1- Syed Manzur Elahi was born in Kolkata on 26th February, 1942.
2-His Father was the Chief Justice of Kolkata High Court
3-Manzur lost his father at the age of four. He was brought up by his elder brother who was also Chief Justice of Kolkata High Court in 1977
4-He went to St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata for graduation and graduated in 1962
5-Then he attended Dhaka University for his post graduation in Economics
6-After post graduation, he wanted to be a CSP officer but one of his family friends convinced him to do otherwise and join corporate.
7-He started his corporate career by joining Pakistan Tobacco Company in 1965 as a Management Probationer officer. It was his first and last job.
8-In 1972 he met a French businessman namely Raymond Cleric, who was then bringing tannery chemicals from French and selling them in Hazaribag and was purchasing blue leather from Hazaribag and taking them to French. At one point, Raymond offered Syed Manzur Elahi to become his agent for both businesses in Dhaka.
9-Although Syed Manzur Elahi was excited about this new opportunity but his wife was exact opposite and against his will to venture into this uncertain path. However, he managed to convince his father in law Dr. Mofiz Choudhuri, who was a Minister in the Bangabondhu Cabinet back then, who helped Syed Manzur Elahi to convince his wife.
10-With that decision he resigned from Pakistan Tobacco Company on 26th September, 1972 and started his new journey
11-But he was looking for more. He wanted to be in manufacturing business instead of just working as an agent.
12-In 1975, when Government started to privatize state owned companies, Syed Manzur Elahi went to an auction and bid for Orient Tannery and won it at Taka 12.22 lacs. That was his start in the manufacturing and leather industry.
13-Apex tannery started its journey in 1976 and in 1982 it went public.
14-In 1990, Apex shoes launched.
15-Apex started its retail business in 2000.
16- Syed Manzur Elahi served as a sovereign advisor to Caretaker Government of Bangladesh in 1996 and 2001
17- In an interview Syed Mansur Elahi said, he follows J R D Tata as his role model
Source: Prime Bank Economic Newsletter, January 2013
