Business heroes honoured
April 21, 2010
An award is not just a trophy. It means recognition of innovations, an inspiration that will make some local businesses confident to compete with global giants. So said the winners of Bangladesh Business Awards 2009, given by The Daily Star and DHL Express yesterday.Stepping into the 10th year of recognising the corporate luminaries in Bangladesh, The Daily Star and DHL Express honoured three individuals and two business enterprises in five categories at a packed gala function at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
The winners said the awards would help them deliver better towards the nation.
Pubali Bank, the country’s largest private sector bank in terms of assets and network, won the prestigious ‘best financial institution’ award. The award celebrates the bank’s efforts to take banking services to the masses through its 386 branches across the country and its role in socioeconomic, industrial and agricultural development.
Square Pharmaceuticals, the largest manufacturer of medicines, won the crown of ‘best enterprise’. The award recognises the $164 million-a-year-turnover company for its successful entry to overseas markets.
Md Saiful Islam, chairman of Western Marine Shipyard, became the ‘best business person’ of the year. He has contributed enormously to the growth of the company that now employs 2,200 people and generates $50 million in annual turnover. The award is recognition of leadership that turned Western Marine into one of the biggest shipbuilding companies.
A businesswoman in beauty care industry, Kaniz Almas Khan, managing director of Persona, has been awarded as the ‘outstanding woman in business’. She has turned beautification into a viable economic activity. The award marks her extraordinary contribution to an industry where 99 percent of the workforce is women.
The fifth award that recognises the lifetime achievement of a charismatic leader went to Nasir A Choudhury, managing director and chief executive officer of Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd. He has been in the insurance sector since 1958, with only two years apart. The award takes into account his dynamic leadership for nearly five decades that created many leaders who are currently heading many other leading financial institutions.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman, who gave away the awards, saluted the private sector, saying that they are driving the economy towards global standards.
“The public sector-dominated post-liberation economy has transformed radically, the private sector today accounts for over nine-tenths of consumption and investment demand in the economy, by now sixteen-fold larger,” Rahman said.
The custodian of the central bank said local entrepreneurs, after their success in the global apparel export markets, are in forays for new breakthroughs in diverse directions, such as export of services and ocean-going vessels.
The gala event started with instrumental music by a group of young artists and was followed by an opening statement by Mahfuz Anam, the editor and publisher of The Daily Star.
“Doing business in Bangladesh not only requires capital, innovation and management but also persistence,” Anam said.
He underlined the word ‘persistence’ because “you have to persist through the hartal, through a bureaucratic maze and through political changes that happen time and again”.
“It is persistence that ultimately wins the day.”
In times of the global meltdown — when the whole world is shaking in its roots — Bangladesh economy did not at all suffer as much as many countries in the world did, Anam said.
“The credit, therefore, definitely goes to the government for its policies. More importantly, it also goes to our corporate world.”
Anam referred to Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s sovereign credit ratings that put Bangladesh on a par with the Philippines, Vietnam and Turkey. “In South Asia, we are ahead of Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but only behind India in terms of our performance,” he said.
This means the rating agencies have recognised Bangladesh for strength and stability of the economy and its persistent growth close to 6 percent over the last decade, Anam added.
Despite all the troubles of the day — energy crisis and traffic jam — the economy is doing well, he said.
“Who should be given the credit? It’s our world of business.”
He said the businesses need clear policies and guidance and determined implementation of the policies to go further.
Malcolm Monteiro, senior vice president of DHL Express, South Asia, said Bangladesh has all necessary ingredients — labour force, culture, cost effective solutions — to accelerate its growth.
“Bangladesh is a silver lining in South Asia. The things that make Bangladesh what it is today are its economic diversity, its growth and progress,” he said.
Desmond Quiah, country manager of DHL Express Bangladesh, was also present.
In reactions after receiving the award, Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of Pubali Bank, said: “It is a moment of great pride and honour for us. Our commitment towards the industry, consistent high-quality and diligent team have won us this acclaim. These awards will help us gain better access to capital, technology, global markets and quality manpower.”
Kaniz Almas Khan, chief of Persona, said the award would make her more confident than she is now.
“Earlier I tried for the award four times, but I failed,” she said. She was determined to win the prize and strived on for better performance.
Saiful Islam, chairman of Western Marine Shipyard, said the vessels his company is making would sail in all the seas. “It’s a great pride for Bangladesh.”
Nasir A Choudhury, managing director and chief executive officer of Green Delta Insurance Company, said the award will help him and his company perform better.
An eminent jury board, sieving through hundreds of applications, selected the winners.
Source: http://www.thedailystar.net
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