Fazle Hasan Abed honoured with Dutch Knighthood 

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of the international development organisation, Brac, has accepted the insignia of the Royal Knighthood bestowed upon him by Harry Verweij, Dutch Ambassador to Bangladesh, on behalf of King Willem Alexander of The Netherlands.

A brief ceremony took place at Sir Fazle's residence in Dhaka city on Wednesday evening. Sir Fazle's family members along with representatives from The Netherlands embassy were present at the event.

Sir Fazle expressed his delight at the acknowledgement by the Dutch Crown. "Being named an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau is an immense honour," he said.

"The Netherlands has been a great friend and supporter to Brac over the decades and our connection with the country has deepened since establishing the base of our international operations there 10 years ago. As Brac expands globally, we look forward to working together to advance the causes of people living in situations of poverty and deprivation".

The ambassador in his speech highlighted Sir Fazle's holistic vision and entrepreneurial approach to poverty alleviation and women's empowerment. "Sir Fazle has always strived to uphold human dignity, resilience, integrity and inclusion - these values have been at the heart of the successful development of Brac."