‘I built a Tk 100cr business with Tk 11.25’

We are committed to maintaining a very high standard in quality control and workmanship, Abdur Razzaque, founder and chairman of ARMA Group, told The Business Post’s Tasrifa Trisha in an interview

Have you wanted to be a businessman since your childhood?

Yes. I always wanted to be a businessman. To become a doctor or an engineer was never my aim in life. When I was a child, I made up my mind to own a business.

When did ARMA Group begin its journey?

It started in 1985 as ARMA Electric Company, which is now an ISO 9001:2015 certified firm having experience in international trade (import and export of power sector equipment) as well as tenders (e-GP) for procuring high tension/low tension (HT/LT) line hardware and accessories.

The company initially did civil engineering work, such as constructing buildings, roads, and bridges for different government and semi-government organisations as well as setting up transmission and distribution lines and sub-stations under Bangladesh Power Development Board and Dhaka Power Distribution Company. It is the main business of ARMA Group. We later branched out into other areas.  

What are ARMA Group’s other concerns?

ARMA Real Estate, ARMA Line Hardware and Accessories, ARMA Agriculture, Esha Holdings, Abdur Razzaque School and College, and ARMA Welfare Society are ARMA Group’s sister concerns.

Tell us more about ARMA Welfare Society?

It is a charitable fund. I have a school in my name in the capital’s Banasree. I want to ensure proper education for students who are poor but meritorious.

Every year, I spend Tk 2 crore on scholarships for brilliant students all over the country from a welfare fund named “Abdur Razzaque Medha Britti”. In the future, I plan to offer free treatment to helpless people under charitable activities.

What is the secret to your success?

Thirty-six years of hard work and dedication have made me the person I have become today. I started from zero. I only had Tk 11.25 in my pocket when I left my hometown in Kushtia and came to Dhaka.

I have always kept my promises since the very first day in business. I never compromised on my ideology and commitment. With Tk 11.25 in capital and an unbreakable spirit, I have turned my business into a Tk 100 crore enterprise.

How has Covid-19 affected ARMA Group’s business?

We have suffered a lot because of Covid-19 and hope to recoup the losses within the next two years. Also, we have not laid off any of our employees during the pandemic.

What is your advice for the youth, especially those who want to be a businessman like you in the future?

My advice is that if you are not determined to spend at least 10 years to build your future business, then you should not even spend 10 minutes thinking about it now. I want to tell every present or future entrepreneur that you should love your business the way you love your beloved ones. You should put as much effort in building your business as you do to make your beloved your life partner. Success will be yours then.