Tamara Hasan Abed is a visionary social entrepreneur whose work spans innovation, education, and women’s empowerment. As Managing Director of BRAC’s eleven social enterprises, including Aarong, BRAC Dairy, BRAC Seed & Agro, and BRAC Healthcare Ltd., she has empowered thousands of artisans, especially women, by preserving traditional crafts and creating sustainable economic opportunities. Tamara Abed was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2010, received the Exceptional Women of Excellence Award in 2021, and was recognised as CEO/MD of the Year at the Bangladesh C-Suite Awards in 2022. A passionate advocate for ethical innovation, inclusive growth, and cultural preservation, she remains an influential role model in global social entrepreneurship



How did Aarong’s early history shape its founding vision as a pioneering social enterprise?

To understand Aarong’s early history, we need to go back to the early days of BRAC. After the liberation war, BRAC started working on relief and rehabilitation, then gradually shifted toward long-term development. The work started in Sullah, then moved into other underserved regions like Manikgang and Jamalpur, where BRAC sought ways to bring gainful employment to women and infuse work into the rural economy.

When Aarong was launched, BRAC didn’t yet fully anticipate the role it would play in defining something we now call social enterprise. By its very nature, a social enterprise exists to solve a social issue and serve a social purpose, with profits reinvested into the community. That is exactly what Aarong does. The surplus it generates is ploughed back into BRAC’s broader development programs, continuing the cycle of empowerment and community development.

AARONG HAS STEADILY EXPANDED ITS FOOTPRINT ACROSS BANGLADESH, GROWING ITS NETWORK OF STORES AND DIVERSIFYING ITS PRODUCT LINES. NOW, “STEPPING BOLDLY INTO THE FUTURE” MEANS LOOKING BEYOND OUR BORDERS.