Department of Management University of Dhaka

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT (MGT-304) Story of a struggling life conscious entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship Development (MGT-304)

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Prepared by

MD. Kamrul Islam Alamin

Department of Management

University of Dhaka

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Story of a struggling life conscious entrepreneur A boy in his early thirteen fled away from home by taking Tk only 16 from his father cashbox in search

of livelihood. Later this boy became one of the pioneering industrialist of Bangladesh and established

group of factories by the virtue of his strong morale. This boy is Mr. Sheikh Akijuddin, founder of

“Akij Group”

1. Early life of Sheikh Akijuddin Sheikh Akijuddin was born in the village Madhadanga, Phultala upajela in Khulna district in 1929. His

father name is Sheikh Mofijuddin and his mother name is Motina Begum and he is only one child of

his parents. Sheikh Akijuddin passed his childhood in his green village but he had to go through very

hard days in sorrow and sufferings because of extreme poverty. His father was engaged in small

business like Aratdari meaning wholesale business and did small business of seasonal crops. Because

of poverty he did not attend school. He looked after his father business and swam in see of poverty

as a result he became conscious and mature.

2. Starting of struggling life At the age of thirteen in 1942 Sheikh Akijuddin ran away from home by taking Tk 16 from his father’s

cashbox in search of livelihood. By taking only Tk 16 this restless boy started journey by train in

search of a way where there would be no more lack of food, clothes, shelters and treatment.

Meanwhile he reached to Calcutta, the big city and unknown too. In those time he had no relatives

in Calcutta. Where would he go? Who would give him shelters? At the end of the day he found shelters

in Shialdah rail station. He used to search some kind of work all through the day and at night would

return to the platform of the station to sleep using bricks as pillow under his head. He normally used

to eat satu (very cheap ordinary food made of leftovers of pulses while crushed) and by doing so he

built the dream of his living. But he did not find any way.

3. Starting of business One day Sheikh Akijuddin was introduced with a man who is the owner of Jakaria Hotel in shialdah.

He made arrangement for food and shelter for Akijuddin.

1.1 Orange business One day he was passing through Ramlochan Street, he observed that some mobile retailers purchased

fruits from the street seller on auction and could be learned that they use to sell those to different

parts of the city. This process attracted him very much and he himself engaged in it. One day he

purchased four basket of orange and sold those standing over the Hawra Bridge by giving two ana to

a labor for carrying those and two paisa to police as bribes for allowing him doing so. He continued

that business and sometime his capital become RS. 300.

1.2 Nilamola chay-ana By the profit of orange business Akijuddin opened a grocery shop and named it “Nilamola chay-ana”

where every items were kept in van and price of each item was six ana only. Days were going well

but one day police arrested him for his illegal shop. The court sentenced him three days jail and

penalized rs five. After being free from jail, he sold all of his business goods and his four wheel van.

He kept his money as investment with various businessmen but no one cheated him.

1.3 Fruits Business in Peshawar In one day, in Calcutta, he was introduced with a peshawari businessmen. Akij went to Peshawar

with that person. Akij stayed at his home and again involved in the trading of fruits. Within two years

he made profit ten thousands. Since chaos of Second World War, Akij returned home by attraction

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of love of his parents. But after few days his parents died. Akij became again lonely. He took Shakara

Khatun as his life partner at the age of 19.

1.4 Starting Biri business and grocery shop Akij got primary knowledge about cigarette from Nithai Chandra Das. In 1952 Akij started Biri business

by the help of owner of Bidhu Biri was his friend’s father. He became successful by this business. He

started grocery shop at Begerdanga rail station and accumulated the investible funds required for

the cigarette business through trading in the shop. But one night the shop was totally destroyed by

fire. Local people rebuilt the shop collectively. Wholesalers also supplied goods on credit. Because

of his devotion and hard work total value of goods belong to the shop touched to tk one lakh. Side by

side the grocery business, he used to produce biri/cigarette for local sale. The brand name of his

cigarette is Akij Biri. His brand got popularity rapidly and expanded its market behind the territory

of village and even to Dhaka. In 1960-62 there were 250 workers working in this factory. Side by side

he engaged himself in the business of rice, jute, paddy etc. Because of his simplicity and trust

everybody believes him and cooperates him.

1.5 Beginning of success Despite the vulnerable political condition of country during 1970, he operated his business in full

extent. And it was the starting of his success that never ended.

At Navaron he established today’s biggest biri/cigarette producing factory “Akij Biri Factory. After

that at Avaoynagar he established modern leather factory “IAF Industries Ltd” in 1960, Dhaka Tobacco

industries in 1966, Akij Printing and packaging in 1974, Akij transporting agency in 1980.

Akij Purchased lot of cars, houses, plots and extends his business facilities to the present size. Now

he is the owner of 22 industrial business. And there are 50 thousands workers working in these

factories. His contribution in Bangladesh economy and social life is undeniable. He paid 950 crore tk

as tax in fiscal year 2005-06 that created record as highest amount of tax paid by any industrial group.

At the age of 77 on 10 October of 2006 he died in hospital in Singapore.