Denim mogul Nasir Uddin breathes his last

When Md Nasir Uddin started a small factory in 1984 to produce jeans for an Italian brand, he may not have yet known the legacy he was about to carve out.

Starting with only 500 people, in a 37-year journey Nasir's name became synonymous with denim, as he etched his name in the history books as a pioneer of denim production, becoming the largest denim garment producer in the entire subcontinent.   

His company, Pacific Jeans group -- one of the leading denim finishers in the world -- became an institution for premium jeans.

On Monday, at the age of 71, Nasir Uddin breathed his last at a Bangkok hospital, having blazed a trail and leaving a lasting impact on the world.

Currently, Pacific Jeans group employs over 35,000 people at 10 production units, making about 40 million pieces of jeans a year and exporting to more than 50 countries.

The group has an annual turnover of $400 million.

It has also won numerous export trophies -- Gold, Silver and Bronze -- over the years as the highest exporter in the category of 100% Bangladeshi-owned factories located in the export processing zones. 

In 1996, Pacific Jeans established a factory in Chittagong Export Processing Zone with 1,500 people.

After that, it has been enjoying consistent growth of 12-15% every year.

In 2000, the group added another production facility, Jeans 2000 Ltd, before setting up Universal Jeans Ltd in 2008 and NHT Fashion Ltd in 2015, all under the Pacific Jeans group umbrella.

The USA and around 20 European countries are the major export destinations of Pacific Jeans. It has also focused on unconventional markets in Asia like China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Under the visionary leadership of Nasir Uddin, the group also established Pacific Casual Ltd, a knitwear garment company in 2019 aiming to diversify its export basket.

It then moved to textile, setting up Pacific Knitex Ltd, a backward linkage industry of knit garment in 2021.

The group also tied up with Marriott International to construct a 5-star luxury business hotel in Chattogram, which is expected to launch at the end of this year.

Nasir Uddin also served as a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

His elder son Syed Mohammed Tanvir is currently serving as the managing director of Pacific Jeans and vice president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Nasir Uddin leaves behind his wife, three sons, relatives and a host of well-wishers to mourn his death.

His body will be brought from Bangkok to Chattogram on 2 March. 

Md Nasir Uddin's first janaza will be held at Chittagong EPZ and the second one at Jamiatul Falah Jame Mosque in Chattogram. 

He is supposed to be buried in his family graveyard in Chattogram's Salimpur near the City Gate area.