Demise of a Visionary Leader Syed Manzur Elahi

Syed MIZAN ::

Today, Syed Manzur Elahi has stepped beyond the bounds of time, Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Roji’un. In grief, we remain indebted to him exemplary leadership.

We ask for prayers for his eternal peace, and may Allah grant him Jannatul Ferdous. His first Namaz-e-Janaza will be held on March 13th, 2025 at 10:30 am at East West University Premises, Dhaka, and the second one after Zuhur prayers at Azad Masjid, Gulshan-2, Dhaka.  

Bangladesh has lost one of its finest industrialists, a man who built not just businesses but institutions—Apex Footwear, Apex Tannery, Mutual Trust Bank, Pioneer Insurance, Grey Advertising, East West University, Sunbeams School, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Freedom Foundation and many more. He was not merely an elder statesman of industry but a leader who inspired integrity.

Born on September 26, 1942, in Calcutta, British India, he belonged to a family of legal minds. His father, Sir Syed Nasim Ali, was the Chief Justice of undivided Bengal. While he could have followed the same path, he chose entrepreneurship and industry. After completing his education at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and earning a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Dhaka, he briefly worked at British American Tobacco before venturing into business. A French businessman gave him his first break, a chance to trade leather between Dhaka and Paris. From that moment, there was no turning back.

As the Founding Chairman of Apex Footwear Ltd., he transformed it into one of Bangladesh’s largest footwear exporters. His leadership shaped industries that fueled the nation’s economy, extending to Apex Footwear, Apex Tannery, Mutual Trust Bank, Pioneer Insurance, and beyond. His wisdom and vision guided organizations such as the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, and The Financial Express.

Twice, the nation called upon him to serve as an Advisor to the caretaker governments, and twice, he answered. He also played key roles in the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB), Bangladesh Bank, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), and several other financial and industrial institutions. His contributions to Bangladesh’s economic landscape earned him prestigious honors, including “Business Executive of the Year 2000″ by AMCHAM, “Business Person of the Year 2002″ by The Daily Star and DHL, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 from UKBCCI.

In 2020, he faced a profound loss when his wife, Niloufer Manzur, founder of Sunbeams School, was taken by the pandemic. Yet, he remained steadfast, a man, less whole but no less determined.

Today, his story reaches its final chapter. But legends do not end; they echo. His name will be whispered in boardrooms, etched into ambition, and carried in the steps of those who walk in his shoes—quite literally.

Syed Manzur Elahi leaves behind his beloved family—his daughter, son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, relatives, and dear friends.

He legacy shall endure as a man who refused to be anything but extraordinary—Bangladesh stands indebted to you.