HISTORY OF RCDC

                                   ROTARY MOVEMENT IN BANGLADESH    

                         AND BIRTH OF ROTARY CLUB OF DHAKA CENTRAL

Compiled by – Rtn Engr. Md. Karimul Haque Talukdar

Rotary Club of Dhaka Central

PART – 1

A.Birth of Rotary International
Paul P. Harris, an attorney, wanted to create a professional group with the same friendly spirit. On 23 February 1905, Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey gathered at Loehr’s office in Room 711 of the Unity Building in downtown Chicago. This was the first Rotary club meeting. They decided to call the new club “Rotary” after the practice of rotating meeting locations. Within five years a number of clubs had been formed across the country, from San Francisco to New York.

The first 4 Rotarians (from left): 

Silvester Schiele, Paul P. Harris, Gustavus Loehr and Hiram Shorey,

 

 

                  

In August 1910, Rotarians held their first convention in Chicago. The 16 clubs that existed at that time united to form the National Association of Rotary Clubs. 

In 1912, the name changed to International Association of Rotary Clubs to reflect the addition of clubs in other countries. The name Rotary International was adopted in 1922. 

By July 1925, Rotary had grown to more than 2,000 clubs and an estimated 108,000 members on six continents. Rotary’s reputation attracted presidents, prime ministers, and a host of other luminaries to its ranks — among them author Thomas Mann, diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, and composer Jean Sibelius. 

As Rotary grew, members pooled their resources and used their talents to serve their communities. The organization’s dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its motto: Service Above Self.

B.Birth of the first Rotary Club in Dhaka - Formation of Rotary Club of Dhaka  

Dhaka City, in the late nineteen-thirties, was a township of about 150,000 people mostly living in and around what is now known as the “Old Town” along the river Buriganga. In the Muslim populated Bengal, Dhaka was growing in importance due mainly to the trading business based on the riverine communication.

In this background the Rotary International movement found Dhaka as an ideal home for the first Rotary Club in this part of the world. In their effort to introduce Rotary ideals Sir Fredrick James and Herbert Bryant visited Dhaka and found few dedicated persons such as H R Wilkinson. S J E Virgo, Prof Ramesh Chandra Majumder and Altaf Hossain who might be entrusted to organize the first Rotary club in the region.

With great efforts of Rtn Sir Fredrick James (Honorary General Commissioner) and Rtn Herbert Bryant (Secretary) of the Middle Asia Office which was set up to boost up Rotary Movement in East Asia and organize Rotary Clubs in India, Burma (now Mayanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Afghanistan and the South East Asia, a meeting was held on 22 December 1937 at the Imperial Bank of India Building near Victoria Park (now Bahadur Shah Park). In this meeting 17 members of diversified professions formed the Rotary Club of Dhaka. The Club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Calcutta (now Kolkata) and admitted as the 16,114^th Club on 26 February 1938 which is being observed as the Charter Date. However, the Charter was presented to the Club on 22 March 1938. Rtn Herbert Bryant organized clubs in this region and Rtn Sir Fredrick James granted charters on behalf of the Rotary International. The Club was raised under the RI District 89 with Rtn Phiroze Sethna as the District Governor and Rtn Herbert Bryant as the Governor’s Special Representative.

The Club grew steadily in the first ten years but suffered a setback with the partition of British India into two sovereign states – India and Pakistan (East Pakistan and West Pakistan) in 1947 when most of the non-Muslim members left East Pakistan. The membership of the Club came down to only seven.

In 1950s and 1960s the Club made a great progress and the membership rose 57 in 1971 just before liberation. During these difficult and challenging period dedication of some Club members, including M H Khan, Syed Mohammad Hussain, Hafizur Rahman, Dr Hedayetullah, A H Faridi, B C Sharbadhikary, M A Jabbar, A Motaleb, A Rahim Khan, Imran Faruque, Alamgir Rahman, Col T D Ahmed, Fentress Gardener (of US Consulate), S E Kabir, K S Alam, Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury, Azizul Huq and Iftekharul Alam was outstanding that helped in the growth of the Club and the Rotary movement in this region.

C. Expansion of Rotary Movement By Forming New Clubs

The Rotary Club of Dhaka sponsored a number of Rotary Clubs, namely – RC Chittagong in 1952, RC Narayanganj in 1954, RC Khulna in 1958, RC Mymensingh in 1959, RC Dhaka North in1968, RC Comilla in 1969 and Chandpur in 1970. However, RC of Chandpur received its charter on 12 April 1974 as the first Rotary Club of Bangladesh. In 1955-56 Rtn Syed Mohammad Hussain became the first District Governor of RI District 325 from the Rotary Club of Dhaka. This was a rare achievement for the Club as the District 325 covered East Pakistan, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Nepal and Bhutan. Rtn A Rahim Khan became the District Governor of the District 325 in 1962-63. Later Rtn A F M Abdul Huq Faridi became the District Governor of the District 307 in 1970-71 which covered East and West Pakistan. In 1975-76 Rtn Iftekharul Alam became the District Governor of District 325.

Since 1972 the Rotary Club of Dhaka made a significant progress in all avenues of service and organized over 50 new Rotary Clubs through sponsorship and patronization. In 1984, a separate District 328 was formed for Bangladesh to cope with the growing number of members. Rtn Aziz-Ul Haq had the privilege of being the first Governor of the new District 328.

