A Business Legend of Bangladesh

Mr. Samson H Chowdhury

Samson H Chowdhury was a legendary entrepreneur of Bangladesh.
With his innovation, leadership and perseverance, Samson H
Chowdhury built a business empire from scratch. Starting with a
small village pharmacy in Pabna in 1952, Samson, over a span of
five decades, built Square Group, one of the largest and most
diversified conglomerates of the country that, as of 2011, employs
around 36,000 people and generates an average annual turnover of
more than US$ 800 million.
Square is now not a name, but a synonym of quality- be it pharmaceuticals, hospitals, textiles,
toiletries, consumer goods, herbal medicine, agro vet products, information technology,
television channel, advertising agency and a few more. To his followers, Samson H Chowdhury
was a hero, to his contemporaries he was an icon, to young entrepreneurs he was a mentor and to
regulators he was an amazing symbol of fairness. In his approach to business, Samson H
Chowdhury always put people's welfare at the focal consideration of entrepreneurship that made
him different from other top businessmen in the country. Therefore, there has never been a single
incident of labour unrest in any of his enterprises. He was one of the highest taxpayers of the
country for a long period of time. Samson H Chowdhury symbolizes hard work, vision,
transparency and foresightedness, a combination very rare in the developing world. The sad
demise of Mr Chowdhury on 5 January 2012 at the age of 86 is truly an end of an era.

Biography :
25 September 1925

Eldest son of Eakub Hussain Chowdhury and Latika Chowdhury, Samson H

Chowdhury, was born at Aruakandi in Gopalganj.

1930

Began his schooling in a mission school in Chandpur as his father was posted as
a medical officer at the Chandpur Mission Hospital.

1932

EH Chowdhury got transferred to Ataikula in Pabna. Samson moved to Pabna

with his father and got admitted to a village school in Ataikula.

1933

Father sent Samson to Mymensingh for better education. He got admitted to

Victoria Mission School in Mymensingh in class IV.

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1935

Went to West Bengal and got admitted to Siksha Sangha High School in
Bishnupur.

1942

Returned to Pabna as the World War II broke out.

1943

Passed matriculation exam from Ataikula School in Pabna.

1943

Joined Royal Indian Navy without the knowledge of his parents.

1946

Joined a Naval mutiny against British Colonial rulers, and eventually got
arrested. After five days in jail Samson H Chowdhury was sent to a
concentration camp for a month. He was later released and also given a clean
certificate of discharge and a recommendation for a government job in any
administrative position, or in the law and order agency.

1947

Joined postal department as a government employee.

6 Aug 1947

Got married with a 15-year-old-girl, Anita Biswas. Samson was 22 then.

1952

Left his post office job and returned home. On advice of his father, Samson
started running his father's medicine shop 'Hossain Pharmacy'.

1956

Samson borrowed money from his father and opened a small pharmaceutical
company named 'Esons' in Ataikula, Pabna. 'Esons' referred to Eakub and sons

1958

Formed a business partnership with three other friends, namely Dr Kazi Harunur
Rashid, Dr PK Shaha and Radha Binod Roy. The four friends launched a
pharmaceutical company named 'Square' with an initial investment of Rs17,000.

1962

Opened a branch office at Hatkhola road in Dhaka.

1964

Square was converted into a private limited company with an authorized capital
of Rs 500,000 and a paid up capital of Rs 400,000.

1974

Became a licensee of Janssen Pharmaceutica, Belgium, a subsidiary of Johnson

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and Johnson International, USA.

1985

Square achieved market-leadership among all national and multinational

pharmaceuticals companies.

1987

Square became the first Bangladeshi pharmaceutical company to export products

abroad.

1988

Square Toiletries started its operation as a separate division of Square

Pharmaceuticals.

1991

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd converted into a public limited company.

1995

Chemical Division of Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd started production of Active

Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (API).

1996

Became President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI)

for two years.

1997o

Square Pharmaceuticals won the National Export trophy.

1998o

Mediacom Ltd was established.

