| KSM Mostafizur Rahman | |
| Birth Date: | 31 October 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Pakulla, Bogra District, East Pakistan |
| Nationality: | Bangladeshi |
| Notable Works: | Founding National Agricare Group and One Pharma Limited Contributions to Agricultural and Pharmaceutical Sectors in Bangladesh |
KSM Mostafizur Rahman (Bengali: কেএসএম মোস্তাফিজুর রহমান; born October 31, 1964) is a Bangladeshi industrialist, entrepreneur, economist, agriculturist and philanthropist. KSM Mostafizur Rahman is a pioneer in the field of agricultural manufacturing in Bangladesh such as agrochemicals, pesticides, plant growth regulators, hybread rice seed, vegetable seed etc. and has been recognized as a commercially important person (CIP) of Bangladesh in 2013 for his significant impact on the nation's economic development.[1] [2] In 2014, Rahman was honored with the President's Industrial Development Award for his contributions to the industrial sector of Bangladesh.
Rahman currently serves as the managing director of the National AgriCare Group of Bangladesh and is the founder of One Pharma Limited.[3] [4] In 2021, he was awarded Guinness World Record for creating the world's largest crop field mosaic in Bogra, Bangladesh. Since 2023, Rahman has also served as the founder president of the Bangladesh Agrochemical Manufacturers Association (BAMA).
Khandakar Syed Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman was born on 31 October 1964 to a respected Bengali Muslim Syed family of Khandakars in the village of Pakulla in Sariakandi Thana (now under Sonatala Upazila) of Bogra District, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He was the son of the late Syed Zaman Khandakar and Syeda Momena Begum. In 1952, his father served as the founding president of Pakulla Union Council and later held the position of co-chairman of the undivided Sariakandi Thana, actively engaged with the Awami League. Rahman demonstrated exceptional intelligence, cultural interests, and a passion for sports from an early age. He completed his secondary education at Pakulla Multilateral High School and his higher secondary education with distinction from Bogra Government Azizul Haque College.
In 1983, Rahman enrolled at Bangladesh Agricultural Institute – formerly part of Bangladesh Agricultural University, and is now known as Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka – where he graduated in 1986.[5] He furthered his education by completing a Group Diploma in Management (Correspondence) from the College of Professional Management in Jersey, United Kingdom in 1995, followed by a Master of Business Administration degree from Asian University of Bangladesh in 2002.
Rahman founded National Agricare Group, which established in 2002; since its inception, the organization has ascended to one of the leading position of importer and manufacturer of pesticides, micronutrients and growth regulators in Bangladesh.[6] In October 2015, under Mostafizur Rahman's leadership, National AgriCare Group ventured into pharmaceutical industry with the establishment of One Pharma Ltd; Health Minister Mohammed Nasim was coming to inaugurate the event.[7] One Pharma is specializing in anti-ulcerant, antibiotic, antidiabetic, antiemetics, antihypertensive, lipid lowering, neuropathic, urinary alkalinizers and anti-asthmatic products, with the regulated manufacturing facility is based at northern Bogra.[8] The company has established manufacturing facility for biotech and anticancer products, including vaccines and a variety of biological therapeutics such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic respiratory diseases, CNS disorders and cardiovascular diseases. At the same plant along with human health products, the company has the facilities to produce animal health products.[9] Additionally Rahman's expert team of pharmacists in another dedicated facility of One Pharma offers a comprehensive range of high quality animal health products. Specializing in foot-and-mouth vaccines, One Pharma helps preventing and controlling this significant livestock ailment, with products that aim to improve animal health, supporting vetenary care and animal husbandry. Both National Agricare Group and One Pharma Ltd have significantly contributed to the Bangladesh economy by producing unique agricultural and pharmaceutical products using cutting-edge technology, as well as provided employment opportunities to thousands of people.[10]
In addition to leadership roles at National AgriCare Group and One Pharma Ltd, Rahman has expanded his efforts into diversified sectors through entities such as One Information and Communications Technology Ltd – which collaborates with the government of Bangladesh to address various IT-related challenges in Bangladesh[11] – and One Seed Ltd, China Gardencity Developers Ltd, as well as the non-profit organization Sayed Momena Montaj Foundation.[12] Additionally, Rahman is a recognized contributor to English-language publications in Bangladesh, with various articles focusing on the pharmaceutical, agriculture, GDP, national productivity industry and Bangladesh's economic landscape have been published in The Daily Observer and Daily Sun.[13]
Rahman is working to improve the standard of living for farmers. With the presence of National AgriCare network in every region of the country, he has been working for more than two decades to improve farmers' quality of life. Rahman's dream is that through a one-stop agricultural service, farmers will be able to meet all their needs through National AgriCare Group. This initiative not only aims to support farmers but also includes buying their produce at fair prices, a practice that has already commenced. His company purchases seeds produced by farmers and, through the use of hybridization technology[14] and modern techniques, processes them in their own processing centers to produce high-quality hybrid seeds. These seeds are then sold back to farmers, contributing to the country's economy and improving the quality of life for farmers.
Rahman maintains active memberships in various professional organizations. Notably, in December 2021, Rahman was elected President of the Greater Bogra Association in Dhaka for the term 2022–2023. In 2023, Rahman was elected as the President of Bangladesh Agrochemical Manufacturers Association (BAMA) for the 2023–2024 term.[15] He is also an executive member of Drug Control Committee (DCC) in the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh.[16] The following is a list of Rahman's memberships:
Rahman's contributions to agriculture and the economy have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including being named a Commercially Important Person (CIP) in 2013, and the President's Award for Industrial Development in 2014.[23] Internationally, he received the Global Entrepreneur Award in 2019. Rahman's leadership has also led to the formation of the Bangladesh Agrochemicals Manufacturers Association (BAMA), further solidifying his impact on the agricultural sector.
In March 2021, Rahman, in collaboration with National AgriCare, achieved a Guinness World Record for creating the world's largest crop field mosaic using golden and deep purple rice plants – in Balenda village, Bogra, Bangladesh.[24] [25] [26] He also served as the Member Secretary and Chief Spokesperson of the National Committee on Crop Portrait for this project.
| Year | Awards | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Commercially Important Person (CIP) | ||
| 2014 | President's Industrial Development Award | ||
| 2019 | Global Entrepreneur Award | ||
| 2021 | Guinness World Record |
Mostafizur Rahman also founded a non-profit organization Sayed Momena Montaj Foundation in 2016 – named in honor of Rahman's mother – which is dedicated for societal welfare. These include establishing school, colleges, providing scholarships to underprivileged and meritorious students from middle school to PhD students. His foundation's initiatives have significantly contributed to the fields of education, health, and sports in Bangladesh.[27] Rahman has played a vital role in promoting industrial and commercial development in Bangladesh,[28] with efforts to advance the economic and social welfare of the country.[29]
Rahman is married to Nazmun Nahar, who holds the position of chairman at the National AgriCare Group.[30] They have two children: a daughter, Rahman Abanti Hemica, and a son, Yalid Bin Rahman, who both contribute to the family business as board of Directors. The family resides in Dhaka.