The RI District 3280 with about 5,000 Rotarians in 350 clubs was divided into two Districts – District 3281 and District 3282 effective July 2013. The District 3281 was divided into two:  District 3283 and District 3284 to be effective from July 2024. Our club will fall under the jurisdiction of District 3284. However, for some reasons the RI Board of Directors placed the clubs of the Districts 3281 and 3282 into a non-districted status for a period of at least three years in January 2024. The Rotary movement in Bangladesh has significantly contributed towards the wellbeing of the downtrodden society during last 86 years

D. Birth of Rotary Club of Dhaka Central

The sixth Rotary Club of this region, Rotary Club of Dhaka North, decided to sponsor a Rotary Club in Dhaka. The President of the club at that time was Rtn A Malek Chowdhury. Rtn Prof Dr Syed Saleheen Qadri of RC Dhaka North was assigned to organize the proposed club under the guidance of Governor’s Special Representative (GSR) Rtn Prof Dr M Muniruzzaman. Rtn Dr. Qadri could motivate and attract 22 vibrant professionals of various disciplines towards the Rotary ideals. Undergoing through a rigorous process of Rotary International, Rtn Dr Qadri managed to organize and get the “Rotary Club of Dhaka Central” chartered on 16 May 1984 under the RI District 329. The Governor of RI District 329 was Rtn Om Prakash Oberoi of RC Calcutta Midtown. The club had been able to attract more professionals. Over the years, through loss and gain, current member-strength of the Club is 40. 

E. Names of Charter Members[1]

The following members formed the ‘Rotary Club of Dhaka Central:

(1) Prof Dr. Syed Saleheen Qadri, (2) Mansurul Karim, (3) Aziz Ahmed, (4) Kamal Ahmad, (5) Lt Col Mahtabuddin Ahmed, (6) Prof Dr. Rahim B. Talukdar, (7) Munirul Haque, (8) Khurshid Azam, (9) M Iftekharuddin Naushad, (10) A. S. Rezai Karim, (11) Fida M. Kamal, (12) Mahbub Alam, (13) Abdul Majid Chowdhury, (14) Mustaq Alam Chowdhury, (15) Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, (16) Shah Sayed Kamal, (17) Abdul Khair, (18) Abdul Muqtadir Khan, (19) Abdul Musawwir Khan, (20) Feroz Rahim, (21) Jameel Rahman and (22) Matiur Rahman.

F.Presidents of the Club Since Creation

1984-85                 Syed Saleheen Qadri                         1985-86                 Mansurul Karim  

1986-87                 Aziz Ahmed                                          1987-88                 R. A. Hawladar    

1988-89                 Fida M. Kamal                                      1989-90                 Munirul Haque

1990-91                 Lt. Col Mahtabuddin Ahmed             1991-92                 A. S. Rezai Karim

1992-93                 Rahim B. Talukdar                              1993-94                 Khurshid Azam

1994-95                 M. Azmal Hossain                               1995-96                 M. Iftekhar Uddin Naushad

1996-97                 Sohel Kasem                                       1997-98                 Salauddin Ahmad

1998-99                 SAM Showket Hossain                       1999-00                 Rashed Chowdhury

2000-01                 Belal Samad                                        2001-02                 Masud Ali Khan

2002-03                 Nasser Shahrear Zahedee                                2003-04                 Kh. Rashedul Ahsan

2004-05                 Md. Asaduzzaman Khan                   2005-06                 Md. Obaidur Rahman

2006-07                 SAM Showket Hossain                       2007-08                 Shahid Iqbal

2008-09                 M. Quasim                                            2009-10                 Md. Abrar Hossain

2010-11                 Lt. Gen Harun-Ar-Rashid                   2011-12                 M. Shahjahan Siddiqui

2012-13                 Md. Karimul Haque Talukdar            2013-14                 M. Hamid

2014-15                 Rumana Khan Islam                           2015-16                 Md. Shamsul Alam

2016-17                 Khawaja Zaki Ahsanullah                  2017-18                 Saadat Ur Rahman Khan

2018-19                 Md. Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan         2019-20                 Salma Masud

2020-21                 Ziaur Rahman                                      2021-22                 Zahirul Alam Bhuiyan

2022-23                 Sajal Krishna Banerjee                      2023-24                 Ismat Sultana

2024-2025             Mohammad Tabrez Hossain

Many of the above mentioned Club Presidents received RI Presidential Citation in recognition of their valuable contribution to the District and Rotary International.

7. Rotary Club of Dhaka Central Sponsored 5 New Clubs

Rotary Club of Dhaka Central sponsored 5 new Rotary Clubs in Dhaka. These are: (i) Shyamoli Dhaka in May 1986, (ii) Dhaka Urbana in February 2002, (iii) Dhaka Water Bridge in May 2004, (iv) Aroma Dhaka in January 2014 and (v) Dhaka Sorbojoya in May 2021.

8. Club’s Regular, Matching Grant (MG) and Global Grant (GG) Projects

Over the years Club implemented many traditional short term impact projects regularly, some of them are: income generation by providing tools of earning, winter cloth distribution, eye screening camps followed by IOL surgery, blood donation, distribution of sleeping kits, construction of sanitary latrines and flood shelters, scholarship to students including a  PhD program in Manila, donation of infra-red lamps to crippled children hospital, support to school for autistics children, providing wheel chairs to physically challenged persons, providing hand tube wells for drinking water to the adopted village, tree plantation etc.

Other than the above mentioned activities the Club has so far implemented 2 MG projects and 2 GG projects. One mega GG project is under implementation. Short descriptions of the 5 projects are enumerated below:

1. MG66755: Installation of Arsenic Free Tube Wells (AFT) – Under the Project 60 (sixty) AFTs were installed in Dighaldi and adjoining 7 villages of Araihazar Upazila under the District of Narayanganj for supplying arsenic free and safe drinking water to 5,000 poor people during 2008-09 and 2009-10. Total Project cost was $19,930 (DDF of 6 districts - $9,215, Rotary Foundation - $9,715 and RC Dhaka Central - $1,000). After installation of 60 AFTs, a saving was identified by which 9 (nine) more AFTs were installed with the prior permission of the Rotary Foundation. The Project was considered as most successful as could be evidenced from the Foundation’s Audit Report in 2011-12. Audit comments were: “The club’s preparation for the audit was commendable. The project exemplified host and international Rotarian participation. The project beneficiaries are using the tube wells and are very appreciative as they receive continuous water supply and spend less time traveling to collect water. The project was implemented strictly according to the approved norms of the grant. The grant’s objective has been fulfilled.” The comments were achieved due to remarkable efforts of Rtn Asaduzzaman Khan in leading and implementing the Project most efficiently.
2. MG xxxx : Providing Power Generator: A power generator was provided to Amena-Baki Residential Model School & College at Chirirbandar, Dinajpur during 2008-09. The school was much benefitted in running the computer laboratory uninterrupted at the time power outage in the area. The cost the generator was born by a Rotary Club of Australia and local installation cost was born by our Club.

