The business world often thrives on boldness, but in Syed Manzur Elahi, Bangladesh found something more: a quiet fortitude, a moral compass, and an entrepreneurial mind that always seeks to build. And he built the country's leading shoe brand -- Apex. He was, after all, a man who preferred crafting legacies over anything else.

Yesterday, he passed away at Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore at 7:31am Dhaka time, leaving behind an industrial and financial landscape forever shaped by his vision. He was 83.

With his passing, Bangladesh lost a visionary who not only built a business empire but also shaped industries, policies, and the lives of countless individuals. His journey was one of courage, resilience, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence.

Elahi was a "distinguished figure in Bangladesh's entrepreneurial sector and a patriotic businessman who played a crucial role in advancing the country's leather industry," Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said in a statement. "Through his relentless efforts, Apex Footwear became one of the nation's leading footwear exporters," he said.

Elahi was born into prestige. His father, Sir Syed Nasim Ali, a towering legal figure, was the chief justice of undivided Bengal. It would have been natural, expected even, for the young Elahi to follow in those judicial footsteps. But he had little interest in courtrooms.

Elahi began his career with a tobacco giant, enjoying the stability of a corporate job. However, he was restless. There was a fire within him that refused to be tamed by the monotony of a predictable career path. He longed for something greater -- a challenge, a purpose, a legacy. In an act of daring defiance, he pivoted to the leather business in Dhaka's Hazaribagh area, an industry known for its challenging working conditions.

His decision was unconventional but laid the foundation for one of South Asia's most successful footwear brands. He turned obstacles into opportunities, refusing to let circumstances define him.

At a time when Bangladesh's leather industry primarily focused on raw material exports, Elahi saw an opportunity to create value-added products. With persistence and business acumen, he built Apex Footwear into the country's top shoe manufacturer, expanding both locally and internationally.

Today, Apex exports to more than 50 countries and has a vast retail presence across Bangladesh with 250 stores, setting new standards for quality and design in the region's footwear market.

The company's revenue stood at Tk 1,497 crore in the fiscal year 2023-24, including Tk 481 crore in export earnings. Its closest competitor, the multinational corporation Bata, reported an annual revenue of Tk 987 crore for 2023.

Beyond his business achievements, Elahi, the chairman of Apex, played a key role in Bangladesh's industrial growth. He advocated for better working conditions in the tannery sector and was instrumental in its modernisation. His influence extended beyond Apex as he contributed to trade policies and industrial reforms.

His early years took him to St. Xavier's College in Kolkata, followed by a Master's in Economics from Dhaka University. A stint at British American Tobacco gave him a taste of corporate life, but his ambitions lay elsewhere. His break came not from the boardrooms of multinational firms but from an unexpected source: a French businessman who gave him a modest opportunity to trade leather between Dhaka and Paris. From that small opening, he built an empire.

Apex Footwear and Apex Tannery became Bangladesh's leading names in leather and footwear exports, feeding into a global demand for high-quality products. Elahi's leadership stretched beyond these two companies. He was a founding force behind Mutual Trust Bank and Pioneer Insurance. His wisdom and vision guided East West University, Sunbeams School, Manusher Jonno Foundation and Freedom Foundation, institutions that would shape minds, industries, and social change for generations.

The government twice turned to him for leadership, appointing him an adviser to caretaker administrations. His voice was trusted, his judgment sought, his integrity unwavering. His presence was felt across the Bangladesh Association of Banks, Bangladesh Bank, the Centre for Policy Dialogue and the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He advised on banking regulations, industrial policy, and governance, helping to stabilise and steer Bangladesh's economic trajectory.

Recognition came, though he never seemed to chase it. The American Chamber of Commerce named him Business Executive of the Year in 2000. Two years later, he was Business Person of the Year awarded by The Daily Star and DHL. In 2019, the UK Bangladesh Catalysts of Commerce and Industry gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award, a fitting nod to a man who had spent decades quietly shaping the contours of commerce. In 2023, The Daily Star and DHL conferred upon him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering role in business.

Loss, too, visited him. In 2020, his wife, Niloufer Manzur, the founder of Sunbeams School, was taken by the pandemic. It was a grief that weighed heavily, yet he carried on -- perhaps more subdued, but no less committed to the enterprises and institutions he had built.

ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY

In 1975, amid the government's privatisation of loss-making tanneries, Elahi successfully acquired Orient Tannery, marking his entry into mainstream leather manufacturing. This venture laid the foundation for Apex, which he took public in 1982 to finance capital-intensive operations. In 1990, he expanded into footwear manufacturing.

It was not an easy road. Early on, Apex faced quality control issues. After securing an order from Japan's largest shoe retailer, Marutomi, 97 percent of the shoes failed quality tests. It was a crushing blow. But Elahi did not waver. He took the setback as a lesson, refining Apex's manufacturing processes and elevating its standards to global levels.

"Today, his story reaches its final chapter. But legends do not end; they echo. His name will be whispered in boardrooms, etched into ambition, and carried in the steps of those who walk in his shoes—quite literally," Apex said in a statement.

His unwavering belief in Bangladesh's potential propelled him forward. He championed the use of technology to give Apex a competitive edge, ensuring that "Made in Bangladesh" became synonymous with quality in the global footwear industry.

Elahi's leadership philosophy was centred on power-sharing, selecting the right people, and fostering an environment conducive to growth.

"You should try to conduct a meeting or run an organisation through respect, not fear. Respect is a much stronger affection than love," he often said.

Elahi leaves behind his beloved family -- his daughter Munize Manzur, son Syed Nasim Manzur, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

Now, he is gone. But the legacies of figures like him do not simply fade. "His legacy shall endure as a man who refused to be anything but extraordinary -- Bangladesh stands indebted to you," Apex said.