Today marks the sixth death anniversary of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of BRAC, the world’s largest non-governmental development organisation. He died on this day in 2019 at the age of 83 while receiving medical treatment in Dhaka.
Born in 1936, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed qualified as a cost management accountant in London in 1962. His life’s trajectory was irrevocably altered by the catastrophic 1970 cyclone and the Liberation War of 1971, which stirred his conscience while he was employed with a multinational company in Pakistan.
At the war’s onset, he resigned, relocated to London, and helped establish “Action Bangladesh” and “HELP Bangladesh” to rally international support for the independence struggle.
Following the birth of Bangladesh in 1971, he returned to a ravaged homeland. Witnessing the profound devastation in Sunamganj and the urgent needs of millions of returning refugees, he founded BRAC at the age of 36.
Starting as a small relief and resettlement project in the remote Shalla area of Sunamganj, the organisation was built on his unwavering belief in people’s inherent potential to change their own destinies.
From those modest origins, BRAC has evolved into a global development powerhouse. Over 52 years, it has cultivated an integrated ecosystem of programmes and social enterprises addressing all facets of human development.
Today, BRAC’s interventions reach over 145 million people across 14 countries in Asia and Africa, empowering communities to escape poverty and live with resilience and dignity.
His legacy continues to steer BRAC’s mission, anchored in the conviction that every individual possesses limitless potential and can, with appropriate support, forge their own future.
In a testament to his enduring impact, the Government of Bangladesh posthumously conferred upon him the Independence Award 2025, the nation’s highest civilian honour.
His lifetime of service was recognised globally through numerous prestigious awards. These include the Idan Prize for International Social Entrepreneurship (2019), the Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau (2019), the World Food Prize (2015), the WISE Prize for Education (2011), and the Gates Award for Global Health (2004). He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George by the British Crown in 2009 for his contributions to poverty reduction.
He was recognised as a “Global Great” by Ashoka and was a founding member of its Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship. He was listed among the world’s top 50 leaders by Forbes Magazine in 2014 and 2017 and served as a UN “Eminent Person” advising on least developed countries.
He held honorary doctoral degrees from several world-renowned institutions, including Princeton University, the University of Oxford, Columbia University, and Yale University.
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed’s pioneering vision and humanitarian work remain a guiding light for development efforts worldwide.