3. GG1865742: Musa Mia Buddhi Bikash Bidyaloy: Musa Mia Buddhi Bikash Bidyaloy, a specialized school for autistic children, was established in 2009 in Jhenaidah District Town. At the time of preparing the Project 86 students were enrolled, of which 24 were autistic and 62 were intellectually challenged. Ten well-trained and qualified teachers were there. The school was established by some social workers and a philanthropist organization like Zahedee Foundation which had donated 0.12 acre of land (value about US$70,000) to help establish school’s own campus. The school facilitates academic activities as well as physical and mental development of the autistic students. As the school deals with autistic and intellectually challenged children they need some special care and support more than the normal children to develop their social skills and mental & physical health. Physiotherapy instruments; speech and occupational therapy instrument; and some ICT instruments are needed along with therapy rooms with facilities to achieve the objectives.

By being satisfied with the objectives Rotary International approved a Project for the said autistic school with a total budget of $90,000 mainly for procuring various types of instruments. Contribution comprised RC Dhaka Central’s cash contribution, District Designated Fund (DDF), RC Kolkata Central’s cash contribution and Endowment/directed gift (by Rtn Zahedee). RC Dhaka Central has completed the Project and has submitted the final report. 

4. GG2344902: Musa Mia Health Awareness and Screening Van – The Project is designed aiming at Diabetic Screening and Awareness Campaign; Eye Screening Campaign; and Gynecological concerns like Breast, Cervical, Ovarian and Uterus Screening Campaign. The Project had a budget of $89,576, of which $57,000 as Endowment/Gift Contribution by Rtn Zahedee, $20,000 as DDF and $1,000 as cash contribution. The main procurement item is a Van equipped with screen facilities. The Project is under review of RI and awaiting approval. 
5. GG1528549: A National Program to Alleviate Corneal Blindness in Bangladesh - The purpose of the Project is to ‘Establish a Unique and Innovative National Eye Donation and Recovery Program which can exponentially increase the number of transplantable corneas and mitigate reversible and curable corneal blindness in Bangladesh. The Rotary Foundation approved the Project in February 2017 with a grant amount of $349,357 plus Club contribution of only $8,000 for harvesting, preserving and transplanting 6,000 corneas with the help of “Sandhani”. This is the highest amount approved by RI for a single Project in Bangladesh. However, the Project is progressing with snail’s pace for various reasons and the progress as of date is not worth mentioning. It seems it will be very difficult to implement the Project as planned unless “Sandhani” gears up its activities seriously. 

6. The Club will ever remain proud of helping two young girls in undergoing major intervention (surgery), one for heart related problem and the other for hip replacement. The interventions turned their hard living lives into easy and better one. (Liza for heart & Yarhana Khandoker for hip replacement.   
7. Recipients of National, Gallantry & Other Awards

Two of our members received “Swadhinata Padak” Award - country’s highest civilian award; one received gallantry award and one received “Shilpakala Award”. They are:

1. Rtn Dr. Misbahun Nahar Tamanna received “Swadhinata Padak” Award (Independence Day Award) in 2019 from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her great contribution to Independence & Liberation War. She is a medical doctor from Dhaka Medical College. She belongs to a progressive, political and cultural family. She was involved with student politics. Day after marriage with Engr Ghulam Rabbani on 23 June 1971, Tamanna with her spouse left the then East Pakistan for India and joined the liberation war. She served “Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra” at Mujibnagar. In parallel she was appointed as a medical officer to treat the freedom fighters in different sectors. The Country has recognized her contribution by awarding the highest civilian award.

As a stage performer she took part in plays like Tagore’s “Roktokabari” and “Tasher Desh”; and Samaresh Bosu’s “Abarto” etc which supported the liberation movement. After liberation war she joined Dhaka Medical College Hospital and served there for 8 years. Later she joined the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation and retired from there as Chief Medical Officer.

2. Rtn Prof Dr. Amjad Hossain is a brave freedom fighter. He has received “Swadhinata Padak” Award (Independence Day Award) in 2021 from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for his exemplary & commendable social work in his locality. Being a medical practitioner he established Amena-Baki Residential Model High School & College at Chirirbandar, Dinajpur. Amena-Baki Foundation has been established entirely by his personal initiative and financing and the school is a sister concern of the Foundation. He realized that education should get priority for rapid development of the war-torn country. Within a short period the school emerged as the best school in the area by achieving best results in the public examinations. Dr. Amjad has his MBBS Degree from Dhaka Medical College and post-graduate degrees from outside the country. He served as Professor & Head of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Dhaka Medical College & Hospital. After retirement from government service Dr. Amjad has been working in the LABAID Hospital as Chief Consultant & Head of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. He was Chairman of the Bangladesh Orthopedic Association and is also associated with many International Organizations on Orthopedic Surgery.
3. Lt. General Harun is a War Hero. At the beginning of his career he participated in Indo-Pak War of 1965 as a member of Pakistan Air Force. During the Bangladesh War of Liberation of 1971 he fought in greater Comilla area where he commanded approximately 300 Freedom Fighters. During the final offensive he took part in “Capture Comilla” operation under 9 E Bengal. For his gallant action in the War of Liberation of 1971 he was decorated with the gallantry award - "Bir Protik". General Harun played a pioneering role in forming “Sector Commanders Forum for Liberation war of 1971” in 2007 and build up general opinion in favor of trial of War Criminals of 1971. More details of his career have been included in Part-2 of this write-up.     
4. Rtn M. Hamid is a valiant freedom fighter. He has received the prestigious “Shilpakala Padak” in 2018 from President Mohammad Abdul Hamid for his remarkable contributions to ‘dramatics’. Rtn Hamid is a widely known personality in the cultural arena and has engaged himself firmly in the development of socio-cultural activities. He served the two most important Government Institutions - (i) as its Director General in Bangladesh Television (BTV) and (ii) its Managing Director in Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (FDC). He also served as CEO of Rtv and Boisakhi Television. He received prestigious “Jatiyo Chalachitra Award” in 1982 and “Berlin International Documentary Film Award” in 1986.

