USA Bureau 

 Six distinguished individuals were honoured with the International Business Excellence Awards 2026 in recognition of their significant contributions to business, entrepreneurship, professional leadership, technology education, investment, banking, healthcare, and social service in Bangladesh and internationally.

The awards were jointly presented by the Bangladesh-USA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BUCCI) and the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce recently. 

Award documentation highlighted that the recipients' endeavors drove business growth, job creation, trade, investment, and global commercial opportunities while strengthening economic and trade linkages between Bangladesh, the United States, and global markets.

Syed Zaki Hossain, founder and chairman of Modern Packaging Inc. and a philanthropist, was recognized for decades of leadership in engineering and manufacturing, as well as his continuous philanthropic investments in healthcare and education across Long Island and Bangladesh. Educated at BUET and the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Hossain founded Modern Packaging Inc. in 1989 and later co-founded PDF Seal Inc. and Pintail Coffee Inc.

Liakat Hossain, founder and executive vice president of Advance Pharmaceutical Inc., received the honor for decades of pharmaceutical manufacturing leadership and innovation in US and international markets. The inventor of REVIVIFY®, his patented Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) soluble fiber composition holds patents in the United States, China, and Bangladesh.

Abubokor Hanip, Chairman and Chancellor of Washington University of Science and Technology (WUST) and founder and CEO of PeopleNTech, was honored for his leadership in technology education and career development bridging the US and Bangladesh. Through WUST's three-pronged mission of "Degree, Skill, and Career," he has expanded career-oriented technology training globally.

Kazi Helal Ahmed, founder, chairman, and CEO of International Finance & Development Corporation (IFDC), was awarded for global leadership in investment banking and private equity. Founded in 2001, New York-based IFDC operates as a global investment banking group. Ahmed also leads IFDC Capital Group and co-founded DBank, a decentralized digital bank.

Golam Faruk Bhuiyan, founder and chairman of GFB Group, was recognized for his entrepreneurial success in establishing a diversified international conglomerate alongside his sustained patronage of Bengali arts, culture, and community organizations. GFB Group's operations span perfume manufacturing, import-export, logistics, and industrial real estate. A former president of the Bangladesh Association of New Jersey, Bhuiyan migrated to the US in 1997 and expanded his enterprise by establishing Ninon Corporation in 2001.

Dr. Arifur Rahman, Chairman of Premier Bank PLC, received the accolade for his contributions to public health, banking leadership, and social welfare in Bangladesh. A graduate of Dhaka Medical College who developed his professional career in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Rahman served as Premier Bank's founding vice chairman before assuming the role of chairman.

 Award citation note  highlighted his efforts in raising 23 crore Saudi Riyals to construct cyclone shelters in Barishal and his involvement in implementing Bangladesh's first government-approved clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine.