Sufi Muhammad Mizanur Rahman, devoted to Sufi culture

There are many aspects of success in human life. Some achieve success in society by acquiring wealth, while others radiate the light of spirituality and make a place in people’s hearts. But there are very few people who can hold both worldly success and Sufi pursuits together. One such enlightened person is Sufi Muhammad Mizanur Rahman. He was born on March 12, 1943, in Kanchan village of Rupganj, Narayanganj district. His father was Sufi Muhammad Dayem Uddin and mother was Rahatunnesa. He passed his secondary school from the local Bharat Chandra Vidyalaya in 1961 and his higher secondary school from the government Tolaram College in 1963. Later, he obtained a B.Com degree from Tolaram College. The college was under Dhaka University at that time. After that, he obtained a diploma degree in banking.
After passing his higher secondary school, Sufi Mizanur Rahman started his career at Jalal Jute Valley Company in Narayanganj with a salary of 100 taka. In 1965, he joined the then National Bank of Pakistan (now Sonali Bank Limited) in Laldighi branch of Chittagong as a junior clerk. From 1967 to 1971, he worked as a manager of the foreign exchange department of the then Eastern Mercantile Bank Limited (now Pubali Bank Limited) in Khatunganj branch of Chittagong with a salary of 800 taka. After the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Mizanur Rahman left the bank and started his own business by taking a bank loan. He initially started his business by importing goods and selling them in the domestic market, but later established a shipyard in Sitaku, Chittagong, where old ship equipment was sold. In 1982, he established a re-rolling mill and in 1984, the country’s first billet manufacturing factory, ‘Mongla Engineers Works’. In 1986, he established a corrugated tin factory named ‘PHP Rani Marka Dhewtin’ in Dhaka. Then he started investing in various other sectors. Later, he brought all the companies under the PHP Group. Currently, there are more than 29 companies under this group. He is currently the founder and chairman of the PHP Group.
In his personal life, he is married to Musammat Tahamina Rahman. The couple has 7 sons and 1 daughter. He joined Rotary International in 2000. He was the Governor of Rotary International District 3282 Bangladesh from 2016 to 2017. He is an ‘Arch Clamp Society Member’ of Rotary International. He and his wife are the only ‘Couple Arch Clamp Society Member’ of Rotary.
Despite being an industrialist, Sufi Mizan is accustomed to living a very simple life. A unique and renowned personality of the country, Alhaj Sufi Mohammad Mizanur Rahman is an invaluable asset to our country. This best son of the nation is constantly engaged in building the country. He is not only a successful businessman, he is a unique craftsman in building the country. Today, millions of people in the country are self-reliant with his hard-earned money. He is a respected personality to everyone, regardless of race, color, or religion. Moreover, he is a high-minded Sufi, humble, unassuming, and knowledgeable saint at home and abroad. In this brief biography of his, we will learn about his life struggle, business wisdom, spiritual pursuits, and the valuable lessons he left behind in society. Just as he achieved success in the business world by following the path of honesty, dedication, hard work, love of humanity, and fear of God, he has also lit a light in the hearts of countless people through Sufi culture and spiritual pursuits. His life is not only a story of personal success, but will forever be remembered as an inspiring example of ideals, morality, and human welfare.

Writer: Altaf Hossain Hridoy Khan, essayist and social activist.