10. AKS and Major Donors of the Club

At present there are 2 Major Donors (MD) in the Club viz. Rtn SAM Showket Hossain and Rtn Rashed Chowdhury. Rtn Commodore Ataur Rahman and Rtn Dr. Shamsul Alam who died in the recent past were also Major Donors. Rtn Zahedee has progressively contributed the targeted amount of $250,000 and he has been recognized as a member of the Arch Klumph Society (AKS).

11. Full PHF-member Club

The Club acquired the honor of becoming a ‘Full PHF-member Club’ firstly in 1997-98. With passage of time the Club lost the status.  However, the Club regained the status of “Full PHF-member Club’ again in 2019-20 and the status is being sustained to date. Of the present strength of 40 members there are 27 members as MPHF, 10 members as PHF, 2 members as MD and 1 as AKS. The Club received the banner of “100% Paul Harris Fellow Club” for 2022-23 from the Rotary International in March 2024. 

50. Benefactors

At present there are 5 ‘Benefactors’ in the Club and they are: Rtn SAM Showket Hossain, Rtn Rashed Chowdhury, Rtn Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, Rtn Tanveer Madar and Rtn Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan.

1000. Participation in the Election for District Governor

Rtn Munirul Haque was the first member from this Club who participated in the election for District Governor for 2000-01 and 2002-03 but could not succeed. Rtn SAM Showket Hossain was the second member of this Club who participated in the election for District Governor consecutively for 3 years and got elected for 2015-16 defeating Rtn Md. Mustafizur Rahman of RC of Dhaka South.

14. Rotary International Appointments

Rtn M. Hamid was appointed as Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator (ARPIC) for Districts 3281 and 3282 in the Rotary Years of 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Rtn PDG SAM Showket Hossain has been appointed as Endowment/Major Gifts Advisor (E/MGA) for RI Zone 1B, Region 10 for 2022-25. He is a member of 2024 Rotary International Convention Promotion Team and Zone Promotion Chairman, RI Zone 1B, Region 10. In the past he was appointed as DGE/DGN Trainer in the RI Regional Training Team for 2020-23; as Regional Public Image Coordinator (RPIC) for RI Zone 1B, Region 10 for 2019-22; and Assistant Rotary Coordinator (ARC) for RI Zone 6B for 2016-19. Rtn SAM Showket’s short profile has been included in Part-2 below.

• District Level Key Appointments

Other than the traditional appointments for Asstt Governors, Deputy Governors, Lt. Governors, Committee Chairs & Members the following were the key appointments by the District:

Rtn Munirul Haque was the District Trainer during Rotary Year of 2004-05 (D3280).

Rtn Kh. Rashedul Ahsan was the District Secretary during the Rotary Year of 2007-08 (D3280).

Rtn M. Abrar Hossain was the District Treasurer during the Rotary Year of 2015-16 (D3281).

Rtn Karimul Haque Talukdar was the Chairperson, District Grant Subcommittee (DGSC) during 2015-16 (D3281).

Rtn Ziaur Rahman was of the Editors of Governor’s Monthly Newsletter (GML) & Governor’s Special Aid in 2016-17 (D3281).

Rtn Nasser Shahrear Zahedee has recently been appointed by District 64 as (i) Member of Special Review Committee, (ii) Member of District Finance Committee, (iii) Chairperson of Rotaract Committee, and (iv) Chairperson of Incoming Leaders Training Seminar (ILTS) 2024.

16. Service-Above-Self Award

Rtn Munirul Haque was the only recipient of the “Service-Above-Self” award from the Club. He was one of the 3 recipients of the award from the District 3280 in 1996-97.

PART – 2

The Club maintained rigorously the high level standards in choosing a member from among the academics, professionals, high ranking government and non-government officials for the club. One can guess the standard by having glimpses of few members of the past and the present in the following paragraphs. There are many more members who are eligible to be quoted here but for limited space and information I could not cover all of them. My sincere apologies -

17. Notable / Respectable Members of the Club in the Past

1. Prof Dr. Syed Saleheen Qadri: Dr. Qadri was a Professor of Dhaka University in the Department of Biochemistry. He joined Rotary in July 1974, became the Charter President of the Club in 1984-85 and remained associated with Rotary activities until his death on 01 September 2021.
2. Barrister Fida M. Kamal: Barrister Fida Kamal is a practicing lawyer in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He served as an Attorney General of Bangladesh from January 2007 to 16 July 2008. He was one of the Charter members, became President of the Club in 1988-89 and left Rotary in 2002-03.
3. Dr. Munirul Haque: An architect by profession Munirul Haque was initially associated with engineering consultancy business and he was Managing Director of ‘Desh Upodesh’ consulting firm. At a later stage Rtn Munirul Haque also received PhD Degree. For some time he was teaching in the Daffodil International University (DIU). He joined Rotary in April 1984 as a Charter member, became President in 1989-90 and left in June 2020. He was one of the top knowledgeable members in the District in respect of Rotary Rules and Regulations.
4. Prof Dr. Rahim B Talukdar: Dr. Rahim B. Talukdar was a Professor in the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University. He was a Vice Chancellor of a private university. He joined Rotary in April 1984 as a Charter Member, became President of the Club in 1992-93 and remained with Rotary until his death on 17 May 2022. He was famous for ‘thanks-giving-speeches’ at closing of any club function.
5. Commodore M. Ataur Rahman (Retd): He joined Rotary in the Rotary Club of Dhaka in 1980 and later became the President of Rotary Club of Dhaka. For convenience he got transferred to the Rotary Club of Dhaka Central. He was a true leader and contributed a lot for the underprivileged section of the society for which he will be ever remembered. He left us at the ripe age of 94 on 20 March 2021.

