Square Group: A global conglomerate from humble beginnings

In 1952, Samson H Chowdhury returned to his village of Ataikula in Pabna after finishing his education in India. His father worked there as a medical officer in a small outdoor dispensary, and Samson soon joined the trade by opening a tiny pharmacy of his own. At the time, the village was physically cut off from the capital by 160 kilometres of rough roads, but the real distance was between the local population and their access to life-saving medicine.

Working at that small dispensary, Samson watched his neighbours struggle to find reliable drugs. He soon realised that the only way to ensure a steady, trustworthy supply was to manufacture the medicines locally.

By 1958, he approached three of his friends to pool their resources. They each put up Tk80,000 – a substantial amount at the time – to start a pharmaceutical company. They chose the name 'Square' for two reasons: it was founded by four friends, and they wanted it to represent "a square deal" for consumers. For the founders, that phrase meant accuracy and a level of quality the public could blindly trust.

In its early years, Square had to compete in a market almost entirely controlled by foreign multinationals with decades of experience and massive budgets. A major turning point arrived in 1974 when they struck a technical collaboration with Belgium's Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The partnership forced Square to refine its manufacturing processes to align with global standards. It was a rigorous education that proved a local company could meet the same exacting requirements as any Western firm.

The breakthrough came in 1985. Just 27 years after its founding, Square overtook every national and multinational company to become the market leader in Bangladesh. It was a position it would never relinquish. By 1987, Square became the first company to export Bangladeshi-made medicine to the global market, proving that the "square deal" was a universal language. Today, those products reach more than 40 countries.

But as the brand became a household name, Samson realised their philosophy of quality could expand far beyond the medicine cabinet. He understood a basic human truth: if people trusted Square with their health and the lives of their children, they would likely trust them with their daily household needs. This insight was the seed that grew Square into a massive conglomerate.

In 1988, they launched Square Toiletries as a separate division. If a mother trusted a Square antibiotic, she would trust Square soap or detergent. This was followed by a move into the textile industry. In 1997, Square Textiles Ltd started its journey, followed by spinning and knitting fabric units. By the late nineties, Square was not just a drug company; it was becoming the backbone of the country's industrial landscape.

The growth was relentless but calculated. In 1994, the company went public, inviting ordinary citizens to share in the business Samson had built. A year later, they reached a significant milestone by producing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). Previously, the raw materials for drugs were largely imported. By manufacturing their own, Square did not just help itself; it began providing the essential building blocks for the entire local pharmaceutical industry.

By the turn of the millennium, the name Square was visible everywhere. In 2001 alone, they incorporated Square InformatiX, Square Consumer Products, and Square Fashions. They were making everything from tea and spices to high-end garments and IT solutions. Yet, for Samson, the heart of the business always remained healthcare. In 2006, this journey came full circle with the opening of Square Hospitals in Dhaka. By partnering with international entities like Methodist Healthcare in the US and SingHealth in Singapore, the state-of-the-art facility brought world-class medical care to home soil. It meant that a Bangladeshi citizen no longer had to fly to Bangkok or Singapore to find safety.

Today, the Square conglomerate is an icon of the country's economic rise. It employs around 33,000 people and records an annual turnover exceeding Tk 6,000 crore. But the scale of the business has not eroded the values Samson H Chowdhury established in that village dispensary. Until his passing in 2012, Samson remained an early signatory of the UN Global Compact, maintaining a strict stance against child labour and corruption. His "Zero Tolerance" policy was not just a slogan; it was the law within the group.

Samson often viewed business as a means to achieve the material and social well-being of society. This belief is why Square's presence is felt not just in the markets, but in the culture. From sponsoring national sporting events to the Meril-Prothom Alo festival, the brand has woven itself into the national identity.

From a Tk 80,000 investment in a remote village to a leading global conglomerate, Square's journey is a story of local grit. Holding a massive 17% share of the local pharmaceutical market, the company stands as a testament to Samson H Chowdhury's original vision. It proves that an honest 'square deal' –- one rooted in quality and transparency – can build more than just a business; it can build a nation's industrial confidence. What started with four friends in Pabna has become a legacy that touches the life of almost every person in Bangladesh, every single day.