City Group

City Group is a diversified Bangladeshi conglomerate founded by businessman Fazlur Rahman. The group traces its origin to 6 February 1972, when it began operations as City Oil Mills, a mustard-oil venture. From that initial food-processing activity, it developed a broad portfolio of manufacturing, trading, consumer-goods, infrastructure, and service businesses across Bangladesh. The group's expansion accelerated after its original oil operation, with investments in manufacturing and industrial activities and the establishment of additional enterprises during the early 1990s. Its portfolio subsequently came to include edible oils, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, bran oil, animal-feed products, seed crushing, plastics, synthetic materials, containers, printing and packaging, steel re-rolling, shipping and navigation, power and energy, securities, insurance, tea estates, media, communications, and healthcare. The group is described as operating more than 25 major concerns, although public listings associated with the group identify a larger collection of named subsidiaries, affiliates, and operating businesses. Food and consumer products remain central to City Group's identity. Its businesses include oil mills and refineries, flour mills, sugar and salt operations, food-product companies, and related agricultural and packaging activities. Products associated with the group include edible oils marketed under the Teer name, as well as flour, sugar, salt, pulses, and other food items. Its industrial interests extend into plastics, PET products, containers, fibers, synthetic materials, steel, and packaging, providing links between manufacturing and consumer-goods distribution. City Group has also pursued projects outside traditional food manufacturing. Its listed concerns include companies involved in navigation, power and energy, insurance, securities, hospitals, television, radio, and communications. The group has proposed a private-sector Hi-Tech Park in Demra, Dhaka, intended to manufacture technology products such as microprocessors, chips, circuits, mobile phones, and laptops. The proposal illustrates the conglomerate's stated ambition to diversify into higher-technology production, although the available reference material does not establish the park's completion or operating status. In 2017, the government of Bangladesh approved the export of 57,273 tonnes of sugar by Deshbandhu Group and City Group. City Group has also faced regulatory scrutiny. In 2019, a Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution inspector filed a case after the group's Teer oil reportedly failed a laboratory test concerning Vitamin A levels. In 2022, a Chittagong court issued an arrest warrant for chairman Fazlur Rahman in a related case alleging non-compliance with Bangladesh's edible-oil fortification requirements. These allegations and legal proceedings should be distinguished from a final judicial finding; the supplied reference does not state a final outcome. City Group is therefore best understood as a Bangladesh-focused corporate house whose origins lie in edible-oil manufacturing and whose activities span a wide range of industrial and service sectors. Its public profile is anchored by food production and consumer goods, while its broader structure reflects the diversified-conglomerate model common in Bangladesh's private sector.

City Group was established in Bangladesh on 6 February 1972 by Fazlur Rahman, beginning as City Oil Mills, a venture focused on mustard oil. The business was founded in the early years of independent Bangladesh, when food processing and essential consumer goods were important areas of private-sector development. Its initial oil-milling operation became the base from which the organization expanded into a wider corporate group. After establishing its first project, City Group invested in additional manufacturing, industrial, and trading activities. The group's diversification became more visible in the early 1990s, when it added or developed enterprises connected with consumer goods, foods, steel, printing and packaging, shipping, power and energy, securities, insurance, media, and healthcare. Rather than remaining a single-product manufacturer, the organization adopted a conglomerate structure containing businesses serving different parts of the industrial and consumer economy. Food manufacturing has remained an important part of the group's history and public identity. Its named concerns include edible-oil mills and refineries, flour mills, sugar and salt companies, seed-crushing operations, bran-oil production, feed products, and other food businesses. The group also developed packaging and plastics capabilities, including PET, containers, printing, and related materials. These activities support the production, packaging, and distribution of consumer goods and connect City Group's industrial operations with its food portfolio. The group's diversification has extended beyond manufacturing. Its listed businesses include navigation and shipping, power and energy, insurance, securities, tea estates, hospitals, television, radio, and communications. The group has also announced plans for a Hi-Tech Park in Demra, Dhaka. The proposed facility was intended to be a major privately developed technology park and was described as a potential site for producing microprocessors, chips, circuits, mobile phones, and laptops. The available reference material does not confirm that the project became operational. City Group participated with Deshbandhu Group in a government-approved sugar export of 57,273 tonnes in 2017. This event reflects the scale of its involvement in Bangladesh's food and commodity sectors, although the reference does not provide further details on destination markets, revenue, or the companies' respective allocations. The group later became the subject of regulatory and legal controversy over edible-oil fortification. In October 2019, BSTI inspector Rajiv Dasgupta filed a case alleging that Teer oil had failed a Vitamin A test conducted by the BSTI laboratory. The case statement reportedly connected the allegation to Bangladesh's Edible Oil Fortification with Vitamin A Act 2013 and related government requirements. On 14 July 2022, a Chittagong court issued an arrest warrant for City Group chairman Fazlur Rahman in a case brought by BSTI concerning alleged failure to maintain required Vitamin A levels in soybean and palm oils. The supplied material does not provide a final court judgment or resolution, so the allegations should not be treated as established findings. Today, City Group is presented as a large Bangladesh-based conglomerate with more than 25 major concerns. Its portfolio spans food and consumer products, industrial manufacturing, packaging, logistics, energy, finance, media, healthcare, and proposed technology production. The company's development illustrates a transition from a single mustard-oil venture into a multi-sector corporate house, while its food businesses continue to provide the most recognizable foundation of the group.