Commodore Ataur Rahman obtained Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the then Shibpur Engineering College (West Bengal) and Post-graduation Degree in Naval Architecture from Manadan College in Plymouth. He joined Pakistan Navy. He got stranded in West Pakistan during the War of Liberation and subsequently repatriated to newly emerged Bangladesh. He was the senior most Bangladesh Naval Officer (Pin No. 1).  After retirement from Navy he was taken into Government's civil bureaucracy with the blessings of Bangobondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and rose to the rank of Secretary. He served as the Chairman of Tariff Commission; Chairman, BIWTC; Chairman, TCB; Chairman, Mongla (Chalna) Port; first Chairman of Bangladesh Association of Banks; first Chairman of Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh; Chairman of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited for 14 years; Chairman of IBN Sina Trust until his death; Chairman of Manarat Trust, Manarat International University, Manarat International School and College. He was appointed by Government of Bangladesh to serve in the Executive Board of OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) for 1 year.

As a rare occasion he along with wife (Najma Rahman) visited Buckingham Palace and had audience with the Queen Elizabeth II. On another occasion he met with Chairman Mao Zedong of People’s Republic of China in his office.

He had travelled to more than 45 countries of the world mostly for professional purposes. He had written 11 books in socio-economic-travel related matters and also had been a column contributor in the newspapers in Bangladesh for quite some time.

6. Lt. Col. Mahtabuddin Ahmed: Mahtabuddin Ahmed was in Pakistan Army and later in Bangladesh Army. After retirement from Army he served the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation as a Director. Later he joined a leading private sector company of Bangladesh in property development under PRAN-RFL Group. He also decorated the position of the Chairman of the PRAN-RFL Group for some time. He joined Rotary in April 1984 as a Charter Member, became President of the Club in 1990-91 and served the people till his passing away on 14 July 2016.
7. Rtn Brig Gen Masud Ali Khan: Rtn Masud joined RC of Dhaka Central in May 1998. He became President of the Club for 2001-02. He executed a good number projects for the community during his term. He took active part in all activities of RC Dhaka Central and was for some time Primarily Contact of the Global Grant Project on Cornea transplant in Bangladesh. However, he left the club as an Active Member for health reason but is continuing as an Honorary Member. The writer is lucky enough as Rtn Masud proposed him for granting membership of the prestigious club of Dhaka Central.

Rtn Masud is a civil engineering graduate from the then East Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology (EPUET, now BUET) and joined East Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (EPWAPDA) in January 1965. He left EPWAPDA and joined Corps of Engineers of Pakistan Army in 1966. He was repatriated from West Pakistan as a Captain in January 1974 and was absorbed in Bangladesh Army. He did training in Staff College in Mirpur Dhaka and advance engineering course in USA.

He rose to the rank of Brigadier General in Bangladesh Army. During his army career he served at many important positions such as Battalion Commander; Commanding Officer of Training Battalion; Chief Instructor of Engineering Center; Director of Works (Chief Engineer) of Airforce and Bangladesh Army; Engineer Brigade Commander, Dhaka; Bangladesh Military Contingent Command in Kuwait during 1993-1995. As Director of Works (Army) construction of Dhaka City Flood Protection Embankment is worth mentioning. He was Managing Director of ‘Sena Kalyan Shangstha’ during 1989-1991; served as a nominated Director of Sonali Bank Ltd and ‘Bangladesh Shilpo Rin Sangstha’.  

After retirement from Army in 1996 he joined a USA-based consulting company, AI & Associates Ltd as Managing Director (Bangladesh Chapter) and worked there from 1997 to 2017. Important projects supervised by this company are - Radisson Blue Garden Hotels in Dhaka and Chittagong, Banani Flyover, Hatirjheel Project, Armed Forces Medical College and DGFI HQ Building etc.
He is a keen golfer and a member of Kurmitola Golf Club. He is a social worker and takes keen interest in social works. He was founder President of a NGO known as Aloha Social Services Bangladesh (ASSB) in DInajpur. He is married to Mariam Begum who was the Past Chairman of Inner Wheel of Bangladesh District 328.

8. Rtn Md. Asaduzzaman Khan: Asaduzzaman graduated from EPUET (now BUET) in Civil Engineering in 1966. He started his career in the Water Wing of EPWAPDA and served the organization in various capacities including the Chief Engineer. Later he decorated the top position of the Director General (DG) of “Bangladesh Water Development Board” (former water wing of EPWAPDA), one of the largest autonomous organizations for water resources development. He died in June 2023.

18. Notable members of the Club at Present:

1. Rtn SAM Showket Hossain: SAM Showket Hossain joined the Rotary Club of Dhaka Central in February 1992. He was President of the Club twice in 1998-99 and 2006-07. He served the District in various capacities. He became District Governor of RI District 3281 in 2015-16. As DG, Showket visited more than 200 Rotary Clubs as a guest speaker. His RI assignments have been elaborated separately in Part-1 above.

Rtn Showket did his LL.M and LLB (Hons) from Dhaka University and also has Post-Graduate Diplomas in different fields from various countries. He also attended more than 200 short & long training programs in 50(+) countries. He qualified as an advocate from Bangladesh Bar Council in 1976.

Rtn Showket is currently Chairman and Managing Director of Express One Limited; CDME and SAM Creation. He served TACK International and TMI Bangladesh and was the Editor of Commerce & Industry and former Country Sales & Marketing Manager, DHL, Bangladesh (1985 – 2000). SAM Showket Hossain is best known as an International Master Trainer, Public Speaker, Researcher, Writer, Editor and Manager. His leadership contributions are extended and recognized within and beyond Rotary boundary.