Square Pharmaceuticals gained ISO 9001 Certification.

Received 'Business Executive of the Year' award given by American Chamber

of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham).

Agro-chemicals and Veterinary Products Division started operation.

2001o

Square Consumer Products Ltd. started its operation.

Received 'Best Entrepreneur of the Country' award 20002001 given by the

Daily Star and DHL Worldwide Express.

US FDA/UK MCA-standard new pharmaceutical factory went into operation.

The factory was built under the supervision of Bovis Lend Lease, UK.

Square Consumer Products Ltd. started its operation.

Received 'Best Entrepreneur of the Country' award 2000-2001 given by the

Daily Star and DHL Worldwide Express.

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2002

SQUARE InformatiX Ltd started its operation.

2003o

Received 'Mercantile Bank Award-2003' for "special contributions to industrial

and commercial sectors".

Elected as chairman of the Central Depository Bangladesh Limited.

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd obtained ISO 9001:2000 Certification.

2004

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd. was enlisted as UNICEF's global supplier.

2004

Became Chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh, held the position

till 2007.

2005o

New State-of- the-Art Square Cephalosporins Ltd went into operation. It was
built under the supervision of TELSTAR S.A. of Spain as per the US FDA/ UK
MHRA requirements.

SQUARE Herbal & Nutraceuticals Ltd. got the license in Bangladesh, in this
particular field.

SQUARE Herbal & Nutraceuticals Ltd. got the license.

Sabazpur Tea Company Ltd. was establised.

2006o
o

2007o
o

SQUARE Hospitals Ltd. started its operation.

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd received 'Bankers' Forum Award-2005' for 'ethical
and socially-responsible business practices and smooth operations with bankers'
Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Dhaka Unit got the UK MHRA approval.
Square Pharmaceuticals received 'ICAB National Award' for Best Published
Accounts and Reports 2006 in Non-Financial Sector (Manufacturing Category)

2008

NBR Award for being the longest tax payer in Rajshahi Division.

2009o

Square Pharmaceuticals started manufacturing of insulin, hormone and steroid

products maintaining quality standards of US FDA, MHRA in dedicated
manufacturing facility complying with the cGMP of WHO.

Declared as 'Commercially Important Person, CIP (Export)' for 2009-10 by the

Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh

2010o

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd received 'Best Enterprise' award by The Daily Star
and DHL Worldwide Express

Received 'Lifetime Achievement Award' given by the British Bangladesh

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Chamber of Commerce
2011

Maasranga, first HD TV channel in Bangladesh, went on air.

2012

Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Dhaka Unit and Cephalosporins Ltd get

'Therapeutic Goods Administration' (TGA) of Australia approval.

5 January 2012

Samson H Chowdhury died at the age of 86 at a hospital in Singapore.

Accolades :
1998

Business Executive of the Year by American Chamber of Commerce in

Bangladesh (AmCham)

2000

Business Person of the Year by the Daily Star and the DHL Worldwide
Express

2003

Mercantile Bank Award-2003 for special contributions to industrial and

commercial sectors

2008

NBR Award in long-term category from Rajshahi Division

2009-2010

Commercially Important Person, CIP (Export) by the Government of

Bangladesh

2010

Lifetime Achievement Award (Bangladesh) by British Bangladesh

Chamber of Commerce (BBCC)

2013

Ekushey Padak (Posthumous) in Social Welfare Category

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Association with Business Bodies :

1995

Chairman, Micro Industries Development Assistance and Services

(MIDAS)

1996-1997

President, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI),

Dhaka

1999-2004

Vice Chairman, Mutual Trust Bank Limited

1999-2005

Director, Social Marketing Company (SMC)

2000-2001

President, Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries

2000-2009

Founding President, Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies

2001-2010

Member, Advisory Committee, Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical

Industries

2003-2011

Director, Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh

2003-2011

Chairman, Central Depository Bangladesh Ltd

2004-2012

Vice President, International Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh

2006-2011

President, Bangladesh Herbal Products Manufacturing Association

2006-2011

Member, Executive Committee, French-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce

and Industry

2009-2010,
2011-2012

Director, Bangladesh-Thai Chamber of Commerce and Industry

2007-2011

Chairman, Mutual Trust Bank Ltd.

