'Latifur Rahman Naturenomics Award' launched in India

Balipara Foundation of India’s Assam has announced the launch of an award in the name of Transcom Group's founding chairman Latifur Rahman.

"Latifur Rahman Naturenomics Award" would be conferred from 2021.

The award will honour extraordinary efforts made to create a thriving ecosystem and livelihood in Sylhet, Chattogram Hill Tracts and the Sundarbans-Khulna regions.

The announcement came Saturday at the end of four-day virtual edition of the eighth Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics Forum 2020.

Balipara Foundation is an environmental group based in Assam. The organisation held its eighth conference which was participated by global leaders and experts. The theme of this year’s conference was "Ecology is Economy".

Latifur Rahman, a businessman with reputation for honesty and integrity at a national and international level, breathed his last at his home Faraaz Manzil in his village Cheora of Choddogram upazila in Cumilla on 1 July.

In recognition of his ethical business practices, reputation and integrity, he was honoured with the Oslo Business for Peace Award in 2012. In 2001 he received the American Chamber of Commerce’s Business Executive Award. He also received the SAARC Outstanding Leader Award and the UK-Bangladesh Catalyst of Commerce and Industry’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was founding director of Mediaworld Limited, the owning company of The Daily Star, and chairman of Mediastar Limited, the owning company of Prothom Alo, both leading English and Bangla newspapers of the country.

Latifur Rahman began his business in 1966 with his family jute mill in Chandpur. He worked there as an executive officer till 1971. In 1972 his family’s main business, W Rahman Jute Mills, was nationalised. The following year he established the Transcom Group.

A press release from Balipara Foundation said, Transcom Group founder Latifur Rahman was a leading figure of ethical practice in Bangladesh. The award has been introduced in his honour.

Alongside working relentlessly to establish a sustainable society, Latifur Rahman has maintained the highest standard of ethics and integrity in the Eastern Himalayan region, the press release added.

This year Balipara Foundation conferred awards for the eighth time for conservation of ecosystem and taking sustainable measures to establish a green economy in the Eastern Himalayan region.

Retired professor of Gauhati University Parimal Chandra Bhattacharjee was conferred Lifetime Service Award this year while Arannayk Foundation, Bangladesh received Nature Conservancy Award.

Closing the evening, Balipara Foundation founder Ranjit Barthakur said the region needs more changemakers to bring about sustainable change.

He also highlighted the need for collaboration across borders and change of attitude about Mother Nature.

Balipara Foundation introduced the awards in 2013 to honour grassroots activists who work to preserve natural diversity in the Eastern Himalayan region.