BRAC, the largest NGO in the world was founded by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG. Sir Fazle’s conviction in the dignity and value of every human being defined the organization. His work, through BRAC, changed the course of Bangladesh’s development, and influenced the development sector globally.

Sir Fazle was born in 1936 into a wealthy family in the Sylhet division of Bangladesh. He studied accountancy in London, qualifying as a Cost Management Accountant in 1962. While he was working as a senior corporate executive at Pakistan Shell, the 1970 Bhola cyclone claimed half a million lives in Bangladesh. He travelled with friends and colleagues to Monpura, one of the worst-hit regions, to distribute relief. This was the beginning of a change in direction in his life. “The death and devastation that I saw happening in my country made my life as an executive in an oil company seem very inconsequential and meaningless,” he said.

The 1971 Liberation War in Bangladesh cemented that change in direction. Sir Fazle resigned from Shell, fled from Pakistan and moved to London, where he helped initiate Action Bangladesh and HELP Bangladesh in support of the war.
 

Early in 1972, Sir Fazle returned to a newly-independent Bangladesh, finding the country in ruins. The return of 10 million refugees who had sought shelter in India compounded the challenge, demanding urgent relief efforts. BRAC emerged out of a humanitarian response to the crisis. Sir Fazle sold his flat in London and used the GBP 16,000 he received from the sale to start work, in the remote region of Sulla in northeastern Bangladesh.