Sufi Mizanur and sons: Four consuls from a family

The appointment of Mohammed Akther Parvez, managing director of PHP Automobiles Ltd, as the honorary consul of Malaysia in Chattogram last week marked a special moment for his family.

Following the acceptance of the role, he became the fourth member of his family to work as an honorary consul of a foreign country in Bangladesh.

Parvez is the son of Sufi Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, chairman and founder of PHP Family, one of the leading industrial conglomerates in the country. He, along with his six brothers are also on the board of directors of the group.

Mohammed Mohsin, the eldest of the brothers, was the first in the family to be appointed as an honorary consul of a foreign country in 2015. On March 3 of that year, the Korean government appointed him as the honorary consul for Gazipur. Mohsin is also the vice-chairman of PHP Family.

The next year, Mohammed Iqbal Hossain, director of PHP Family, followed in his brother’s footsteps and took charge as the honorary consul of Rwanda for Dhaka on January 18, 2016.

Sufi Mizanur Rahman joined his sons on January 4, 2018 as the honorary consul of Indonesia for Chattogram.

No other industrial group in the country has achieved such a feat as the leaders of the PHP Family.

Speaking on the matter, Mohammed Mohsin said, “We four of our family are carrying the flag of our country in four foreign countries. It is an honour as well as a lot of responsibility.”

Speaking about his recent appointment, Mohammad Parvez said he believes that his job allows him to work for the country even outside the country.

“I got the opportunity to work for my country even outside of it, carrying the national flag. I am trying to use that opportunity to work for the welfare of the country’s people.”

Parvez is also a young talented entrepreneur and businessman. He introduced the assembling of cars of world-renowned brands like Proton in the country.

The similarities between Sufi Mizanur and his sons can also be found in many other areas. Mohammed Mohsin, like his father, is also a Sufi music enthusiast. Along with the spread of industry and trade, he has also garnered praise throughout the country as a humanitarian.

Known as a good-natured, modest figure, Sufi Mizanur Rahman is the helmsman behind PHP Family. His simple Sufi lifestyle has made him unique even among the top businessmen in the country.

He was the first industrialist of the country to be awarded with Ekushey Padak, the highest honour of the country. Along with business and trade, he has been making tireless contributions in social service and education.

After independence, Mizanur Rahman left his lucrative banking job and started business in Chattogram. Over the next five decades, he went on to build 33 organisations which currently employ about 10,000 people.

Mizanur’s PHP group currently has an annual turnover of around Tk 5,000 crore. Apart from the business, the PHP Family also runs a university-- University of Information Technology & Sciences (UITS).