Today marks the sixth death anniversary of Dr Toufiq M. Seraj, one of Bangladesh’s pioneering real estate entrepreneurs and a prominent urban planner. Dr Seraj passed away on this day in 2019 aboard a Doha-bound flight from Dhaka while en route to Barcelona. He was 63.
Founder and Managing Director of Sheltech, one of the country’s leading real estate companies, Dr Seraj played a pivotal role in shaping Bangladesh’s modern housing sector. He was the founding president of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), leading the organisation for over five years and significantly contributing to its institutional development.
Beyond real estate, Dr Seraj was widely respected for his expertise in urban planning. A graduate in civil engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), he briefly taught at BUET’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning before pursuing higher studies abroad. As a Commonwealth Scholar, he earned a PhD in Civic Design from the University of Liverpool in the UK. Dr Seraj’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1988 when he co-founded Sheltech along with fellow BUET graduate Kutub Uddin Ahmed, a prominent business leader.
Later, renowned industrialists Tapan Chowdhury and Samuel S Chowdhury joined the partnership. Under Dr Seraj’s visionary leadership, Sheltech grew into a diversified business group, expanding beyond residential developments into professional consultancy and related services. He also served as president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), contributing to national dialogues on sustainable urbanisation and planned development. Dr Toufiq M. Seraj is remembered not only as a successful entrepreneur but also as a passionate advocate for urban planning, known for blending academic depth with visionary business leadership.
