A trailblazer for women in business

A pioneering businesswoman, a champion of women's entrepreneurship, a mentor and guide -- Rokia Afzal Rahman's exit from the world has left a trail of bereft loved ones, friends, relatives and admirers.

She passed away at the Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital in Singapore on Wednesday at the age of 82. She is survived by her two daughters Erum Mariam and Faiza Rahman, and son Imran Faiz Rahman.

It was Rokia's vision and entrepreneurial prowess that left an indelible mark on the country's business community, inspiring others to pursue their dreams. She was determined to help women entrepreneurs break barriers and succeed in a male-dominated business world.

Rokia was the vice president of International Chamber of Commerce – ICC, Bangladesh. She was the chairman of RR and Arlinks groups of companies. She was also the chairman of MIDAS Financing Limited.

She undertook initiatives in different sectors and left a lasting legacy in the media, insurance, real estate, and financial institute sectors. In 2001, she became an adviser to the caretaker government.

Rokia's career, however, started with a job at a commercial bank in 1962 – pre-independence period.

At the time, women working in banks was a rarity and Rokia became one of the very few female bankers. Within two years, she became the first woman bank manager of the country and also led the first female-only customer branch in Dhaka.

After a few years of banking Rokia took another bold decision: to leave the career she had worked so hard to build and look after her children.

But the entrepreneurial spirit that lay dormant in her could not be ignored for long.

In 1980, she ventured into the agro-based industry, setting up a cold storage in Munshiganj.

But the path to success was riddled with unexpected obstacles.

Remembering that time, she had said in an interview that she would have to cross a river on a public launch to visit her business.

"It was a three-hour journey from Dhaka, but it was a beautiful experience. I used to have jhaalmuri (spicy puffed rice) and other mouthwatering foods during the journey.

"However, I sometimes experienced storms. I would be terrified when the launch would sway to one side and everyone would rush to the doors so that they could jump into river in case the situation got worse."

Of the 15 cold storage owners in that area, she was the only woman.

"The villagers were eager to help me, but they wondered if a woman could actually run a business."

But soon enough they realised how serious and capable she was as they benefitted from her cold storage, which allowed them to store their produce all year round.

In 1982, she joined the board of MIDAS, which provides loans to SMEs.

Rokia helped the MIDAS board implement her idea of collateral-free loans for women entrepreneurs.

"In 1991, we launched a collateral-free loans project and we got tremendous response. Many women started to set up boutique businesses. We used to inspire the new loan takers by telling the success stories of others women," she said in an interview.

"Although many big businesses default on their loans, our recovery rate was almost 100 percent. A woman even came to pay her installment by rickshaw during a hartal."

Rokia also helped MIDAS introduce marketing assistance for women entrepreneurs by launching MIDAS Mini Mart and MIDAS Trade Fair.

Apart from her achievements in business, she championed the cause of women by helping countless of them become self-reliant.

In 1994, the first Women Entrepreneurs Association was formed in Bangladesh with Rokia as the founder president. She was also the founder president of Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs launched in 2006. She formed Women in Small Enterprises to further help women get a firm footing in small enterprises and industries.

For the women she helped succeed, she was a torchbearer and guardian angel.

Sadequa Hassan Sejuti, an entrepreneur who closely worked with Rokia for many years, said, "The women who came to get assistance from her were never turned away. When a new women entrepreneur would come to show their first products, she would collect most of the pieces as their first buyer.

"She would also leave no stone unturned to market and brand those products."

Mentioning Rokia's innate humility when interacting with people despite having such a stellar career herself, Shejuti said, "We have lost an idol, a legend."

Her family members too said she would always keep in touch with the farmers she worked with and treated everyone equally, whether they were village farmers, top business leaders or government officials.

But for Rokia, there were more positions waiting for her to fill.

She was a staunch supporter of free media, serving the boards of the country's top two Bangla and English-language dailies.

She was the chairperson of Mediaworld Ltd, the owning company of The Daily Star, and a director of Mediastar Limited, the owning company of Prothom Alo.

She was a board member of MRDI, a leading media training organisation based in Dhaka, and a member of Brac's governing body.

"She always backed ethical journalism and encouraged women journalists," said Hasibur Rahman, executive director at MRDI.

In 1999, she was appointed a director of Bangladesh Bank, becoming the first woman in South Asia to hold such a position. She was the president of the Bangladesh Employers Federation and was also a director of Reliance Insurance Ltd. She is the former president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries – MCCI, Dhaka.

Born in 1941 in a respectable Muslim family in Kolkata, she had her schooling in the Lorreto House. She then went to St Joseph's Convent School in Karachi, after which she graduated from St Joseph's College in 1962.

In 1964, she received a diploma in banking from the Institute of Bankers of Pakistan, and then studied management in US's Tufts University in 1995.

Her father late Ali Afzal was a former secretary of the Bengal Legislative Assembly and joint secretary of the then Pakistan National Assembly. Her grandfather Khan Bahadur Fazle Rabbi was the Dewan of Murshidabad during the British rule.

In 1964, Rokia married Azimur Rahman, former chairman of Arlinks Group and founder chairman of Mediaworld Ltd and Mediastar Ltd.

He passed away in 2001.

Despite all her successes in the business world, at home she was a devoted mother and doting grandmother to her two grandsons and three granddaughters, with whom she shared a special bond.

She loved to cook, never failing to make her signature Kashmiri mango pickle and guava jelly every year and distribute them among relatives amid her busy schedule. She was modern and progressive in her outlook but also deeply religious.

Self-effacing and soft spoken, her demeanour belied the toughness of an astute business leader who has left a legacy of showing the world how enterprising and innovative women can be, if given the right opportunity and support.

Throughout her illustrious career, it is no surprise that Rokia received numerous awards, including the Leading women entrepreneurs of the world, Monte Carlo 1999; Businessperson of the Year-2003 by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh; the Priyadarshani award in India, and the Deshbondhu Award for Women Empowerment

Rokia Afzal Rahman's namaz-e-janaza will be held in the capital's Gulshan Azad Masjid on Friday after Asr prayers. She will be laid to rest at the Banani graveyard the same day.

A Dua Mahfil was held at The Daily Star Centre yesterday evening to pray for the salvation of her soul.