Sir Fazle’s vision will take us forward
While commemorating the first death anniversary of Sir Fazle Abed it is hard not to feel a deep sense of loss along with immense pride and respect for a man who can be described as a visionary and leader whose sole purpose in life was to lift people out of poverty. To do this he, along with a few likeminded friends, founded Brac which became the largest non-governmental organisation in the world with an unbelievable track record of success in creating innovative development models that have affected millions of people in this country. In fact, these models have been so successful that they have been replicated by Brac in other countries too.
What was most remarkable about him was his sharp mind and innovative spirit. His most outstanding contributions were in the field of health, agriculture and education. He created entrepreneurs through micro credit schemes and supported thousands of artisans by marketing their handicrafts. He described poverty as being "dehumanising" and so he was determined to change the narrative of poor Bangladeshis to one that envisioned a people who would be empowered, self-reliant, confident and forward looking.
Sir Abed's foresight manifested in the hundreds of primary schools offering non-formal education to hundreds and thousands of underprivileged children making learning fun while equipping them for formal schooling. He realised the importance of providing learning opportunities to children in their very early years resulting in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Centre for Play programmes. In higher education, he established Brac University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the country aiming to groom the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. He also knew the importance of research and made sure this was an integral part of higher education. Ground-breaking studies from Brac University is a result of this.
Not surprisingly he has received countless awards and accolades even in the last days of his life. Yet being knighted by the British Crown and receiving distinguished awards like the Olof Palme Prize, Ramon Magsasay Award for Community Leadership or the Leo Tolstoy International Gold Medal or being named the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate, had little effect on his unassuming demeanour. Thus he remained "Abed bhai" to everyone who knew him or worked for him.
Behind the no nonsense deportment and brilliant mind lay an overpowering compassion for the downtrodden and voiceless and a profound recognition and respect for women's role in development.
He was no doubt, a hard task master and expected only excellence from all his colleagues and employees in this mammoth task of prizing away the chains of poverty and deprivation imprisoning millions. But he was also a much-revered mentor and his biggest achievement was to create an organisation that would continue to carry on his legacy with dedication and determination. A year has passed since Sir Abed left this world but he will remain immortal through the immense work he has done for this country and the work that will continue, guided by his words and deep sense of commitment.
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