Recently, I was watching a tribute programme on the death anniversary of Agha Hasan Abedi, one of the few icons and business leaders of global stature produced by this country. I have had the privilege to spend the early years of my career in the institution, which he created with passion and high ideals: the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was a bank with distinctly unusual culture and corporate philosophy.
Within a short period of 19 years, BCCI had expanded into 73 countries, employing thousands of people from mostly middle-class backgrounds in Pakistan; at its peak, it was the seventh largest private bank in the world. The bank was forced to close down under questionable circumstances, but the legacy of Abedi lives on in the form of the many non-profit institutions he had created.
Poor and middle-class families which benefited from employment in his institutions are today spread across Pakistan and also internationally, enjoying a successful life all in essence because of their association with BCCI and other group organisations which traversed the geography across the globe.
Abedi's services to Pakistan are innumerable, spreading across a wide spectrum in the fields of education and human resource development; BCCI even granted loans to Pakistan at a very critical stage, on favourable credit terms. Above all, BCCI provided world-class bankers to Pakistan and the global banking fraternity.
Today many top Pakistani banks have CEOs, who were groomed at Abedi's bank, not to mention the numerous international banks in developed markets that have ex-BCCI personnel employed at senior positions. There are many business houses of Pakistani origin across the world, for whom BCCI provided invaluable access to banking services, capital and financial markets.
BCCI Fast and the GIK Institute (largely funded by BCCI) are churning out engineering and technology professionals of high caliber, who are serving in the IT industry both in Pakistan and abroad. The Infaq Trust, a BCCI foundation, is providing support to thousands of under-privileged families across the country.
What really surprises me is the fact that there is little or no recognition of this great person who has touched so many lives, helped families and their future generations, and created a brand which was unparalleled in the banking world as long as it existed.
My question is - what have we done as a nation to remember the man who created an institution, which was unique in its approach to banking business while it existed. Abedi died a quiet death in Karachi, and he remains unsung while we name our monuments, institutions and boulevards after much lesser lights.
He was a true patriot and I am sure that one day, the historic record will be cognisant of his achievements. Through this letter I would like to appeal to the Governor and Chief Minister Sindh to honour Abedi's legacy by naming a higher educational institution and a major thoroughfare after him.
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce should also constitute an Agha Hasan Abedi Memorial Award for the outstanding college/university graduates in related fields of development economics, management, finance, etc. Above all, Abedi was a humanitarian and during his lifetime, his deeds and actions embodied his visionary philosophy; we are indeed fortunate that his spirit lives on.
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