It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden demise of Yahya Ahmed Bawany (SQA). He passed away peacefully on Monday 12th January, 2009 at the age of 84+. The first industry of the Bawany Group in Pakistan was set up by Seth Ahmed Ibrahim Bawany of Rangoon Burma (Myanmar) soon after Pakistan’s Independence in Karachi, known as Bawany Violin Textile Mills. Thereafter his son Yahya Ahmed Bawany born in1925 at Rangoon Burma (Myanmar) was instrumental in setting up all the other of the Bawany Group from 1953 to 1971 making the group an industrial giant. Some of the industries are lsied here. Latif Bawany Jute Mills and Ahmed Bawany Textile Mills (These two industries employed over 10,000 workers), Eastern Chemical Industries, Eastern Tubes (Toshiba), Bella Artifitex, Oriental Water Works (barges and ship lightening), Bawany Tea Estate, Bawany Coconut Estates, ABL Brick Fields, RR Textiles Mills, Khulna Textile Mills. Further he got sanction permission to set up Bawany Sugar Mills in Badin, Balotra Textile Mills, Annoor Textile Mills and Medina Textile Mills in the Mid 1960’s. After 1971 and the independence of Bangladesh he set up Al-Ameen Textile Mills, Kotri (The first Toyada Open-end Spinning in Pakistan. Then he acquired Paramount Limited (electric tube lights and bulbs). Yusuf Industries (artificial leather). He then went up to set up his last two industries namely Latif Jute Mills and Bawany Air Products Limited (Industrial gases). Yahya Ahmed Bawany besides being a successful industrialist was also involved in social and philanthropic work, he established Ahmed Bawany Academy and BawanyHigh School in Dhaka. Ahmed Bawany Academy and Kaka Bawany Vocational Centre in Karachi. Some of his other achievements are listed below:
• Founder and former President of All Pakistan Jute Mills Association, East Pakistan.
• Founder and former President of All Pakistan textile Mills Association, Pakistan.
• Founder and Former President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Founder and Former President Narayanganj Chamber of Commerce.
• Former President Pakistan Memon Educational and Welfare Society.
• Former President of Jetpur Memon Jamat.
• Co-founder and serving President of United Memon Jamat.
• Founder member of Jetpur Memon Relief Society.
• Former Co-founder Trustee and member of World Memon Foundation.
• Former Chairman and Member of Managing Committee of Aisha Bawany Wakf.
• Founder Chairman AAL Bawany Foundation.
• Served as founding member of the Managing Committee of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) representing former East Pakistan.
• Member of Advisory Council Federal Ministry of Commerce, Eastern Wing.
• Member of Advisory Council Federal Ministry of Industry, Eastern Wing.
• Member of Advisory Council Federal Ministry of Finance, Eastern Wing.
• Chairman of refugees Rehabilitation and Finance Corporation Dhaka, Former East Pakistan.
• Chairman of Lal Bagh Madrassa Dhaka.
• Sponsor and Secretary General of Baitul Mukarram Mosque (National Mosque of Bangladesh, Dhaka). It was built under his personal supervision from inception.
• He was awarded the SITARA-E-QUAID-E-AZAM (SQA) one of the highest Civilian Awards for his social services.
We are grateful to Jetpur Memon Relief Society for announcing of naming of a building of a block of flats in Gulshan-e-Iqbal as “Yahya Ahmed Bawany Building”.
Please recite Surah-e-Fateha for his departed soul.