Syed Manzur Elahi, a prominent Bangladeshi industrialist and former advisor to the caretaker government, has passed away at the age of 83.
Elahi was the founder of Apex Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in the country, and the founding chairman of Mutual Trust Bank.
Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director of the bank, confirmed to bdnews24.com that Elahi passed away around 7:30am Bangladesh time on Wednesday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore.
He had been battling various complications related to old age for some time. His son, Syed Nasim Manzur, Managing Director of Apex Group, was by his side during his final days.
Mahbubur said, “The necessary paperwork is being completed now. Once the process is finished, the body will be brought back to Bangladesh tonight. The funeral and burial arrangements will be made for Thursday. Nothing has been finalised yet.”
Elahi was born in Kolkata and moved to Dhaka with his family after earning a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Calcutta University. After completing a Master’s degree in economics from Dhaka University, he began his career as a senior executive at Pakistan Tobacco Company.
He married Niloufer Manzur in 1966.
Following Bangladesh’s independence, Elahi left his job and started working as a representative for a foreign company. In 1975, when the Orion Tannery in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh area was put up for auction, he purchased it and established Apex Tannery.
The Apex Group now owns 11 companies, including Apex Tannery, Apex Footwear, Apex Pharma, Blue Ocean Footwear, Apex Enterprise, Apex Investment, and Gray Advertising Bangladesh.
Additionally, the Apex Group has significant investments in Mutual Trust Bank, where Elahi was the founding chairman.
He also served as the chairman of the board of trustees of East West University and as an advisor to the caretaker government in 1996 and 2001.
Elahi was a former president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Bangladesh Employers Association.
He was also an administrator of the FBCCI, the apex trade organization for businessmen and industrialists, during the caretaker government of 2007-08.
