Eminent industrialist and entrepreneur Syed Manzur Elahi was laid to eternal rest at Banani graveyard today.

He was buried at around 4:30 pm, a senior officer of Apex said over the phone.

The first namaz-e-janaza for Elahi was held at the premises of East West University in Dhaka at 10:30 am today.

He was then taken to the headquarters of Mutual Trust Bank PLC, where employees of the private bank and Apex Group paid their respects and bid him farewell, officials said.

Later, he was taken to Gulshan Central (Azad Masjid) Mosque in Dhaka for the second namaz-e-janaza after the Zohr prayer.

Earlier, his body was brought to Dhaka on a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore at around 10:20 pm at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

He was taken to his residence at around 11:30 pm on Wednesday, an official of Apex Footwear said.

Elahi breathed his last at Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore on Wednesday at 7:30 am Bangladesh time. He had been suffering from old-age complications. He was 83.

"Plain living, high thinking," Elahi repeatedly told his children, said Syed Nasim Manzur, son of Elahi, at the janaza.

Before his death, Elahi advised his children that the country comes first, above everything else.

"This reflected his unparalleled patriotism, as he never considered leaving the country under any circumstances."

With his demise, Bangladesh has lost one of its finest industrialists—a man who built not just businesses but institutions, including Apex Footwear, Apex Tannery, Mutual Trust Bank, Pioneer Insurance, Grey Advertising, East West University, Sunbeams School, Manusher Jonno Foundation, Freedom Foundation, and many more, Apex said in a statement on Wednesday.

Born on September 26, 1942, in Calcutta, British India, Elahi came from a family of legal minds. His father, Sir Syed Nasim Ali, was the Chief Justice of undivided Bengal.

While Elahi could have followed the same path, he chose to become an entrepreneur and succeeded. His illustrious journey was not confined to business alone.

He served as an adviser to the caretaker government twice, played a leadership role in various chambers and associations, and contributed to improving the business and regulatory environment.

He also played key roles in the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB), Bangladesh Bank, the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), and several other financial and industrial institutions.

His contributions to Bangladesh's economic landscape earned him prestigious honours, including Business Executive of the Year 2000 by AMCHAM, Business Person of the Year 2002 by The Daily Star and DHL, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 from UKBCCI, Apex also said.

Tributes poured in from various quarters following his demise.