He founded in 1972 what was then Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee or BRAC, later changed into Brac, to support war-torn Bangladesh’s rebuilding efforts.
It eventually grew into the world’s largest indigenous NGO and a global brand in the development community. The many prestigious awards won by Abed include Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership 1980.
He also won Spanish Order of Civil Merit and Leo Tolstoy International Gold Medal. He was among the Fortune magazine list of the world’s 50 greatest leaders in 2014 and 2017. Born in 1936, he studied accountancy in London.
The 1970 cyclone and 1971 Liberation War in Bangladesh dramatically changed the direction of his life after he started working as a senior corporate executive at Pakistan Shell.
He left his job and moved to London, where he helped initiate Action Bangladesh and HELP Bangladesh in support of the war of independence from Pakistan.
He returned to Bangladesh early in 1972 and started work to support the rebuilding efforts of the new nation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has condoled the sad demise of Sir Abed. She expressed sympathy to the bereaved family of the great reformer Sir Abed.