Heartfelt tributes from all over the world are pouring in to honour Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of BRAC.
President Md Abdul Hamid said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remembered Sir Fazle for his tremendous contribution in nation building.
Former US President Bill Clinton said, “Sir Fazle Abed’s life was a great gift to humanity. His nearly 50 years of visionary leadership at BRAC transformed millions of lives in Bangladesh and beyond, and changed the way the world thinks about development. Driven by an unwavering belief in the inherent dignity of all people, he empowered those in extreme poverty to build better futures for themselves and their families. His legacy will live on in all the people whose lives are better, healthier and more secure because of his remarkable service.”
Former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said, The scale and impact of what he has done, and yet the utter humility with which he has done everything, is a lesson for every single one of us.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Cofounder Melinda Gates said, “In 1972, after Bangladesh’s War of Liberation had left many homeless, Fazle Abed left his job as a London oil executive and returned to his home country with £16,000 in his pocket - and the ambitious goal of building 10,400 houses. He ended up raising enough money to build 16,000 houses for some of the poorest people in Bangladesh and still had enough left over to start his next project. That’s who Sir Fazle was as a humanitarian, and that’s what he helped us learn about development work How to build a big, efficient organisation, while never forgetting who you were doing it for. We are saddened to hear of his passing and will forever draw inspiration from his work, as will the rest of the world, which he left so much better than he found.”
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore remembered Sir Fazle for his inspiring leadership. She said, “Over the course of three decades, under Sir Fazle’s inspiring leadership, the humanitarian organisation he founded, BRAC, has become one of the world’s leading development organisations. From its humble beginnings in Bangladesh - the country he loved so well - to its expansion to 10 countries across Asia and Africa, BRAC has stood as an inspiring example of how we can gather people together in common cause to improve the lives of the most vulnerable. All of us at UNICEF will miss his ideas and advice. We will never forget the example he set.
Nobel laureates in Economics in 2019, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo said in their message, “How often do we see people like Sir Fazle Hasan Abed His absence has left a great sense of loss in all of us.”
UNICEF Bangladesh representative Tomoo Hozumi, Ashoka founder and chief executive officer Bill Drayton, Pulitzer winner columnist Nicholas Kristof, DFID, DFAT, Save the Children UK chief executive Kevin Watkins, BOP Hub, World Toilet Organisation founder Jack Sim, USA-based social worker Sayeeda Rashid, Toronto University professor Shahidul Islam, Major General (retired) Sahool Afzal, British Red Cross representative Sofeena Lalani, Bristol University researcher Zibah Nwako, Sajida Foundation, Jaago Foundation, Dr Chanchal Khan and Kamrul Murad.
BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh and BRAC International Executive Director Dr Muhammad Musa said, the body of Sir Fazle will be kept on the premises of Army Stadium in the capital tomorrow on Sunday (22 December) to pay respect from 1030am to 1230pm. His Namaz-e-Janaza will be held there. He will be buried at the Banani graveyard.
A book of condolences in memory of Sir Fazle will be kept open tomorrow on Sunday from 2pm to 5pm at BRAC Centre. Books of condolences will be opened at Aarong outlets, BRAC Bank offices and BRAC University on Monday. Books of condolences will be opened at all BRAC regional offices on Tuesday. All the condolences books will remain open from 10am to 5pm till January 30.
