Mr. Latifur Rahman, Chairman of Transcom Group and Vice President of ICC Bangladesh left Dhaka today ( May 6) for receiving Business for Peace Award 2012. ICC Bangladesh President Mahbubur Rahman is also joining the Award Ceremony at the invitation of Business for Peace Foundation. The Oslo Award is the highest distinction given to a businessperson for outstanding accomplishments in the area of ethical business.

The Award will be presented in Oslo on 7 May, taking place as part of the Oslo Peace through Trade Summit to be held in Oslo City Hall, Norway. The Summit entitled ‘Essences of Trust in Business Today’ will feature Keynote speeches by H.E.Alexandra Christina, Countess of Fredriksborg and Roberto Servitje Sendra, Founding Member and Chairman of Grupo Bimbo.

This year the seven Honourees, including Mr.Latifur Rahman have been selected from out of 90 candidates from 60 countries. The remaining six recipients of the Business for Peace Award 2012 are : Ibrahim Abouleish (Egypt), Anil Agarwal (India) Eduardo Eurnekian (Argentina), Vladas Lasas (Lithuania), David W. Mac Lennan (USA) and Reginal A. Mengi (Tanzania).

An independent committee of Nobel Prize Winners in peace and economics decide the recipients of the Award. They adhere to the criteria for Being Businessworthy stipulated by the Foundation. The Award Giving Committee consists of Professor Muhammad Yunus (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2006) Professor A. Michael Spence (Nobel Prize Laureate in Economic Sciences 2001). Professor Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2004) who died on September 25, 2011 was the third Member of the Committee.

The supporting partners of the Business for Peace Foundation are International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), The world business organization, World Chambers Federation (WCF), The City of Oslo, The Oslo Chamber of Commerce and the initiators of The Oslo World Trade Centre (OWTC).

It may be mentioned that the Business for Peace Foundation, Oslo has been awarding the Oslo Business for Peace Award since 2009. In 2009 and 2010 among others, who received the Award include world renowned business personalities. In 2010, Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group of India, Mr. Francis Yeoh, Managing Director YTL Corporation, Malaysia (infrastructure, hotel chain, etc.) and in 2009, Mr. Jeffery R. Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) of USA, Mr. Anders Dahlvig, CEO of IKEA, Sweden and Mr. Zhengrong Shi, Chairman and CEO of Suntech Power (the largest manufacturer of Solar Modules in the world) were among the recipients of the Award.