Rtn Showket attended almost all District programs and RI Zonal & Central Programs sometimes as a participant and sometimes as a resource person. He has many feathers in his cap for organizing and leading a number of District and club programs. He is associated with social, cultural and humanitarian programs at national level.

Rtn Showket represented Bangladesh in the conference of the World Peace Council, the World Congress of World Federation of Democratic Youth, and the Regional Peace Conference. He is a widely traveled person in many countries of the world.

Rtn Showket is married to Nasreen Ara Surat Amin who is also a Rotarian and high level Government Officer.  

2. Rtn M. Iftekharuddin Naushad: He joined Rotary in April 1984 as one of the Charter Members of the Club, became President of the Club in 1995-96. He was a key person in adopting and developing club’s first RVC at Baghia (now RCC). As the President of the Club he received DG’s Citation and Recognitions for various outstanding performances and achievements in the Club as well as in the District. He continued to be an effective member of the club and in Rotary District as well. In the District he held the positions of Associate Secretary in 1996-97, Zonal Representative in 1998-99, District Secretary (Programs) in 2000-01, Membership Development Coordinator (Area 3) in 2001-02 and Governor’s Special Aide in 2005-06

Rtn Naushad is a leading member of the “Motion Picture Industry’ in Bangladesh. Naushad is the Managing Director of (i) Channel Cinema Ltd, (ii) Modhumita Movies, & (iii) Channel Cinema Ltd. He is also involved in (i) Production and Distriibution of Local Films, and (ii) is an Importer of Foreign Movies. Naushad held the position of the President of Bangladesh Motion Picture Exhibitors Association and very keen to develop the movie industry.

He was an International Director for Producers and Distributors’ Association from 1985 to 2000. He was Founder President of Bangladesh Film Importers’ Associstion. He is working very closely with the Motion Picture Association of America in collaboration with American Embassy in Dhaka on International Property Rights (IPR). He is the Proprietor of INN-WIN   Enterprises and SICO Entertainment.

He is a member of Dhaka Club Ltd, Gulshan Club Ltd and Kurmitola Golf Club and was Member of the Executive Committee of Dhaka Club Ltd for 2005-08. He plays Golf and Squash and regularly visits gymnasium. 

He owns the ‘Modhumita Cinema Complex’ through inheritance. An interesting story behind Naushad’s coming to motion picture business is briefly narrated. It was either in 1962 or 1963 one day Naushad’s father, Md. Siraj Uddin, a film loving businessman being deprived of watching a film with a group of friends decided to build a cinema hall of his own. Siraj Uddin bought a piece of land in the Motijheel area and built a cinema hall which was named as “Madhumita” chosen from among the names received through public advertisement. “Madhumita” was inaugurated on 01 December 1967 through exhibiting “70 mm English Film – Cleopatra”. After the death of Naushad’s father in January 1976 and Naushad’s elder brother Salahuddin Farooq in 1992, Naushad and his younger brother, Aslam took over the family business and have been running the show until now in a befitting manner.

3. Rtn Lt. Gen. Harun-Ar-Rashid: General Harun was born on 15 February 1948 in the district of Chattogram. Initially General Harun joined Pakistan Air Force in August 1965. Unfortunately he was grounded due to motion sickness and later he was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 06 September 1970 and posted to the East Bengal Regiment. General Harun is a graduate of Defense Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur and Royal College of Defense Studies, London, UK.

Gen Harun commanded Infantry Battalion, Infantry Brigade and Infantry Division. He was the Director of Military Training and Military Operations, Quarter Master General and Chief of General Staff at the Army Headquarters. He also served as the Principal Staff Officer at the Armed Forces Division of the Prime Minister’s Office. He commanded the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) consisting officers from 39 countries of North America, Europe, Africa and Asia for 19 months.

General Harun was appointed as Chief of Army Staff on 24 December 2000 and commanded the Bangladesh Army till his retirement on 16 June 2002. In addition to commanding Bangladesh Army, he successfully led Army’s commercial enterprises like ‘Sena Kalyan Sangstha’ and Trust Bank Limited. After retirement from Army he served as the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. He also worked as the Economic Counsellor at Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He finally retired from Government service in September 2004. As highlighted in Part-1 of this write-up he received the national award of "Bir Protik" for his heroic action in the Bangladesh War of Liberation-1971.

Presently General Harun is engaged in farming and managing “Rashid Krishi Khamar Limited” as its Managing Director. General Harun is a sports enthusiast. He was a keen golfer. He is the founder President of Bangladesh Golf Federation. He was also the elected President of Bangladesh Olympic Association during 2000-2002.

General Harun became a Rotarian in the year 2007 and an active member of Rotary Club of Dhaka Central, Rotary District-3281. He was President of the Club in 2010-11 and held a number of key positions in the District. His wife, Layla Naznin Harun, is also a Rotarian and is Charter President of Rotary Club of ‘Sorbojoya’. In addition he is also an active Member of number of social organizations.

4. Rtn Rashed A. Chowdhury: Rtn Rashed Chowdhury joined the RC of Dhaka Central in February 1992 and became the President of the Club in 1999-00. He served as one of the Assistant Governors of Rotary District-3280. While he was President of the Club he executed a number of projects benefitting the poorer section of the society. He continued to be an active member of the Club and is a major contributor to Club’s IOL, education and poverty reduction projects.

After receiving higher degree in Management from UK, Rashed Chowdhury engaged himself in business and within a very short period got established as one of the successful entrepreneurs in the country.  He is associated with a number of enterprises and currently the Chairman of (i) Banga Garments Limited, (ii) ABC Building Products Limited and (iii) ABC Facilities Limited. In parallel he is also the Director of (i) Associated Builders Corporation (ABC) Limited, (ii) ABC Real Estates Limited, (iii) Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTB) and (iv) Shamsuddin Towels Limited. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of MTB.