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Association with Religious Organizations :

1956-1967

General Secretary (Honorary), East Bengal Baptist Union, that later

renamed as East Pakistan Baptist Union, Bangladesh Baptist Union,
Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship and finally, Bangladesh Baptist Church
Fellowship (BBCF)

1961-1964, 19681972

Secretary (Honorary), East Pakistan Christian Council, that later renamed as

National Council of Churches Bangladesh

1973-1978

Founding Chairman, Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh

(CCDB)

1975 &1979
1976, 1978, 1980,
1983-85, 1990-93

President, National Council of Churches, Bangladesh

President, Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship

1980-1995

Treasurer, National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh (NCFB)

1983-2009

Founding Chairman, Koinonia

1985-1990

Vice President, Baptist World Alliance

1989-2008

President, The United Baptist Church Trust Association of BBCF

1996-2000

President, National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh

2009

Adviser, National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh

Association with Social and Other Organizations :

1970-2012

Life member, Dhaka Club Limited, Dhaka.

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1994-1995

President, Rotary Club of Dhaka Buriganga

1996-1997

Member, Board of Trustee, Independent University Bangladesh

1999-2012

Honorary Member, Kurmitola Golf Club

2004-2007

Chairman, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)

2009-2012

Member, Gulshan Club, Dhaka.

Findings :
Dreamer: In 1952, he started a small pharmacy in Ataikula village. Few years aftrr he and his
three friends ventured into a partnership pharmaceutical company.When asked why the
name SQUARE was chosen he remembers - We named it SQUARE because it was started
by four friends and also because it signifies accuracy and perfection meaning quality as they
committed in manufacturing quality products.

Perseverance: Today is a name not only known in the Pharmaceutical world, it is

today a synonym of quality- be it toiletries, health products, textiles, Agro Vet products,
information technology and few more. All these were possible due to his innovative ideas,
tireless efforts, perseverance and dedication with self confidence which contributed to his
successful achievements .

Additional information :
1- Eldest son of Eakub Hussain Chowdhury and Latika Chowdhury, Samson H Chowdhury, was
born at Aruakandi in Gopalganj on 25 September 1925.
2-He started his schooling in a mission school in Chandpur as his father was posted as a medical
officer at the Chandpur Mission Hospital in 1930.
3-His Father sent Samson to Mymensingh for better education in 1933. He got admitted to
Victoria Mission School in Mymensingh in class IV.
4- He Joined Royal Indian Navy without informing his parents in 1943. In 1946 he joined a
Naval mutiny against British Colonial rulers, and eventually got arrested.
Samson spent five days in jail and the he sent to a concentration camp for a month but he was
later released and also given a clean certificate of discharge with a recommendation for a
government job in any administrative position, or in the law and order agency.

Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University

6- He started his formal professional career by joining postal department as a

governmentemployee in 1947. Thats how his professional career started.
7- He got married with a 15-year-old-girl, Anita Biswas on 6 Aug 1947. Samson was 22 then.
8- Samson left his post office job and returned home in 1952.
9-Samson started running his fathers medicine shop Hossain Pharmacy in the same year.
10-After four years, in 1956 Samson borrowed money from his father and opened a small
pharmaceutical company named Esons in Ataikula, Pabna. Esons referred to Eakub and sons
11-As an attempt to expand the business, in 1958 he formed a partnership with three other
friends and launched Square pharmaceutical company.
12-Initial investment of Square was Rs. 17,000. Other three partners of Square were Dr Kazi
Harunur Rashid, Dr PK Shaha and Radha Binod Roy.
14-In 1964 Square was turned into a private limited company with an authorized capital of Rs
500,000 and a paid up capital of Rs 400,000.
15- In 1974 Square became a licensee of Janssen Pharmaceutica, Belgium, a subsidiary of
Johnson and Johnson International, USA. It was a turning point for Square as a company.
16-In 1998 Samson was named Business Executive of the Year by American Chamber in
Bangladesh.
18-He was also named Best Entrepreneur of the Country for the year 20002001 by the Daily
Star and DHL Worldwide Express.
20-In an interview, Chowdhury had said that they had chosen the name Square because it was
started by four friends and also because it signifies accuracy and perfection, meaning quality.
22-He performed the responsibility of the chairman of Transparency Internationals Bangladesh
chapter from 2004-2007 and of Shahbazpur Tea Estate and Mutual Trust Bank.

