Mohammadi Group of Companies is the brainchild of the group’s founder Chairman, Late Alhaj Seraj-Ud-Dowla. He was born in 1948 at Companyganj upazila of Noakhali district. He had completed his education in Law from Dhaka University.
Late Alhaj Seraj-Ud-Dowla started his career as Income Tax Practitioner. Later he moved on doing his own business as he started clothing business from Islampur, Dhaka during the inception of Bangladesh as an independent nation. He used to conduct wholesale clothing business from there. Later he established ‘Subarna Sari Ghar’, one of the most renowned shops for saris and women’s clothing at the capital’s Gausia Super Market and that made him established in business.
After that, he moved on to real-estate sector as he established Mohammadi Housing Society and Mohammadi Housing Ltd. Along with that, he moved on to production of Ready Made Garments by establishing Mohammadi Apparels Ltd. as a continuation of his experience in clothing business. It was one of the largest RMG producing facilities at the time. It was also one of the first after Desh Garments. Late Alhaj Seraj-Ud-Dowla gained worldwide recognition due to his business of RMG productions.
After his continuous success in real estate sector and readymade garments sector, he gained further success and fame in shipping sector as he established several companies like; Loyal Shipping Ltd., Alamin Sea-Trans Ltd., Ben Loyd Shipping Line Ltd. and Mohammadi Sea Ways Ltd. From these companies, he conducted ship owning, ship breaking, chartering, shipping agent and freight forwarding etc. He owned two ships named Loyal Bird and Marine Joy. He became one of the most renowned names in the shipping industry of Bangladesh.
Late Alhaj Seraj-Ud-Dowla was already one of the most well-known businessmen of Bangladesh by the 1980s. He is one of the pioneers in introducing the concept of Interest Free Banking System in the banking industry of Bangladesh. He was the first founder Directors of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd.
In personal life, Late Alhaj Seraj-Ud-Dowla was a very pious and religious man. He founded and established numerous mosques, madrasas, and orphanages countrywide. He was like a guardian to the people who managed these types of religious institutions. He had performed Hajj and Umrah so many times. He liked to visit foreign countries as he visited many countries in his lifetime.
He was a kind and socially responsible man. He was like a shelter for helpless people. He arranged marriage for many poor boys and girls as their guardian. He spent a lot of money for in helping the poor people as he gave regular monthly allowances to so many of them, provided allowance to the old people and widows. He also maintained a relative account to help distressed relatives. In short, we can define him as a social pioneer who revived the sense of humanity and ethics in social life and created an ideal for people around him.
In 2011, he left us all for eternity. He left behind sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, business associates and huge numbers of admirers. His demise will be always considered as a great loss for the business and social fraternity of Bangladesh. May Allah rest him in eternal peace.