Rashed Chowdhury is deeply involved in many social activities such as (i) Founder Trustee and former Chairman of the Board Trustees of Independent University (IUB) indicating his keenness in developing higher education. (ii) Founding Member and Past President of Cadet College Club. (iii) Member of the Board of Trustees of Bangladesh Business & Disability Network (BBDN), (iv) Member of the Board of Trustees of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Center. (v) Member of the Management Committee of Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital, (vi) Past Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Terry Towel Manufacturers and Exporters Association, (vii) Vice Chairman of MTB Foundation and (viii) Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Squash Rackets Federation for being a sports loving person.

5. Rtn Nasser Shahrear Zahedee: Rtn Zahedee joined Rotary Club of Dhaka Central in July 1997 and became the President of the Club in 2002-03. Apart from contribution to each and every club projects for the downtrodden people, he tops the list of the contributors to ‘The Rotary Foundation’ from RC Dhaka Central. His contribution will soon reach the level of $250,000 and he will be officially declared as a member of the ‘Arch Klamp Society’. The club is lucky to have a magnanimous and considerate member like him.

Rtn Zahedee is a pharmacist by education from University of Dhaka and engaged himself in the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh. He was Managing Director, Roche Bangladesh Ltd; Regional Manager, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and Country Manager, Bangladesh for F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Later as an entrepreneur he established as many as 11 companies covering pharmaceutical, export/import, consumer products, GSA of Airlines, publishing of weekly newspaper/magazine/books etc since 2005 and functioning as the Chairman of the Companies, most of the companies are under the banner of RADIANT. He is professionally involved in many International Pharmaceutical Associations and participated as a member of Bangladesh Delegation to 13 countries of the world. Likewise he is involved nationally in preparing the country’s Drug Policy; member of Drug Control Committee; member/vice-president of Pharmacy Council; member/President of Pharmaceutical Society. He is associated with many local and international Trade Organizations. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of East West University, Dhaka

Apart from the credentials described above he is a renowned philanthropist in his home district, Jhenaidah and runs a number of vocational and educational institutions for the underprivileged children. The institutions are - “Musa Mia Buddhi Bikash Bidyaloy”, a specialized school for intellectually challenged and autistic children; Shams ul Huda Football Academy; and Amena Khatun College for the underprivileged children. Zahedee Foundation, a social welfare organization, run by Rtn Nasser Zahedee as Executive Director, is the key source of finance to run the above-mentioned institutions.

Rtn Zahedee is associated in a number of Social Organizations like – Cadet College Club, Jhenaidah Ex-cadets Association, Kurmitola Golf Club, Pharmaceutical Executive Club, Jashore Golf & Country Club, Baridhara Cosmopolitan Club and Jhenaidah Zila Samity.

In January 2024 Rtn Zahedee has been elected as a Member of the Parliament (MP) as an independent candidate.

6. Rtn Lt. Gen. M. Aminul Karim: Lt. General (Retd.) Mohd. Aminul Karim was born on 01 July 1955 in the district of Chapai Nawabgonj, Bangladesh. He joined Bangladesh Army in 1975 being qualified through the Second Short Service Commission.

Gen Karim received BA and MSS Degrees 1994 from Dhaka University respectively in 1980 and 1994. He further obtained Masters in Defense Studies from Bangladesh National University in 1995. He was awarded the PhD Degree by Dhaka University in April 2007 for his Dissertation on “Power Politics in the Asia-Pacific: The Case of Chinese Modernization”.

He attended Staff Course at Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College in 1984-1985; Long Defense Management Course at College of Defense Management, Secunderabad, India in 1991-1992; Executive Program (Conflict Management) at John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA in 2000; National Defense Course (leading to M. Phil) at National Defense College, Bangladesh in 2001; and Senior Executive Program - NESA Center, National Defense University, Washington, USA in 2003. He has membership and work experiences in professional and academic bodies. He is a recipient of number of awards during his Career History:

After serving junior and midlevel positions in the Bangladesh Army, Karim served (in the rank of a Major General) as a Faculty Member of the Defense Services Command and Staff College from 1992 to 1995 and the National Defense College from 2001 to 2002 where the major responsibility was to train senior military and civil officers/officials in higher management of defense and national security.

He also served as the Quarter Master General (QMG) from 2002 to 2003; as the Adjutant General (AG) in 2004; as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of an Infantry Division during the period 2004 to 2005; as the Commandant of the Defense Services Command and Staff College from 2005 to 2006; as the Military Secretary to the President of Bangladesh from 2006 to 2008;  as the Commandant, National Defense College—Bangladesh from 2003 to 2004 as Major General in the first term and got promoted in the rank of a Lieutenant General and served the same institution in the second term from 2008 to 2009. He retired from Bangladesh Army on 14 March 2009.  

External Jobs: Gen Aminul Karim was a Visiting Scholar at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Ohio State University, USA (2008-09); Visiting Senior Research Fellow at Asia-Europe-Institute, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2009-10); Adjunct Professor--University of Malaya (2010-11); Professor, BRAC Business School, BRAC University (Jan-Sept 2011) and Adjunct Faculty for one and half years; Senior Research Fellow at Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya (Oct 2011 to Jan 2016); Visiting Professor, China Foreign Affairs University, Beijing (July-August 2016); Professor, School of Business, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Dhaka (Jan-2017 to March 2018); Dean and Professor, School of Business, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Dhaka. (Mar-2018 to 14 Sep 2021); and Professor, School of Business, Independent University, Bangladesh (on contract from 15 Sep 2020 to 14 Sep 2021). He is currently a Senior Fellow (Non-resident) at International Institute for Non-Proliferation Studies, USA and Professor and Member of Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

List of Publications: Gen Karim has written books, monographs, chapters in the books on Geopolitics, Strategic Management, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, International Relations and Political Economy. His writings have been published in widely circulated International Journals for which he has earned international name and fame. He presented Papers at many International Conferences. Names of 5 (five) books which he has written and published by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. New York are quoted here: (1) Twenty-first Century High Politics in the Indo-Pacific and the Bay of Bengal, April 2017, (2) Geopolitics of the South China Sea in the Coming Decades, August 2018, (3) Genocide and Geopolitics of Rohingya Crisis in 2020, (4).Is China Encircling India? - 2021, and (5) The Bay of Bengal - Geopolitics and the QUAD, May 2023. Other 2 (two) books published by Academic Press and Publishers Library (APPL), Dhaka are: (1) Contemporary Security Issues in the Asia-Pacific and Bangladesh, January 2007 and (2) Power Politics in the Asia-Pacific: The Case of Chinese Modernization, May 2007.

