If one were to explain what work the organisation he built has done or how it has contributed to Bangladesh’s development, the task would be next to impossible; the list is endless. Instead, if we were to ask what hasn’t this organisation done, the answer would be brief though it would take quite a lot of research to find it.
Bending the arc of development towards gender equality
A tribute to Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
Brac founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed talking to some of the NGO’s beneficiary farmers during a field visit. Photo: BRAC BRAC s approach has been to put power in the hands of the poor, especially poor women and girls, said Sir Fazle Hasan Abed.
We were sitting in his office on the 19th floor of the BRAC Headquarters in Dhaka. Abed Bhai was describing BRAC s pioneering work with women and girls. Although I had heard him recount these anecdotes many times and had also seen some of the programmes on the ground, it was always inspiring to listen to him.
BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed talking to some of the NGO’s beneficiary farmers during a field visit. Photo: BRAC
He is the president of the people , more precisely the president of the poor people .
This is what the then UNDP chief said when conferring the Human Development Award in 2004.
The first Human Development Award, after its introduction two years earlier, was given to Fernando Cardoso, President of Brazil. It provided a general idea that the award was meant for politicians, presidents or prime ministers. Names of presidents and prime ministers came in the list of nominees for the award which is given every two years. But in his speech during the second awards ceremony in 2004, the then UNDP chief said that this particular awardee had made more significant contributions to human development than the presidents or prime ministers nominated that year. That s why the award went to the man who was not president of any country, but president of the people . This man w
In remembrance of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed (April 27, 1936 – December 20, 2019). Photo: Twitter
December is the month of victory. We fought for our flag, our land, and our independence. We celebrate it every year. This December, however, is a little different, as it marks the first anniversary of the passing of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. This year in December, we are also celebrating the life and work of a leader of new Bangladesh.
Much has been written over the past 12 months about the legacy of Abed bhai, as we fondly called him. Sir Fazle will be remembered for many of his deeds and contributions, which transcend beyond the borders of Bangladesh. He was a true trailblazer. There is no layer and sub-layer of our societal make up which has not been touched by Abed s work. He is the principal architect of the massive transformation that has taken place in Bangladesh society since liberation , wrote Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.