Noorul Quader

Mohammed Noorul Quader (2 December 1935 – 13 September 1998) was a Bangladeshi freedom fighter, government officer, and entrepreneur. He was the first establishment secretary of the Mujibnagar Government (Probashi Sarkar), the first secretary of Bangladesh, and a pioneer of Bangladesh's export-oriented ready made garment industry.[2][3][4] He was also the founding chairman of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation[5] and the founder of the Desh Group.[1][6][7]

Mohammad Noorul Quader
মোহাম্মদ নুরুল কাদের
Born2 December 1935 (1935-12-02)
Mymensingh, Bangladesh[1]
Died13 September 1998 (1998-09-14) (aged 62)
Nationality
Other namesJhilu
CitizenshipBangladesh
Alma materDhaka University
Known forEntrepreneur, pioneer of Bangladesh's export-oriented ready made garment industry
SpouseRokeya Quader
Children2

Early life and education

Mohammad Noorul Quader Khan was born in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. His father was Abdul Latif Khan and his mother was Kulsum Begum. He was the youngest of six siblings.[7]

In 1950, Mohammad Noorul Quader Khan graduated from Armanitola Government High School. He attended Dhaka College for two years, and after passing the college's intermediate exam Noorul Quader joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1952. He was discharged from the air force shortly after due to health issues, and in 1954 he enrolled in Dhaka University, where he received a Bachelor of Commerce degree.[8]

Participation in the Bangladesh Liberation War

Mohammad Noorul Quader Khan was serving as the district commissioner of Pabna during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Under his leadership, the district was kept free of the Pakistani military.[1] At this time, in protest of the actions of the Pakistani military, Noorul Quader Khan stopped using the last name 'Khan' and adopted the name Mohammad Noorul Quader.[8] That year, Indian filmmaker S. Shukhdeb filmed the documentary Nine Months to Freedom: The Story of Bangladesh, for which Noorul Quader was interviewed.[9] After Bangladesh gained independence, he was appointed as the Secretary of the Establishment of Government, though he willfully resigned before the end of his term.

Work life

Civil service career

Noorul Quader passed the Pakistani government's civil service exam (CSP) in 1960 and began his career as a government officer in 1961. In 1963, he was appointed as the subdivisional officer for Chandpur Mahakuma. His work as an administrator was notable, and he was quickly promoted to the state ministry as a deputy secretary. He served as district commissioner of Chittagong until 1970, when he was appointed as the district commissioner of Pabna. After the Bangladesh Liberation War, Noorul Quader served as the first chairman of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, then known as the Tourism Bureau. Under his leadership, the bureau was corporatized and a logo was designed by Kalidas Karmakar.[1]

Establishing the Desh Group

Noorul Quader established the Desh Group in 1974. In December 1977, he established Desh Garments.[10] In 1978, the Daewoo Corporation of Korea proposed a joint venture with Bangladesh, proposing that manufacture of wheels, processed leather products, cement, and readymade garments be centered in the country. The Bangladeshi government chose to lead with readymade garments, and chose Noorul Quader's proposal due to his experience with both foreign business and government work.[11] A joint venture deal was signed between Desh Garments and Daewoo Corporation on 4 July 1978.[7][12] With this, Desh Garments became the first export oriented garment industry in Bangladesh and a pioneer of the textile industry in Bangladesh.[13][7] The factory sent staff to South Korea to learn about the garments trade from Daewoo in the early 1980s.[1]

Desh Agencies Limited was established in 1978 as a clearing and forwarding agency.[14]

Desh Real Estate Limited was established in 1980 as an industrial land developer near Dhaka and Chittagong.[15]

Jenk Industries Limited was established in 1988 as a manufacturer of cardboard boxes.[16]

Personal life

Noorul Quader married Rokeya Quader in 1973. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter. He died in 1998 at the age of 62. Today, Rokeya Quader is the chairperson of Desh Group, his son, Omar Quader Khan is the managing director of Desh Group,[17] and his daughter, Vidiya Amrit Khan is the director of Desh Group.[18]

Published books
NoNameYear of publicationPublication Agency
1Ekattor Amar1999Sahitya Prakash

References
  1. Mohajan, Sujoy (5 November 2019). "Noorul Quader: Pioneer of Bangladesh's readymade garments". Prothom Alo.
  2. নুরুল কাদের :এক অসাধারণ মানুষ :: দৈনিক ইত্তেফাক [Noorul Quader: An extraordinary man]. Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  3. Refayet Ullah Mirdha (4 December 2014). "Building blocks of garment industry". The Daily Star. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  4. বাংলাদেশে গার্মেন্টস শিল্পের জনক মুক্তিযোদ্ধা নুরুল কাদের [Freedom fighter Noorul Quader is the father of garment industry in Bangladesh]. bangalianaa.com (in Bengali). 13 September 2019.
  5. এম নূরুল কাদের শিশু সাহিত্য পুরস্কার পেলেন চার গুণী [M Noorul Quader received the Children's Literature Award four times]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 4 February 2011.
  6. "Noorul Quader My Hero". The Daily Star. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  7. Khan, Vidiya Amrit (12 March 2015). "Desh Garments – A pioneer's gift to his country". The Daily Star.
  8. Anisuzzaman (11 September 2013). শ্রদ্ধাঞ্জলি:নূরুল কাদের [Tribute: Noorul Quader]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali).
  9. Nine Months to Freedom: The Story of Bangladesh, এস. সুখদেব পরিচালিত, বাংলাদেশের মুক্তিযুদ্ধ সম্পর্কিত একটি তথ্যচিত্র।
  10. "Founders Story". Desh Group. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  11. Hosono, Akio (April 2013). "Industrial Strategy and Economic Transformation: Lessons of five outstanding cases" (PDF). Japan International Cooperation Agency Research Institute.
  12. "Desh Garments". Desh Group. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  13. "Hard work to success". The Daily Star. 8 March 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  14. "Desh Agencies Limited". Desh Group. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  15. "Desh Real Estate Limited". Desh Group. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  16. "Jenk Industries Limited". Desh Group. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  17. "Board of Directors". Desh Group. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  18. Khan, Vidiya Amrit (27 March 2018). "We should consider one's quality, capability, education, and performance instead of gender …". Textile Today.
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