Dubai based high flying Bangladeshi businessman Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman (Nasir) recently came to London for a family visit. While he was in London he visited Weekly Bangla Mirror’s East London office for a view-exchanging meeting with Editor Abdul Karim Gani. During this visit he discussed how his business is developing across the UK and Europe. He also expressed his deep pleasure at the popularity Bangla Mirror. Another prominent businessman Mr Shaheen accompanied him during his visit.
Mohammed Mahtabur Rahman (Nasir), Chairman and Managing Director of Al Haramain Group of Companies, is a seasoned businessman and involved in a broad range of business and trade ventures around the world. A far-sighted person, he diversified his business interests in banking, healthcare, hospitality, aviation etc. He is a social organiser and a community leader.
In 2011, he founded Bangladesh Business Council in Dubai – the only registered business group for Bangladeshi business community to help strengthen bilateral economic relations between Bangladesh and the UAE. His group owns Al Haramain Perfumes, one of the largest oriental fragrance manufacturers in the Gulf, Al Haramain Tea Co Ltd and Al Haramain Hospital Pvt Ltd.
Besides, he is associated with a number of business entities, including United Airways BD Ltd, TAC Aviation, NRB Bank, Al Arafah Islami Bank Ltd, University of Asia Pacific. He is currently building Beani Bazar Cancer Hospital in Sylhet.
He is currently developing Al Haramain Hospital Pvt Ltd – the largest healthcare facility in Sylhet – spreading across an area of 120,000 square feet to provide better healthcare services to the needy. The 12-storey hospital will install ultra modern medical/diagnostic equipments. He is the Chairman of the hospital, which will be opened later this year.
From a very modest beginning, Rahman has today emerged as one of the most successful Bangladeshi entrepreneurs globally. His road to success is a source of inspiration to many non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) especially the younger generation engaged in business.
His remarkable achievements could be attributed to his vision, hard work, carefully planned strategy, realistic targets and proper management at every stage. Hailing from a traditional family in Sylhet, Mahtabur Rahman was born in 1958 and completed his education in Sylhet city. After that, he joined his family business in Saudi Arabia, which was running well in the name of Al Haramain Perfumes in the holly city of Makkah since 1970.
Rahman learned the techniques of his family business from his father Kazi Abdul Haque and mastered himself in the field of fragrance in a very short span of time. He had a vision to develop, explore and expand his family business from Makkah to new destinations. As the fragrance business was booming, Mahtabur Rahman opened their first showroom in Dubai in 1981.
Later, for effective control of the entire network of the business operations, the company has built its most modern head office in an area of 11,000 square feet and established Al Haramain perfumes Industry, a most modern factory in the UAE. The 174,477 square feet factory grew into a state-of-the-art manufacturing unit using automatic and semi automatic ultra modern machineries including ’Agilent’ quality control equipment in the Research and Development Department.
The highly quality conscious Al Haramain Perfumes, has been accredited by the authorities with Dual ISO Certificates in QMS (ISO 9001:2008) and GMP (ISO 22716: 2007). Now, Al Haramain Perfumes is a household name all over the world and the products are being sold through many popular and leading shopping malls and centers and outlets in many countries.
Al Haramain Perfumes has grown to become synonymous with quality perfumes across the GCC, the Middle East beyond. Over the years, the company has produced a wide range of products and created outstanding blends to suit varying moods, needs, trends, occasions and personalities.
In 2012-13, he joined an elite group of non-resident Bangladeshi (NRB) investors to set up the NRB Bank – the first of its kind lender in Bangladeshi economy – that is a bank by the NRBs, of the NRBs and for the NRBs.
To capture the European perfume markets, he has also founded another sister company, Rich & Ruitz, in Paris, France. He also opened branches in Malaysia and Singapore.
Mr Rahman’s success in the highly competitive sector of perfume provided him with the skills needed to be a success in other industries. He diversified his business interest to include banking, healthcare, educational institutions, tea estates, and hospitality & aviation sectors.
Organisations that Mr Rahman is currently involved with in various senior roles include: founder director of NRB Bank Ltd; Ex-sponsor/Director of Al Arafah Islami Bank Ltd; Director of AIBL Capital Market Services; Director of the United Airways (BD) Ltd; Director & CEO of TAC Aviation Ltd; chairperson of Al Haramain Tea Co Ltd; founder president of Bangladesh Business Council (BBC) in Dubai; and trustee of the University of Asia Pacific.
In 2013, he set up a pilot training institute in Bangladesh under TAC Aviation – to tackle the shortage of commercial pilots in the country. A benevolent donor, he supports a good number of educational and charitable institutions in Bangladesh.