Asif Saleh becomes first Bangladeshi on TIME100 Philanthropy

Asif Saleh, executive director of Brac, is the first Bangladeshi to be named to the TIME100 Philanthropy 2026 list, which recognises the world's most influential philanthropic leaders.

Brac, which began as a modest relief initiative after Bangladesh's independence, has grown into one of the world's largest development organisations.

This milestone underscores Bangladesh's emergence as a leader shaping the global development agenda, as embodied by Saleh's recognition.

Time magazine publishes the TIME100 Philanthropy list annually, recognising 100 influential figures shaping the future of giving and social impact.

The 2026 edition honours leaders, philanthropists, and innovators advancing new approaches to development, humanitarian action, and systemic change worldwide.

Saleh was recognised in the 'Leaders' category, alongside Rajiv J Shah, Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba, and Lionel Messi.

He was selected to advance Brac's locally led development model and to champion a more equitable, sustainable approach to international aid.

Time's profile highlighted Brac's diversified funding strategy and community-driven philosophy amid global aid cuts and debate over the future of development financing.

"Following last year's drastic cuts in foreign aid spending, calls for a better global aid model have emerged. Brac, and executive director Asif Saleh, may have the answer," Time noted.

The recognition is especially significant for Bangladesh, a country long recognised as a development success story.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed founded Brac in 1972, immediately after the Liberation War, with a mission to rebuild a war-torn nation.

Over more than five decades, Brac has pioneered a development model grounded in the lived realities of Bangladeshi communities—a model adopted across Asia and Africa.

Brac's global influence extends lessons first learned in Bangladesh.

Time noted that Brac has navigated global funding shocks through a hybrid model. This model combines grants, investments, community contributions, microfinance, and social enterprises. Their approach is shaped by Bangladesh's experience of building resilience amid poverty, natural disasters, and resource constraints.

"This recognition belongs to the people across Asia and Africa who have partnered with us over the past half-century, and to our staff, who work tirelessly to improve the lives of their communities every day," Saleh said.

Time also highlighted how Brac's founding philosophy treats communities as active participants in development rather than passive recipients of aid.

"Development is not charity. Charity is something you give to people, who are then passive recipients. What we promote is the opposite: people as active participants in everything we do," Saleh said.

Reflecting on the global context, he said, "We are at an inflexion point. Extreme poverty is rising, conflict is fracturing supply chains, and an affordability crisis is pushing millions below the poverty line."

"These are symptoms of a world that has not been ambitious enough about equality. We cannot respond with more of the same. What this moment demands is a fundamentally greater ambition—to build a world that is genuinely more equal for all," he said.

"It also requires a socially just approach—one that recognises people as agents of their own change, not merely beneficiaries," he added.

Bangladesh has achieved remarkable gains in poverty reduction, gender equity, and human development despite significant odds.

The recognition of a Bangladeshi leader and institution on a major global philanthropy list demonstrates Bangladesh's evolved role—not just as a recipient of international development thinking, but as a driving force in the sector.