Fazle Hasan Abed

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Records

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed's achievements are remarkable for their scale and impact. He built BRAC from a small relief operation into the world's largest NGO by staff count, reaching over 100 million people. His pioneering microfinance plus model has been replicated globally, and his non-formal education program became one of the largest private education systems in the world.His knighthood in 2010 was a rare honor for a development practitioner, and the posthumous Independence Award in 2025 underscores his enduring significance to Bangladesh. Abed's legacy is not just in the institutions he founded but in the millions of lives improved through his work.

AwardsSir Fazle Hasan Abed received numerous prestigious awards for his work in poverty alleviation and development. These include the World Food Prize in 2015, the Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 2008, and the Gates Award for Global Health. He was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 and posthumously received Bangladesh's Independence Award in 2025.

Honours & Distinctions

Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

Queen Elizabeth II·2010

Conferred for services to development

Independence Award

Government of Bangladesh·2025

Posthumously awarded, the nation's highest civilian honor

Francis Medal

University of Michigan

Awarded for outstanding contributions to society

Rankings & Lists

Most Influential Poverty Fighter You've Never Heard Of

NPR·2016

Records & Feats

Founded the world's largest NGO by staff count

Career Milestone·2019

BRAC employs over 100,000 people, making it the largest non-governmental organization in the world.