Staff Reporter :
Alhaj Advocate Md. Shah Alam is best known as a distinguished lawyer, though he is equally renowned across Bangladesh as a prominent businessman and industrialist. As the founder of the Matador Group, one of the country’s leading industrial conglomerates, he has created employment opportunities for around four thousand people. He has earned wide acclaim for ensuring timely payment to all his employees – a rare practice that reflects his integrity and sense of responsibility.
He began his business journey in 1980 with the launch of Matador Pen. Through relentless hard work, vision, and dedication, he transformed the Matador Group into a highly respected industrial enterprise in Bangladesh. His story stands as a testament to extraordinary success in both law and business.
In Old Dhaka, he is affectionately known as “Shah Alam Ukil” (Shah Alam the Lawyer) – a proud and respected son of the area. He has long been admired for his commitment to providing legal assistance and financial support to the poor and distressed. Despite his generosity, he has always preferred to avoid publicity, remaining humble and distant from the media spotlight.
He once remarked, “To my knowledge, I have never wished ill upon my fellow residents or relatives. I have only ever wished them well.
I ask all of you to pray for me and my children.”
Alhaj Shah Alam has constructed numerous religious and charitable establishments across Bangladesh. Among them are the Rafiqul Islam Molla Madrasa and Mosque Complex, built at a cost of several crores of Taka, and the Borhanpur Jame Mosque in Hazaribagh, modeled after traditional Saudi architecture and admired by all.
He has also extended his generosity to the Kazirbagh Mosque and Madrasa, Azim Uddin Huzur’s Orphanage, Matador Staff Quarter Mosque, and the Joy Sara Chowdhury Bari Mosque, Madrasa, and Orphanage in Hajiganj, Chandpur. In addition, he has personally funded the construction of several mosques and madrasas in Kamrangirchar, Dhaka.
Beyond Dhaka, he has built a mosque in the Habiganj district and provided financial aid to hundreds of madrasas, orphanages, and mosques across the country. Among his many charitable endeavors, he considers his efforts to sponsor the Hajj pilgrimage for underprivileged individuals to be his most meaningful contribution.
He also extends financial assistance to the children of his employees and offers scholarships to meritorious students. In his deep concern for the welfare of the poor, he established the Matador Hospital in the Hazaribagh area to ensure access to healthcare for those in need.
Reflecting on his life, he humbly says, “Everything I have done for people is visible – so how can I evaluate myself? It is for the local community and the media to judge my work.”
His family continues his legacy of service and scholarship. One of his sons is a professor and chairman of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka, while another son, Md. Jahangir Alam, serves as the president of a local school and mosque.
Like their father, his sons are also engaged in social and philanthropic work, providing financial support to struggling families, especially those burdened by dowry demands, and standing beside the poor, distressed, and hardworking people of their community.
It is the collective hope of the Muslim Ummah that compassionate and socially committed individuals like Alhaj Advocate Md. Shah Alam will continue to emerge across Bangladesh, dedicating their lives to the welfare and progress of the nation and its people.
