BRB Cable Industries Ltd, a leading wire and cable manufacturer of the country, received the Enterprise of the Year award, while Hasina Newaaz, proprietor of Orchid Printers, was awarded as the Outstanding Woman in Business.

Youngone Group received the Special Achievement Award and Fazlur Rahman, chairman of City Group of Industries, was honoured as the Business Person of the Year.

Jointly introduced by The Daily Star and DHL Worldwide Express six years ago, the awards are given every year in recognition of excellence of enterprises and business-persons in different fields of business to felicitate and inspire them.

Selima Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, announced the name of the Enterprise of the Year and handed over the award to Md Mazibar Rahman, chairman of BRB Cable Industries Ltd, at a gala ceremony in the Sonargaon Hotel ballroom following a fascinating laser show.

Mir Nasir Hossain, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), announced the name of the Outstanding Woman in Business of the Year 2005 and handed over the award to Hasina Newaaz.

Scott Price, chief executive officer of DHL Express, Asia Pacific, announced the name of the recipient of Special Achievement Award 2005 and handed it over to Kihak Sung, chairman of Youngone group.

Finally, Salehuddin Ahmed, governor of Bangladesh Bank, announced the name of the Business Person of the Year 2005 and handed the award to Fazlur Rahman.

Diplomats, business leaders, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, professionals and government officials attended the event.

Following the announcement of the names of award winners one by one amid pin-drop silence, the audience burst into applause congratulating the business heroes. Two giant screens displayed their exemplary successes in brief.

Receiving the Enterprise of the Year 2005 Award on behalf of BRB Cable Industries Ltd, Mazibar Rahman said producing quality products is the key to success.

"Being an entrepreneur, I do all these not only for myself. Industries create jobs and at the end benefit people," he said.

Expressing her reaction to winning the Outstanding Woman in Business of the Year 2005 Award, Hasina Newaaz elaborating on the start of her business said it is possible to start a business with a small capital.

"But sincerity is the key to success. I had to overcome financial limitations and social problems to become a woman entrepreneur," she told the gala event.

After receiving the Special Achievement Award on behalf of Youngone group, Kihak Sung said Youngone is a Bangladeshi company and it carries 'Made in Bangladesh' on the global market.

He said Youngone wants Bangladesh to take a step forward in the industrial sector.

Fazlur Rahman, who was awarded the Business Person of the Year 2005, said willingness, commitment and quality products are the keys to his success in business.

Earlier, Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam observed that it is a tremendous success of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs that they made their presence in the global market despite facing severe obstacles and limitations at home.

It was told that thousands of garment workers would lose jobs after phasing out of quota in the US market from 2005 but it is the entrepreneurs who have successfully overcome it, he said.

Scott Price said Bangladesh is a growing country and increasingly making its presence stronger in the industrial sector and the readymade garment sector is one of them.

Hard work and persistence are key in the business, he observed adding that the achievements of the business leaders benefit the community.

Speaking at the event, Salehuddin Ahmed said Bangladesh is now growing at six percent rate and the credit for this goes to the business entrepreneurs, as they are the driving force behind it despite facing many problems.

In his concluding remarks, Desmond Quiah, country manager of DHL Worldwide Express, Bangladesh, said the awards are a recognition of the contributions of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs as they are usually not recognised properly.