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BRAC University founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed by Ifthekhar Omer-

Top 10 Facts about Fazle Hasan Abed

Fazle Hassan Abed wore many hats during his lifetime, many charitable contributions to the bettering of society, leaving this world a better place. He was a philanthropist, social worker, and CEO of one of the world’s largest non-governmental organizations.

Fazle Hassan was the founder of BRAC, an international development organization based in Bangladesh set up in 1972. The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee was the largest non-governmental organization as of September 2016, with reach in all 64 districts of Bangladesh and 11 other countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Here are a few facts about its generous founder that you may find worth knowing.

1.He Came from a Politically Influential Family

Born on April 1976, he was one of eight children from a Bengali Muslim family that was known as the Hassan family. His maternal grandfather, Syed Moazzem Uddin Hossain, served as the minister of agriculture and education for Bengal in the last years of British colonial rule.

His paternal great uncle was also into politics, serving as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council. Coming from such roots, it is no wonder Fazle Hassan Abed picked up civil duty to serve society and its advancement whether politically or otherwise as he later did in life

2.He Studied Naval Architecture

A naval architects office by Stephencdickson – Wikimedia Commons

Hassan Abed’s education is somewhat non-traditional for the role he later occupied in life. In 1954, after passing his intermediate studies in Dhaka College, the then 18 years old Fazle Hassan left home to attend the University of Glasgow.

While there he chose to study Naval architecture in a futile attempt to break away from tradition and do something radically different. It wasn’t until later on he realized that the career opportunities in shipbuilding back home were minimal that he switched to accounting completing his education in 1962.

3.BRAC Wasn’t His First Non-profit Organization

BRAC Mural of Fazle Hasan Abed by Mayeenul Islam –

By the time Hassan Abed decided to join the non-profit charity work, it was 1970 and he had been a corporate executive working for the Shell Oil Company as the head of the finance division. It was during this time that a devastating cyclone hit East Asia displacing, devastating, and killing over 300,000 people.

Abed was devastated by the state it left the country’s poorest population and decided to form HELP together with his friends. The organization sought to help provide relief and rehabilitation to the worst affected on the island of Manpura which had unfortunately lost three-quarters of its population.

4.War Prompted the Formation of the BRAC

Human Remains and Weapons from the Bangladesh Liberation war by Adam Jones –

The ending of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971is what prompted Fazel Abed to start the non-profit organization. He sold his flat in London where he had relocated due to the war and returned to the newly independent Bangladesh. Hundreds of refugees had returned home as well and their relief and rehabilitation called for urgent efforts that the government wasn’t able to solely provide.

Fazel Abed used funds from the sale of his London flat to initiate an organization that would address the long-term living conditions of the rural folk. The BRAC initially started its work in the remote region of northern Bangladesh in 1972.

5.He Worked to Improve the Well-being of Women

Founder of BRAC Fazle Hasan Abed by Cristal Montanez –

From his personal experience of losing his mother and three of his sisters, these unfortunate events informed BRAC’s initial focus on improving the well-being of Bangladeshi women. He also suffered another personal loss when he lost his first wife Ayesha Abed in 1981 due to childbirth complications.

He was left with a 7-year-old daughter and a newborn son to cater to. These two experiences made him invested in seeing the mortality rate of childbearing women decrease especially in rural Bangladesh. He led the immunization of rural children to lower their death rate. The organization later expanded to provide education services.

6.Humanitarian Awards

Fazel Hassan Abed won several humanitarian awards due to his impactful work through his non-profit organization. Some of the distinguished awards under his belt are the Ramon Magsaysay in 1980, Olof Palme Prize in 2001, and the World Food Prize in 2015. Additionally, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 2010.

7.He Was one of Fortune’s List of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders

In 2014 and 2017, Fazel Hassan Abed was named one of the world’s greatest leaders. He was also recognized by Ashoka as one of the global threats and was a founding member of its Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship.

Fazel Hassan was the leader and founder of the largest non-governmental organization that had developmental interventions that range from education, healthcare, microfinance, skills, human rights agriculture, and enterprise development. Therefore, his founding of the academy was an asset to its development and advancement.

8.He was Knighted

For his exemplary service and contribution to community development, Hassan Abed was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 2010. There were to honor his service in tackling poverty and empowering the poor in Bangladesh and globally.

9.His Achieved Many Honorary Degrees

Fazel Hassan achieved a lot of honorary degrees in his life which totaled 12 in total. These honorary degrees included those from Princeton University (2014), the University of Oxford (2019), Columbia University (2008), and Yale University (2007).

An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university or a degree-awarding institution has waived the usual requirements like sitting examinations. It is usually awarded to recognize a person whose life and achievements serve as an example of the University’s aspirations for its students.

10.Fazle Died from a Brain Tumor

In late November 2019, he was admitted to hospital on account of breathing problems and physical weakness. These complications were a result of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. He died at a hospital in the capital Dhaka on Friday, December 2019. At the time of his death, he was 83 years old. He is survived by a wife, a daughter, a son, and three grandchildren. Fazel Abed Hassan is hailed as one of the most impactful leaders of this generation and his various efforts made a lasting impact on the people of Bangladesh and the world in general.