor and the underprivileged. If we work sincerely to complete his unfinished work, that would equate paying the highest respect to him. May his soul rest in peace.

Habibur Rahman is Joint Deputy Director at ASA.