Conclusion:
Ref:: (Samson: a patriot apart | The Daily Star)
By the time the war broke out in East Pakistan in March 1971, Samson H Chowdhury had
become a successful businessman."He was by heart a true Bangalee. As a result, Samson was on
the hit list prepared by the local collaborators," reminisced Dennis Dilip Datta, a retired
development and church activist."One of his gatekeepers in his Pabna residence requested him to
go into hiding as the collaborators were planning to kill. He listened and left Pabna with his
family for his village home. The collaborators burnt his residence in town and village homes to
ashes, forcing him to leave for Dhaka," Datta said.The 70-year-old man had followed Samson,
who breathed his last yesterday, like a shadow for the last 40 years, working for the development
of the churches in Bangladesh and building a close link with the family.
He said Samson was in British Navy during the Second World War, and the honorary general

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secretary of the National Council of Churches, which is the part of the World Council of
Churches, during the Liberation War in 1971. "He did a tremendous job during the nine-month
war. The World Council of Churches sent a ship full of food items for the people of East
Pakistan. He diverted the ship to Salt Lake as he realised that the Pakistani armies would take
control of the ship."
Thousands of Bangalees took refuge in Salt Lake in Kolkata and its other parts to avoid genocide
in the hands of the occupation armies. Datta said Samson's youngest son Anjan Chowdhury left
home and joined the freedom fighters, becoming the youngest freedom fighter of the country.
His middle son Tapan Chowdhury stayed inside the country and kept close contacts with the
freedom fighters and helped them with food and medicine.
Datta recalled the place where Lab Aid Hospital in the capital city is located now was a guest
house of the church mission in Bangladesh during the war. "Many journalists boarded the guest
house as their movement would have been restricted if they had chosen to stay in the
Intercontinental Hotel controlled by the army."
"Samson Chowdhury secretly met many foreign journalists and provided them with the real
picture of the war," Datta told The Daily Star yesterday.
Soon after the war, Samson set up Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh, a
consortium of donors that took up various projects to rehabilitate people affected by the war.
"He went to Narsingdi and helped weavers with money and machines to rehabilitate them. It was
a huge programme. He also took up a fishing project in Moheshkhali in Cox's Bazar to
rehabilitate fishermen. He spent $12 million for an agriculture project in Rajshahi."
Samson was also the chairman of Koinonia, a social welfare organisation that provides services
in areas of education, health and microfinance.Samson raised the Bangladesh's flag in Sathia
when the part of the country was liberated. "During personal conversation he termed the moment
as the most memorable one of his life," recalled Datta.He said when Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman urged the rich to surrender their ration cards, Samson was the first businessman
to do so. Datta said Samson had no enemies although his company became one of the biggest
conglomerates in the country. "He always told me to keep the opponents in good humour."
Samson was a philanthropist and throughout his illustrious life, he spent billions of taka for the
poor. "He started from scratch and never stopped working and became the country's best known
businessman," Datta said.He said: "Once in mid 1990s his wife told him: 'you have worked a lot
and now you should stop'. He responded saying: 'Look, now I care for the country. I want to
create jobs for people."
Samson's Square Group now employs more than 33,000 people.Datta said Samson also cared for
his employees. "All of his employees get a good lunch everyday. They get regular salaries,
bonuses and perks. Labour strikes never took place in his factories."
"Honesty and integrity was the main motto of his life. Out and out, he was an honest and clean
man. He was the highest taxpayer in the country."

10

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