1. 2022Arrest warrant issued in oil-standard case

   A Chittagong court issues an arrest warrant for chairman Fazlur Rahman in a BSTI case concerning alleged Vitamin A deficiencies in soybean and palm oils.

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2. 2019Vitamin A compliance case filed

   A BSTI inspector files a case alleging that Teer oil failed a laboratory test for required Vitamin A levels.

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3. 2017Sugar export approval

   Bangladesh approves the export of 57,273 tonnes of sugar by Deshbandhu Group and City Group.

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4. 1990Diversification accelerates

   During the early 1990s, the group expands into consumer goods, food, steel, printing and packaging, shipping, power and energy, securities, insurance, media, and healthcare.

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5. 1972City Oil Mills is established

   Fazlur Rahman establishes the original mustard-oil venture on 6 February, marking the beginning of City Group.

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A Bangladesh-based diversified conglomerate with a strong foundation in edible oils and food manufacturing, complemented by industrial production, logistics, media, financial services, healthcare, and proposed technology investments.

• Teer edible oilsEdible oils

  Teer is the group's named edible-oil brand and is associated with oil products including soybean and palm oil. Edible oils are central to City Group's origins and remain a major part of its consumer-products portfolio. The brand was also involved in a 2019 BSTI case concerning alleged Vitamin A levels.

• Flour productsFood staples

  City Group's listed flour businesses include Hasan Flour Mills, Rupshi Flour Mills, and Shampa Flour Mills. These operations form part of the group's staple-food manufacturing activities and complement its oil, sugar, salt, pulse, and other food businesses.

• Sugar and saltFood staples

  The group operates named sugar and salt concerns, including City Sugar Industries and City Salt Industries. Sugar has also featured in the group's commodity activities, including the government-approved export involving City Group and Deshbandhu Group in 2017.

• Food and feed productsFood and agricultural products

  City Group's portfolio includes food-product companies, dal and pulse milling, seed crushing, bran oil, and animal-feed production. Together these businesses reflect an integrated presence across agricultural processing and packaged-food manufacturing.

• Industrial and packaging productsIndustrial manufacturing

  Named industrial concerns cover PET and plastic products, containers, fibers, synthetic materials, steel re-rolling, and printing and packaging. These businesses give the group manufacturing capabilities beyond food processing and support packaging and industrial supply activities.

• 2017Participation in approved sugar exportStrategy

  City Group's food and commodity operations extended beyond domestic manufacturing into an export transaction.

  What changed. The Bangladeshi government approved an export of 57,273 tonnes of sugar by Deshbandhu Group and City Group.

  Aftermath. The reference confirms the approval but does not provide subsequent shipment, destination, or financial results.

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• Proposal for a private Hi-Tech ParkStrategy

  As part of its diversification beyond food and traditional manufacturing, City Group proposed a major privately developed technology park in Demra, Dhaka.

  What changed. The proposed park was intended to manufacture microprocessors, chips, circuits, mobile phones, and laptops.

  Aftermath. The available material does not establish whether the park was completed or began production.

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• 2022Arrest warrant concerning edible-oil standardsControversy

  A Chittagong court issued an arrest warrant for chairman Fazlur Rahman in a BSTI case alleging that soybean and palm oils did not maintain required Vitamin A levels. No final outcome is provided in the supplied reference.

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• 2019BSTI case over Vitamin A levels in Teer oilControversy

  A BSTI inspector filed a case alleging that Teer oil failed a Vitamin A test in a BSTI laboratory. The allegation concerned compliance with Bangladesh's edible-oil fortification requirements.

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• 2017Bangladesh approves sugar export involving City Group and Deshbandhu Group

  The Bangladeshi government approved the export of 57,273 tonnes of sugar by Deshbandhu Group and City Group.

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1. City Group