Fazle Hasan Abed

Fazle Hasan Abed - Social Worker, Facts and Family

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Fazle Hasan Abed Biography Stories 

Fazle Hasan Abed's Personal Details

Fazle Abed, a Bangladeshi social worker, is known for his efforts for improving the conditions for the underprivileged

InformationDetail
BirthdayApril 27, 1936
NationalityBangladeshi
FamousHumanitarian, Activists, Human Rights Activists, Social Worker
Known asSir Fazle Hasan Abed
Universities
  • Dhaka College
  • University of Glasgow
Humanitarian Works
  • In 1970, Abed formed an NGO called ‘HELP’ along with friends, with the aim of rehabilitating victims of the cyclone that struck the island of Manpura in Bangladesh that year.
Founder / Co-Founder
  • BRAC
  • BRAC Bank
Birth PlaceHabiganj
ReligionIslam
GenderMale
FatherSiddiq Hasan
MotherSyeda Sufya Khatun
Sun SignTaurus
Born inHabiganj
Famous asSocial Worker

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Fazle Hasan Abed's photo

Who is Fazle Hasan Abed?

Fazle Abed, born in Bangladesh, was drawn into philanthropic activities, after a cyclone hit Bangladesh in 1970, and he took measures to provide relief to the victims of the disaster. After the Bangladesh-Pakistan partition, he returned from England to find his homeland drowned in poverty. This inspired the humanitarian to work for the cause of uplifting the country’s economy, and he formed ‘BRAC’, an organization devoted to his cause. This organization reached out to the extremely poor population of Bangladesh, providing them with educational opportunities, a chance to earn their living and healthier living conditions. As the organization grew, this social activist reached out to more people in other countries, eventually benefiting almost 130 million people across the world. The NGO also provides human rights support to people, advising them on legal matters, and educating them on the importance of development. The highest honour conferred upon him for his extraordinary efforts to alleviate poverty is the knighthood of the ‘Order of St. Michael and St. George’ by the British royalty. He has received several prestigious felicitations like the ‘Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership’, ‘Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership’ and the ‘Olof Palme Prize’, amongst others. This solicitous social worker has also been named by ‘Fortune’ magazine as one of ‘The World's 50 Greatest Leaders’, in 2014.

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Childhood & Early Life

Fazle Hasan Abed was born to Siddiq Hasan and Syeda Sufya Khatun on April 27, 1936, in Baniachong, which is now called Habiganj, Bangladesh.

He pursued his secondary education from 'Pabna Zilla School', Bangladesh, and graduated twelfth grade from 'Dhaka College'. The young boy took up a course in Naval Architecture from the 'University of Glasgow' in Scotland.

Since constructing ships was not a feasible career option in his hometown, he continued his studies at the 'Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' in London, graduating in 1962.

Career

On his return to Bangladesh, he started working for 'Shell Oil Company' and soon was promoted to the post of 'Head of Finance Division'.

During the partition of East Bengal and Pakistan, he fled to England, and established 'Action Bangladesh', an effort to seek support in his country's fight for independence. After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Abed returned home, to find the country economically drained. Moreover Bangladeshi refugees were returning from India, and they had to be rehabilitated.

For this reason, the passionate social worker used all his savings to establish an NGO called ‘BRAC’, in the year 1972. Initially ‘BRAC’ stood for ‘Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee’, which later became ‘Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee’.

In 1981, this passionate philanthropist became a visiting scholar for ‘Harvard Institute of International Development’. The next year, he was appointed as a member of the ‘Board of Trustees’ for the ‘Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies’. He was also made the chairman of the ‘Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh’.

This famous benefactor became a member of the ‘World Bank NGO Committee’ at Geneva, Switzerland, in 1986. The following year he was appointed a member of the ‘International Commission on Health Research for Development’, Harvard University, in USA.

In 1990, he was given the designation of ‘Chairman’ at an educational NGO called ‘Campaign for Popular Education’.

Two years later, Fazle became the Chairman of the ‘NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply & Sanitation’. He was also appointed to the ‘Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation’, as a board member.

In 1993, an organization dealing with human rights, ‘Ain O Salish Kendra’, made this social worker their chairperson. The next year at Dhaka, he became a part of the ‘Board of Trustees’ of the ‘Centre for Policy Dialogue’.

From 1998 to 2005, this compassionate humanitarian served as a member of renowned committees like the ‘Policy Advisory Group’ of ‘The World Bank’ in Washington, and the ‘Board of Governors’ of the ‘Institute of Development Studies’, affiliated to ‘Sussex University’.

