Mr. M. Anis Ud Dowla is one of the most successful personalities in Bangladesh business circle. He is presently the chairman of the ACI Group, one of Bangladesh’s largest conglomerates. At the Bangladesh Business Awards 2017, he was awarded Business Person of the Year.
He holds directorships in all of ACI Limited’s subsidiaries and affiliated entities. He has kept a high profile and has served as a leader in the business sector in many roles. Mr. Dowla spent 27 years working for the British Oxygen Group in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Kenya, including 12 years as the Managing Director of Bangladesh Oxygen Ltd. He was named Group Managing Director of three ICI enterprises in Bangladesh in 1987. Mr. Dowla has maintained to preserve the multinational culture and management style at ACI, with a specific emphasis on quality, productivity, and customer service, based on his experience working with British Multinationals for over 32 years.
In 1977, Mr. Dowla served as President of the Narayangonj Chamber of Commerce and Industries. In 1978, 1995, and 2010, he was elected President of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industries, the successor trade association. Mr. Dowla has made a significant contribution to the country’s Industrial Relations. In 1975-1976, 1976-1977, 1991-1992, and 1992-1993, he was elected President of Bangladesh Employers’ Association, the sole national employers’ organization, for four terms. He was also elected President of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation for two terms in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. He serves as Chairman of Pioneer Insurance Company Limited and Director of Bangladesh’s Credit Rating Agency.
Life of “Anis Ud Dowla” At a Glance:
- Known For: Chairman of ACI Limited
- Profession:
Industrialists Businessperson - Born: 1 March 1937
- Place of Birth: Faridpur in the then Bengal Presidency in British India.
- Nationality: Bangladeshi
- Education:
University of Dhaka
University of Karachi - Father: Khan Bahadur Mohammad Ismail
- Siblings:
Nazrul Geeti singer Firoza Begum
Musician Mohammad Asafuddowla
M. Mosiuddowla
Marium Begum
Shamsunnahar Begum and
Rizia Begum - Spouse: Najma Dowla (d. 2021)
- Children: one daughter and one son
Shusmita Anis
Arif Dowla. - Notable Awards: Business Person of the Year at the Bangladesh Business Awards 2017
Early Life and Education:
Anis Ud Dowla was born on March 1, 1937, in Faridpur, British India’s Bengal Presidency. Khan Bahadur Mohammad Ismail was his father. Firoza Begum, a Nazrul Geeti singer, Mohammad Asafuddowla, M. Mosiuddowla, Marium Begum, Shamsunnahar Begum, and Rizia Begum are his siblings.
He grew up in a strict household. He added, when remembering about his boyhood, “We had to arrive home before nightfall every day so that we could say our prayers with our father. He taught us how to communicate in English and encouraged us to listen to the BBC so that we might integrate into any future society.”
Dowla graduated from the University of Dhaka with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He received a grant from The Asia Foundation to complete his master’s degree in public administration at the University of Karachi.
Career:
Anis Ud Dowla began his career as an Assistant Sales Manager in Chittagong with the British Oxygen Group, located in the United Kingdom. He spent the following 27 years serving in the Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Kenya divisions. He became Oxygen Group’s first Bangladeshi managing director. He was named managing director of three Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) enterprises in Bangladesh in 1987. In 1992, ICI sold its stock to Dowla, who took over as CEO and changed the company’s name to Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI).
He was the president of the Narayanganj Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1977. He served three terms as president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, four times as president of the Bangladesh Employers’ Association, and two terms as president of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation.
Mr Dowla is the chairman of Pioneer Insurance Company Limited as well as a director of the Bangladesh Credit Rating Agency.
Personal Life:
Anis Ud Dowla was married to Najma Dowla (d. 2021). Shusmita Anis, their daughter, and Arif Dowla, their son, were born to them. Arif Dowla is the managing director of ACI Limited currently.
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