20 December 2024 marks the 5th death anniversary of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the visionary leader and founder of BRAC, the world’s largest NGO, who passed away on this day in 2019. Sir Fazle Hasan Abed died at the age of 83 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka. He founded BRAC in 1972, after returning from London, as a small relief and rehabilitation initiative in the remote area of Sulla in Sunamganj.

As part of its enduring development strategy, BRAC subsequently initiated an extensive outreach to marginalised segments of society through diverse initiatives. BRAC’s comprehensive development programmes empower the underprivileged through interventions in healthcare, education, microfinance, skills development, agriculture, food security, cottage industries, human rights, road safety, migration, and urban development.

Born in 1936, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed studied accountancy in London and qualified as a cost management accountant in 1962. While working as a senior corporate executive at Pakistan Shell Oil, the 1970 cyclone and 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh dramatically changed the course of his life. Following the onset of the War, he resigned from his position and moved to London, where he played a pivotal role in launching “Action Bangladesh” and “HELP Bangladesh” to support the Liberation War.

In 1972, after the war ended, he returned to the newly independent Bangladesh to find the economy in ruins. The urgent need for relief and rehabilitation of 10 million refugees who had been sheltered in India during the war inspired him to take action .

Guided by a desire to help people living in poverty build their capacity to better manage their lives, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed founded BRAC to address these immediate needs. Over the past 52 years, BRAC has transformed into one of the largest and most effective NGOs in the world, delivering successful socio-economic programmes across multiple sectors. Today, BRAC provides multifaceted services to over 100 million people in 11 countries across Asia and Africa, helping them bring lasting changes to their lives.

Awards and Recognition

For his outstanding contributions to empowering people living in poverty and inequality, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed received numerous national and international awards, including:

Yidan Prize for Education Development (2019), Dutch Royal Knighthood (2019), LEGO Prize (2018), Laudato Si’ Award (2017), Jose Edgardo Campos Collaborative Leadership Award, South Asia Region (2016), Thomas Francis, Jr. Medal in Global Public Health (2016), World Food Prize (2015), Trust Women Hero Award (2014), Spanish Order of Civil Merit (2014), Leo Tolstoy International Gold Medal (2014), CEU Open Society Prize (2013), Inaugural WISE Prize for Education (2011), Entrepreneur for the World Award (2009), David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award (2008), Inaugural Clinton Global Citizen Award (2007), Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership (2007), Palli Karma Shahayak Foundation (PKSF) Award for lifetime achievement in social development and poverty alleviation (2007), UNDP Mahbubul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution to Human Development (2004), Gates Award for Global Health (2004), Gleitsman Foundation International Activist Award (2003), Schwab Foundation’s Social Entrepreneurship Award (2003), Olof Palme Prize (2001), InterAction Humanitarian Award (1998) and Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership (1980).

He was also recognised by Ashoka as one of the ‘global greats’ and was a founding member of its prestigious Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship. In 2009, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George by the British Crown for his contributions to poverty reduction in Bangladesh and globally. Sir Fazle was also a member of the Group of Eminent Persons appointed by the UN Secretary-General in 2010 to advise on support for the Least Developed Countries. In both 2014 and 2017, Fortune Magazine included him in its list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.

His many honorary degrees include those awarded by Princeton University (2014), the University of Oxford (2009), Columbia University (2008), and Yale University (2007).

Launch of the Book “Abed Bhai O BRAC: Bhetor Theke Dekha”

On the occasion of the Sir Fazle Hasan Abed’s 5^th death anniversary, a publication event will be held for the book “Abed Bhai O BRAC: Bhetor Theke Dekha”. Written by Shib Narayan Kairy, BRAC’s former Chief Financial Officer, the event will bring together current and former BRAC employees alongside eminent personalities from various sectors of society. The event will take place from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at BRAC Centre, 75 Mohakhali, Dhaka.