He also acted as the Chairman of the governing body of ‘BRAC’ and the Commissioner for the ‘UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor’.

In 2010, this famous Samaritan was a part of ‘UN Secretary General's Group of Eminent Persons for Least Developed Countries’. Two years later, he became a member of the ‘UN Secretary General's Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement’.

Since 2013, Abed has been serving as the Chairman of the ‘Board of Directors’ at ‘BRAC Bank Limited’.

Major Works

Fazle Abed is known for founding the NGO called BRAC in 1972, which aims at providing support to the poor, especially women living below the poverty line. The organization reaches out to more than 69 thousand villages in Bangladesh, and has recently started its developmental work in Afghanistan, and the underdeveloped countries of Africa.

BRAC provides support in the areas of education, healthcare, microfinance, agriculture, and human rights. The NGO founded by this social worker, was awarded the ‘Swadhinata Puroshkar’, which is the most prestigious honour in Bangladesh.

Awards and Achievements

Abed was honoured with the ‘Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership’ in 1980.

In 1992, he received UNICEF's ‘Maurice Pate Award’, which is given to commemorate the efforts of an organization or individual’s contribution towards the development of children.

He was awarded the ‘Olof Palme Prize’ in 2001, for his invaluable contributions towards the human race.

In 2002, this benefactor received the ‘Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award’, for addressing major social issues.

He was honoured in 2004 with the ‘Mahbub ul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution in Human Development’, by the United Nations Development Programme.

This famous philanthropist was felicitated by the ‘Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’, with the ‘Gates Award for Global Health’, in 2004.

In 2007, Fazle received the prestigious ‘Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership’, awarded by the ‘Claremont McKenna College’, California, for sharing the best practices in social development.

During the same time, he was presented with the ‘Inaugural Clinton Global Citizen Award’ for his mammoth contribution towards the development of his country.

This altruist received the ‘David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award’ in 2008, for empowering the poor with education.

In 2008, his organization, ‘BRAC’ was given the ‘Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize’, for its philanthropic efforts.

In 2010, the British government awarded him with the rank of ‘Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George’, for his efforts to reduce poverty all over the world.

Fazle Abed has also received other felicitations like ‘Entrepreneur for the World Award’, ‘Leo Tolstoy International Gold Medal’ ‘Spanish Order of Civil Merit’ and the ‘Trust Women Hero Award’.

This benevolent social leader has received honorary doctorate degrees from many distinguished institutions in the US and UK, like the ‘Princeton University’, ‘Yale University’, ‘University of Manchester’, and ‘University of Oxford’.

Personal Life & Legacy

This Bangladeshi social worker is married to Sarwat Abed—the couple have a son, Shameran and a daughter, Tamara.

Net Worth

In 2013, Fazle Abed was estimated to have a net worth of 2.7 billion US dollars.

Trivia

This Bangladeshi Samaritan is the second person in his family to receive a knighthood from the British crown, the first being his great-uncle, Justice Nawab Sir Syed Shamsul Huda.

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Fazle Hasan Abed's awards

YearNameAward

Other

0The Olof Palme Prize - 2001
0The Social Entrepreneurship Award by the Schwab Foundation - 2002
0The International Activist Award by the Gleitsman Foundation - 2003
0The UNDP Mahbub ul Haq Award - 2004
0The Henry R. Kravis Prize in Nonprofit Leadership - 2007
0The inaugural Clinton Global Citizen Award - 2007
0alli Karma Shahayak Foundation (PKSF) Lifetime Achievement in Social Development and Poverty Alleviation - 2007
0The David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award - 2008
0Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) - 2010
0The WISE Prize for Education - 2011
0Open Society Prize - 2013
0Leo Tolstoy International Gold Medal by The Russian Children Foundation (RDF) - 2014
0The Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership - 1980
0 The Alan Shawn Feinstein World Hunger Award - 1990
0 The Maurice Pate Award by UNICEF - 1992

