Samson H. Chowdhury

Samson H. Chowdhury (Bengali: স্যামসন এইচ চৌধুরী; 25 September 1925 – 5 January 2012) was a Bangladeshi business magnate.[3] He was the chairman of Square Pharmaceuticals.[4][5]

Samson H. Chowdhury
স্যামসন এইচ চৌধুরী
Born(1925-09-25)25 September 1925
Gopalganj, British India
Died5 January 2012(2012-01-05) (aged 86)
Singapore
NationalityBangladeshi
Alma materScottish Church College
Harvard University
University of Dhaka[1]
OccupationIndustrialist
Years active1952–2012[2]
AwardsEkushey Padak (Social Service), 2013

Personal life

Samson H. Chowdhury was born on 25 September 1925.[6] at Aruakandi in Gopalganj. After completing education at the Scottish Church College in Kolkata, India,[7] he returned to the then East Pakistan and settled at Ataikula village in Pabna District, where his father was working as a medical officer. Then he married Anita Biswas (Later Chowdhury) at the age of 22.[8] In 1952, he started a small pharmacy in Ataikula village, which is about 160 km off capital Dhaka in the north-west part of Bangladesh. Chowdhury then ventured into a partnership pharmaceutical company with three of his friends in 1958. When asked why the name Square was chosen he remembers - "We named it SQUARE because it was started by four friends and also because it signifies accuracy and perfection meaning quality" as they committed in manufacturing quality.

He served as a vice president of the Baptist World Alliance from 1985 to 1990. In addition to being a BWA vice president, Chowdhury served in other areas of the global Baptist organization, including on the BWA General Council, the Executive Committee, the Baptist World Aid Committee, the Promotion and Development Committee, and the Memorial Committee. Chowdhury was elected president of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship (BBCF) a dozen times, and was honorary general secretary for 14 years, between 1956 and 1969. He was a president of both the National Church Council of Bangladesh and the National Evangelical Alliance.[9]

Burial

Samson H Chowdhury was buried at ASTRAS Firm House in Kashipur, Pabna.

Positions
  • Chairman, Square Group
  • Chairman, Mutual Trust Bank board of directors [10]
  • Chairman, Astras Ltd.
  • Honorary Member, Kurmitola Golf Club, Dhaka
  • Former Vice President, Baptist World Alliance, 1985-1990 [11]
  • Former Chairman, Micro Industries Development & Services (MIDAS)
  • Chairman, Transparency International, Bangladesh Chapter, 2004–2007
  • President, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industries, Dhaka in 1996 and 1997
  • Vice-President: International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh
  • Former Director, The Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industries (FBCCI)
  • Member, Executive Committee of Bangladesh French Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • Director, Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh[12]
  • Chairman, Central Depository Bangladesh Ltd
  • Member, Advisory Committee of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries
  • Founder President, Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies
  • Chairman, Masrangaa Television, Bangladesh

See also

References
  1. "In Loving Memory of Samson H. Chowdhury, one of the greatest entrepreneurs the world has ever known". Worldfolio. 25 September 2013.
  2. "Samson H Chy no more". The Daily Star. 25 February 1926. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  3. The Founder Chairman's Profile of Square Group Archived 14 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Square Group Archived 16 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Islam, Sirajul (2012). "Chowdhury, Samson H". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  6. "Founder Chairman's Profile". Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  7. "Salute Corporate Icon Samson H Chowdhury". shaptahik-2000.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  8. "22 Unusual Facts To Know About Samson H Chowdhury Of Square - Future Startup". Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  9. Baptist World Alliance News. "Samson Chowdhury, former BWA vice president, has died". Baptist World Alliance. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  10. Mutual Trust Bank Archived 19 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Baptist World Alliance
  12. Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh(CRAB) Archived 13 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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