7. Rtn Tanveer Madar: Tanveer Madar joined the Rotary Club of Dhaka Central in 1999. He enjoys working with likeminded members and especially its philanthropic programs of the Club. He quietly supports the projects taken by the Club and is one of the major contributors for the projects of the Club. He enjoys entertaining the members of the Club by sponsoring lunches/dinners and cultural functions at the tastefully constructed rooftop of his house.

Initially he started working in an American Civil Engineering Consulting Company from March 1963 and worked there firstly as a Traffic Survey Supervisor and later as an Administrative Manager till August 1987.

Then he started his own business - Bangladesh Air Express International Ltd (a Freight Forwarding JV Company) representing Air Express International (AEI) of USA as their exclusive agent. AEI was purchased over by DHL, hence started working with Hellman. Later became the partner of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics of Germany.

In January 1988 Tanveer Madar started ON BOARD COURIER services between India & Bangladesh. In May 1991, as Managing Director he started Bangladesh Express Company Ltd representing FedEx of the USA with network over 220 counties. In 2013 he had a cerebral stroke related with Cardiac issue. Later per doctor’s advice & to avoid stressful work, he retired from handling FedEx in 2017. However, his family members are running the Company keeping Rtn Madar as designated Chairman.

Tanveer Madar got married with Shahnaz in 1977. They have no child but attached to quite a few children of their near & dear ones and enjoy time with them.

In 1980 Rtn Tanveer became a member of the Dhaka Club Ltd. primarily to play Squash. In 1993 he became a member of the Savar Golf Club as he loves to play Golf after leaving Squash. Later he became a member of the Army Golf Club.

8. Rtn Prof Dr. Sajal Krishna Banerjee: Sajal K. Banerjee joined the Rotary movement in February 2003. He became the President of the Club for 2022-23 and received RI Presidential Citation as one of the successful presidents of the year. During his term he implemented a number of humanitarian projects for the neglected and disregarded section of the society.

Rtn Banerjee is a medical practitioner (cardiology) by profession. He obtained his MBBS Degree from Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, Barishal. Further he received post graduate degrees/diploma viz. MD (Cardiology), FCCP (USA), FACC (USA) and FESC (European Society of Cardiology).

After completing in-service training Rtn Banerjee served as an Assistant Registrar (Internal Medicine) in Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital and Cancer Institute & Research Hospital. Then he was deputed to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in 1985 for pursuing MD course in Cardiology which he completed successfully in 1990. Further he received specialized training in invasive and non-invasive cardiology.

He opted for teaching line and served in the Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital as Registrar. He further served in the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College; the Institute of Post Graduate Medicine and Research (IPGMR); and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) as Assistant Professor of Cardiology. He was promoted to the rank of a Professor in BSMMU and served as the Chairman of Cardiology Division. After retirement from BSMMU he has been appointed in a prestigious position of a Professor (University Grants Commission of Bangladesh) at BSMMU.

Rtn Banerjee has vast administrative, teaching and clinical experiences in the field of cardiology and for which he is considered as one of the top/critical managers of cardiology patients. He has a number of scientific publications and is a guide to research and thesis projects. He has participated in several national and international scientific conferences. He is associated with several social, voluntary and professional bodies.

It is worth to mention that Rtn Dr. Banerjee has donated his eyes to “Sandhani” to help remove someone’s corneal blindness and his dead body to the Anatomy Department of BSMMU for research and training.

xi.   Rtn Harun-Ar-Rashid: Rtn Harun-Ar-Rashid was born in Dhaka as a descendant/offspring of Janab Karim Box who migrated from Iran in early 1700. His forefathers had a glorious past and contributed a lot in the development of old Dhaka City through active participation in the local government bodies as Word Commissioners and ‘Local Sardars’. Few of the notable works to which his forefathers were closely associated are: Dhaka Water Works Project; Gate of “Haji Ballu” in Lalbagh; “Barduari Kachari Ghar” at Posta; and establishment of “Jamiya Qurania Arabia Madrasa” at Lalbagh and Rahmatganj Club in 1933. Rtn Harun-Ar-Rashid is the fifth generation of Janab Karim Box.

Rtn Harun-Ar-Rashid graduated from Dhaka University in 1970. He was a Central Committee Member of East Pakistan Students Union (EPSU). He was a convener of “Students’ 11-point Sangram Parishad” for old Dhaka Town. He participated actively in the War of Liberation in 1971.

He followed the footprints of his forefathers and engaged himself in social work in his locality. He got elected as Word Commissioner/Councilor of Word No. 16 from 1977 to 1981 as an independent candidate of Dhaka ‘Pourshava’ which was later upgraded to Dhaka Municipal Corporation (DMC). He was also elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Third Parliament of Bangladesh in 1986.

Rtn Harun-Ar-Rashid joined “Apex Weaving and Finishing Mills” in 1978. Since then he is looking after the business in different capacities and became its Managing Director in 1991.

Rtn Harun-Ar-Rashid joined Rotary in September 2009 and is the President Nominee for 2025-26. He is very much active in club affairs and comes forward voluntarily to take part in club projects. He is a silent social worker, a member of “Bangladesh Peace Council” and Vice President of “Bangladesh China Maitry Samity (Bangladesh China Friendship Association”).