Khuda Buksh

Khuda Buksh (1 February 1912 – 13 May 1974) was an eminent Bengali life insurance salesman and humanitarian from the Indian subcontinent.

For four decades he represented the "life and soul of the insurance industry" throughout the region, leaving his indelible mark on the business in three separate countries: British India (specifically in East India), Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Buksh passed the entrance examination from the Symacharan Edward Institution in 1929 in Koneshar, a village near Damodya, in the first division, with a distinction in mathematics.

He then went to Kolkatta and studied at Maulana Azad College, for two years and passed the intermediate (equivalent to Junior college)examination in 1932.

Later he studied at the prestigious Presidency College at Kolkata for two years, working towards his bachelor's degree.

Throughout college, he boarded with the family of Habibur Rahman, a captain of a commercial ocean liner, who was often away from home.

Along with his studies, Buksh looked after Rahman's household affairs and his bed-ridden wife and two school-going children just like a guardian for the family.

However, due to health and familial complications, he was unable to complete the degree.

Subsequently, Buksh accepted a part-time job as a librarian at the college.

Buksh joined the Oriental Government Security Life Assurance Company (OGSLAC) in Calcutta on 2 December 1935, assuming a clerical position.

Atahar Ali, an insurance man recognized Buksh's "highly developed sense of persuasive power" motivated him to pursue life insurance selling career.

Desiring to serve humanity, he immediately dedicated himself to becoming a full-time life insurance agent.

He was the first among the Muslims to join the OGSLAC field force.

In Hindu dominated Calcutta, there were only a handful of Bengali Muslims rich enough to buy an insurance policy and Islamic fundamentalism discouraged insurance as un-Islamic.

Religious minded-people believed that the idea that one could reduce risks in life and business through insurance went against the sovereignty of God.

The dominating view at the time was that only worthless people worked for insurance companies, and insurance agents were not welcomed into people's homes.

He soon realized how ordinary people's ignorance of good financial systems deprived them of tremendous benefits; he realized that this ignorance was due, in great part, to the poor strategies being used to present the benefits of insurance to the masses.

"People generally had no respect for insurance salesmanship, [and] the profession was very much looked down upon," he said.

Buksh, endowed with a natural "persuasive power," vowed to change this perception.

He applied his "challenging mentality" and "indomitable spirit" to selling life insurance policies door-to-door.

This became his life's mission.

He carried a light folding chair with him on his rounds and, if a client did not offer him a seat, he would use his folding chair.

He preached the message of life insurance to every home, promoting the idea that life insurance is an indispensable part of everyday lives.

He was enthusiastic and confident, and he held his hopes high and was determined to succeed.

His charm, passion for understanding people, and business savvy helped to win the hearts of Muslims and Hindus.

He established himself as reputable insurance salesman and "made a name for himself as a first class insurer."

Buksh, or "Insurance Giant," as he became known, gained fame in the 1940s, specifically for his salesmanship in East India.

In 1946, the OGSLAC promoted him to inspector.

From the 1950s to 1960s, he helped build one of Pakistan's top insurance companies from scratch, placing it on the world map.

He was the pioneer of life insurance industry growth and development in Bangladesh; his name became "synonymous with the life insurance industry," and he is even referred to, in Bangladesh, as the "Father of Insurance."

Buksh was born in Damodya, a remote village in the Shariatpur District of East Bengal under British India.

He was the oldest of six children born to Shonabuddin Hawladar and Arjuta Khatun.

As a child, Buksh was known to be friendly, respectful, religious, generous, kind-hearted, and ethical.

Being affected by the poverty and destitution he witnessed in his village, Buksh tried to help those who were less fortunate than he was.

In grade school, he repurchased the same math textbook for class to give it to classmates who could not afford their own books.

He was recognized as talented student and obtained scholarships at all levels of schooling.

He stood first in his class from primary to middle school and in high school he stood first or second.

He was the captain of his football team playing the center-forward position.

His team was successful, competing outside of its sub-division and winning many trophies.

Additionally, Buksh possessed an ingenious mind and exceptional interpersonal skills.