Mr. Afzal Husain Choudhury is the Founder President and Trustee of ASHIC, Foundation For Childhood Cancer. A lifelong entrepreneur in diverse industries, he formed the roots of ASHIC, as a way to pull Mrs. Choudhury out of her depression after losing Ashiq.
​
A pioneering businessman, he is a known name in telecommunications in Bangladesh, where he has been a subject matter expert since the 1970s. His philanthropic spirit has touched the lives of many people beyond the world of childhood cancer.
Afzal H. Choudhury
Trained as an engineer, Afzal joined the telecommunications industry when Bangladesh was still recognized as East Pakistan. Post-liberation in 1971, he joined the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Department as a young trainee, and specialized in satellite communications. After a few years, he formed his company and over the decades built several businesses in engineering services and infrastructure. As Chairman of Sheba Group, he oversaw its philanthropic arm through the Salma Afzal Trust until he had to retire in early 2022.
​
Being a helpful neighbor and civic servant is a big part of how Afzal chooses to live. Upon Ashiq's passing, which left him deeply affected given the special bond he shared with his youngest son, he once again turned to philanthropy as a way to heal. Always looking for gaps in the market, his initial survey revealed that in 1993-94, there were no institutional services catering to children living with cancer in Bangladesh. There were no databases tracking incidence of the disease nor were there specialty treatment centers. He launched ASHIC and empowered Salma to monitor daily operations. Together, husband and wife were able to create a platform for childhood cancer in Bangladesh, methodically taking it from a small community service organization to a recognized center of excellence of pediatric oncology in South Asia.
​
Afzal Choudhury, ever the supportive husband and partner, next to Salma Choudhury at ICCD celebrations, February 2022