Syed Arif's journey from being employee to shipping entrepreneur

Syed Mohammad Arif, who was born and brought up in the Chattogram port area due to his father's job, dreamed of making a career in the shipping sector since his childhood.

He joined the shipping company Birds Bangladesh Agencies while he was completing his graduation at the Chattogram University in 1984, but could not find satisfaction in his scope of work there. So, he started his own business and gradually built up seven companies in the shipping sector.

Currently, over 200 people work in these companies involved in shipping lines, logistics, freight forwarding, transportation, and survey in international sea routes. Their salary is around Tk25 lakh per month.

Syed Arif's shipping companies currently handle five ships carrying around two lakh metric tonnes of goods per month to and from Chattogram port on an average. These ships belonging to companies based in China, Japan, Switzerland transport products including fertilisers, scrap, and general cargo from different parts of the world.

His companies also handle transportation of equipment and coal for various mega projects including Rampal Power Plant, Barapukuria Coal Mine, Ghorashal Fertiliser Factory, and Matarbari deep seaport projects.

Apart from his own companies, Syed Arif owns 15% of Trans Global Shipping Line, which has five barges, 35 charter barges and five lighter vessels.

Syed Arif's shipping companies mainly act as Bangladeshi agents for bulk carriers coming from different countries. They have handled over 200 ships from around 120 countries that come to Bangladesh.

After joining Birds Bangladesh Agencies, Syed Arif felt that maybe he will be able to run his family comfortably with this job, but he cannot contribute to the welfare of the country and provide employment to many people.

He also thought it is not possible to have a regular job and set up a business in the shipping sector at the same time, but Birds Bangladesh Agencies Managing Director Mahbub Rahman gave him that opportunity.

Syed Arif initially started a fish farm in Fatikchhari upazila of Chattogram. Then he started a logistics company called RTL in 1990 on the basis of partnership. He was the managing director of the company.

In 2000 he withdrew himself from the partnership business and founded a conglomerate called Amms International Limited (AIL), which has five separate business entities acting as shipping agent, freight forwarder, importer, marine surveyor, and logistics service provider. Syed Arif is currently the managing director of AIL.

In 2015, he launched two more companies named ABC Freight Forwarding and Shipping Ltd and ABC Shipping Lines Ltd. At present, he is serving as the chairman of ABC Freight Forwarding and Shipping Line and director of ABC Shipping Lines.

Syed Arif was an executive director of Birds Bangladesh Agencies when he wanted to resign from the company, but his employer did not want to sever ties with him, so, currently he is acting an advisor to the company.

Syed Arif told The Business Standard, "Mainly talent and networking capability are the capital in the shipping business. Integrity, competence and commitment have expanded my organisations' reach into the international maritime sector. We are planning to buy seagoing Bangladeshi flag carrier ships in future. Once the global downturn in the shipping sector is overcome, we will buy bulk carriers or container ships."

He said, "For the past three years, there has been a turmoil in the shipping sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which made it very difficult to pay the employees' salaries. However, I have been able to pay full salaries to over 200 employees of my companies, which makes my entrepreneurship meaningful."

Syed Arif is currently serving as the chairman of Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association and the president of Shipping Executive Cooperative Society.

He is also the Vice President of Chattogram University Ex-Student Association Batch-83, member of Chattogram Diabetic Association, Bangladesh Insurance Surveyors Association, Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Globalink USA, Africa Logistic Network and is associated with various professional and international networks.