Rokia Afzal Rahman: A leader with a quiet strength

Perhaps it is no coincidence that she shared her name with Begum Rokeya, the pioneer of women's emancipation in the Indian subcontinent during British rule. Rokia Afzal Rahman certainly played a pioneering role in facilitating women's financial independence by creating opportunities for entrepreneurship.

She was the founder president of the first Women Entrepreneurs Association in Bangladesh in 1994, formed Women in Small Enterprises in 1996, and was the chairperson of Midas Financing Limited, which helped women in small businesses sell their products without the middlemen, through a minimart.

In fact, throughout her life, she had innumerable hats to wear -- chairperson of Mediaworld Limited, the holding company of The Daily Star; president of the Bangladesh Employers Federation; president of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries; chairperson of the board of directors of the Asian University for Women Support Foundation; an adviser to the 2001 caretaker government and a board member of several organisations, including the Central Bank of Bangladesh. Many of these organisations were involved in empowering women and so, aligned with her vision.

These titles, however, hardly do justice to the kind of individual she was.

Anyone who had met her would be struck by her elegance -- not just in appearance. Her demeanour too was dignified yet always approachable. She was warm and attentive to everyone, regardless of their social standing, and this was evident from the glowing, emotional tributes paid to her at her memorial when she passed away on this day last year. They were from those she had mentored, supported and inspired, those who felt empowered by her belief in them.  

Beneath that soft, maternal side, however, there was resoluteness and a quiet confidence that she exuded, drawing people to listen to her and take her seriously. No doubt her personal journey had a lot to do with that inner strength.

She was the eighth among 12 siblings of a conservative family. But her father, though very religious, encouraged her to pursue studies and supported her in starting a career even when other family members were not happy about it.

She started with banking, becoming the first woman bank manager in Bangladesh and stayed in the sector for seven years.

In 1980, she left work to take care of her children and then started her own agro-business with RR Cold Storage Limited as a storage for potatoes and seeds. She helped the farmers get loans by being their guarantor. Being a woman, it was not easy to do business and she faced resistance from the farmers, who were all men. But when they realised that she knew what she was doing, they were quick to accept and respect her.

Her toughness came out on various occasions. Many a time, formidable gangsters who wanted to extort money from her to let her continue doing business threatened her with death. But she did not waver and remained firm in refusing to pander to their demands. 

She was a successful businesswoman and mentor, but that did not stop her from being a devoted mother and doting grandmother. She loved to cook and garden, travel the world and be close to nature. She was modern yet deeply spiritual, always believing in the power of prayer.

She lost her life-partner and best friend Azimur Rahman, the founding chair of Mediaworld in 2001 and was left heartbroken.

After his passing, Rokia became the Chairperson of Mediaworld.

It was an inadvertent entry into the world of journalism and her astute business sense, wisdom, respect for the free media and general ability to disarm those who met her made her an important figure in The Daily Star's most significant events and a guide for its steady revenue growth.

For many of us at The Daily Star, her calming and warm presence will be sorely missed. We will always remember her ability to inspire and give hope, and how she was brave no matter how formidable the odds.