Background
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan is the Chairman of the business conglomerate Bashundhara Group which owns three newspapers (Bangladesh Pratidin, Kaler Kantho, and The Daily Sun), a TV channel (Channel 24), an online portal (banglanews24.com) and an FM radio station (Radio Capital). He established the company in 1987.
Business Interests
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan is the Chairman of several companies under the umbrella of Bashundhara Group. Companies affiliated with Bashundhara Group include East West Property Development (Pvt.) Ltd, Meghna Cement Mills, Bashundhara Cement, Bashundhara Paper Mills, Bashundhara Multi Paper Industry, Bashundhara Tissue, Bashundhara LP Gas Limited, Bashundhara Food and Beverage Industries Ltd. (BFBIL), Bashundhara Airways, Food Hall, Food Street, Sunflower Restaurant, Bashundhara Shopping Mall, International Convention City Bashundhara, Bashundhara Dredging Company Ltd., Toggi Service Limited.
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan does not hold any position in the management board of Bashundhara Group???s media company, East West Media Group Ltd., which runs three newspapers (Bangladesh Pratidin, Kaler Kantho and The Daily Sun), a TV channel (Channel 24), an online portal (banglanews24.com) and a FM radio station (Radio Capital). His son Sayem Sobhan is the managing director of East West Media Group Ltd., who is also the managing director of Bashundhara Group.
Family Ties
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan. Sobhan is married to Afroza Begum with whom he has 4 sons: Sadat Sobhan (Tanvir), Shafiat Sobhan (Sanvir), Sayem Sobhan (Anvir), and Safwan Sobhan (Tasvir). They hold important positions in various companies of Bashundhara Group.
Recognition
Ahmed Akbar Sobhan received the President Gold Medal from the Bangladesh Government in 1994. He was also awarded the Kazi Nazrul Islam Medal in 1992, the Janata Bank Prime Customer Award in 2002, the USA Summit International Award in 2002, Bangladesh Cultural Foundation Award in 2009, and the Agrani Bank Best Client Award in 2010. In 2016, he received Mother Teresa International Canonization Award for social welfare services.
Legal Cases
In 2008, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan (Shah Alam), his wife, and their four sons for amassing wealth worth about Tk 107 crore beyond their known sources of income. They were also charged with concealing information regarding wealth worth about Tk 14.17 crore in the wealth statement submitted earlier to the commission.
In 2015, The Supreme Court ordered the Bashundhara Group chairman and his family members to surrender in a tax evasion case. Earlier, they had been sentenced to jail in the same case by a special judge???s court in 2007. But a High Court order acquitted them.
In 2019, the National River Conservation Commission issued a survey report where Bashundhara Group was identified as a major grabber of water bodies inside the capital city. Earlier in 2008, the government launched a drive to reclaim public land occupied by Bashundhara Group in Hasnabad area of Keraniganj for the Riverview Housing Project. They filed a case against Bashundara Group for grabbing 61 acres of government land.
Sources
Bashundhara Group, Chairman???s Life & Work, Accessed on August 3, 2020.
The Daily Star, Bashundhara Group chief, family charged with amassing Tk 107cr, August11, 2008
Bdnews24.com, Supreme Court orders Bashundhara Group chief to surrender in tax evasion case, February 3, 2015.
National River Conservation Commission, Report on illegal occupation of waterbodies. Accessed on August 18, 2020.
The Daily Star, Soccer promised in restricted wetlands, April 23, 2009.