Fazle Hasan Abed biography timelines

  • // 27th Apr 1936
    Fazle Hasan Abed was born to Siddiq Hasan and Syeda Sufya Khatun on April 27, 1936, in Baniachong, which is now called Habiganj, Bangladesh.
  • // 1962
    Since constructing ships was not a feasible career option in his hometown, he continued his studies at the 'Chartered Institute of Management Accountants' in London, graduating in 1962.
  • // 1971
    During the partition of East Bengal and Pakistan, he fled to England, and established 'Action Bangladesh', an effort to seek support in his country's fight for independence. After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Abed returned home, to find the country economically drained. Moreover Bangladeshi refugees were returning from India, and they had to be rehabilitated.
  • // 1972
    For this reason, the passionate social worker used all his savings to establish an NGO called ‘BRAC’, in the year 1972. Initially ‘BRAC’ stood for ‘Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee’, which later became ‘Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee’.
  • // 1972
    Fazle Abed is known for founding the NGO called BRAC in 1972, which aims at providing support to the poor, especially women living below the poverty line. The organization reaches out to more than 69 thousand villages in Bangladesh, and has recently started its developmental work in Afghanistan, and the underdeveloped countries of Africa.
  • // 1980
    Abed was honoured with the ‘Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership’ in 1980.
  • // 1981
    In 1981, this passionate philanthropist became a visiting scholar for ‘Harvard Institute of International Development’. The next year, he was appointed as a member of the ‘Board of Trustees’ for the ‘Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies’. He was also made the chairman of the ‘Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh’.
  • // 1986
    This famous benefactor became a member of the ‘World Bank NGO Committee’ at Geneva, Switzerland, in 1986. The following year he was appointed a member of the ‘International Commission on Health Research for Development’, Harvard University, in USA.
  • // 1990
    In 1990, he was given the designation of ‘Chairman’ at an educational NGO called ‘Campaign for Popular Education’.
  • // 1992
    In 1992, he received UNICEF's ‘Maurice Pate Award’, which is given to commemorate the efforts of an organization or individual’s contribution towards the development of children.
  • // 1993
    In 1993, an organization dealing with human rights, ‘Ain O Salish Kendra’, made this social worker their chairperson. The next year at Dhaka, he became a part of the ‘Board of Trustees’ of the ‘Centre for Policy Dialogue’.
  • // 1998 To 2005
    From 1998 to 2005, this compassionate humanitarian served as a member of renowned committees like the ‘Policy Advisory Group’ of ‘The World Bank’ in Washington, and the ‘Board of Governors’ of the ‘Institute of Development Studies’, affiliated to ‘Sussex University’.
  • // 2001
    He was awarded the ‘Olof Palme Prize’ in 2001, for his invaluable contributions towards the human race.
  • // 2002
    In 2002, this benefactor received the ‘Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award’, for addressing major social issues.
  • // 2004
    He was honoured in 2004 with the ‘Mahbub ul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution in Human Development’, by the United Nations Development Programme.
  • // 2004
    This famous philanthropist was felicitated by the ‘Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’, with the ‘Gates Award for Global Health’, in 2004.
  • // 2007
    In 2007, Fazle received the prestigious ‘Henry R. Kravis Prize in Leadership’, awarded by the ‘Claremont McKenna College’, California, for sharing the best practices in social development.
  • // 2008
    This altruist received the ‘David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award’ in 2008, for empowering the poor with education.
  • // 2008
    In 2008, his organization, ‘BRAC’ was given the ‘Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize’, for its philanthropic efforts.
  • // 2010
    In 2010, this famous Samaritan was a part of ‘UN Secretary General's Group of Eminent Persons for Least Developed Countries’. Two years later, he became a member of the ‘UN Secretary General's Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement’.
  • // 2010
    In 2010, the British government awarded him with the rank of ‘Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George’, for his efforts to reduce poverty all over the world.
  • // 2013
    Since 2013, Abed has been serving as the Chairman of the ‘Board of Directors’ at ‘BRAC Bank Limited’.
  • // 2013
    In 2013, Fazle Abed was estimated to have a net worth of 2.7 billion US dollars.

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Fazle Hasan Abed's FAQ

  • What is Fazle Hasan Abed birthday?

    Fazle Hasan Abed was born at 1936-04-27

  • Where is Fazle Hasan Abed's birth place?

    Fazle Hasan Abed was born in Habiganj

  • What is Fazle Hasan Abed nationalities?

    Fazle Hasan Abed's nationalities is Bangladeshi

  • What was Fazle Hasan Abed universities?

    Fazle Hasan Abed studied at Dhaka College, University of Glasgow

  • Which company or organization was founded by Fazle Hasan Abed?

    Fazle Hasan Abed was the founder/co-founder of BRAC, BRAC Bank

  • What is Fazle Hasan Abed's religion?

    Fazle Hasan Abed's religion is Islam

  • Who is Fazle Hasan Abed's father?

    Fazle Hasan Abed's father is Siddiq Hasan

  • Who is Fazle Hasan Abed's mother?

    Fazle Hasan Abed's mother is Syeda Sufya Khatun

  • What is Fazle Hasan Abed's sun sign?

    Fazle Hasan Abed is Taurus

  • How famous is Fazle Hasan Abed?

    Fazle Hasan Abed is famouse as Social Worker