Ex-BGMEA SVP Abdullah Hil Rakib laid to rest
Abdullah Hil Rakib, former senior vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and managing director of Team Group, was laid to rest today (14 June) at Shaheen Graveyard in Dhaka.
Rakib and his friend, Biman Bangladesh Airlines pilot Md Saifuzzaman Guddu, died in a canoe capsize accident in Toronto, Canada, on 8 June.
Speaking to The Business Standard, BGMEA Administrator Md Anwar Hossain said, "Originally, a single namaz-e-janaza was planned in front of the BGMEA Complex in Uttara. But due to overwhelming attendance, two separate janazas were held. The final janaza took place at Banani DOHS before his burial at Shaheen Graveyard."
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Under Rakib's leadership, Team Group grew into one of Bangladesh's foremost apparel exporters, employing around 23,000 people with an annual turnover of approximately $600 million. However, Rakib's vision extended beyond financial success. He championed sustainability and green transformation within the garment sector, launching forward-thinking initiatives such as the Centre of Innovation, Textile Technology Business Centre, Responsible Business Hub, and Future Centre.
His contributions earned him the Kotler Entrepreneur of the Year and CEO of the Year – Innovation awards in 2023.
Furthermore, two of Team Group's factories have achieved US Green Building Council LEED certification, with one earning the highest Platinum rating. Company officials anticipate that another factory will soon receive green certification.
Born into modest circumstances, Rakib began his career in merchandising after graduating from university. But he quickly set out on an entrepreneurial path, acquiring struggling textile and apparel businesses, infusing them with new capital, and restoring them to profitability — a strategy rarely executed so successfully in the country.
