Aziz Khan’s Anjuman & Aziz Charitable Trust announced in June 2025 its expansion to support nearly 10,000 disadvantaged children across Bangladesh, representing a significant scale-up from its initial focus on 3,000 students. Founded in 2020 by Summit Group chairman Aziz Khan and his wife Anjuman Khan, AACT’s growth demonstrates systematic expansion through diversified partnerships rather than single-program dependency.
AACT’s expansion builds on its four-year partnership with UNICEF Bangladesh, established in 2022, which initially concentrated on out-of-school children in Dhaka South City Corporation Zones 3, 4, and 5. These areas experience some of Bangladesh’s highest educational dropout rates, with pandemic disruptions forcing thousands of children from classrooms.
“Every child must be protected, every child must be educated, and they must be happy children to have a future,” Aziz Khan stated regarding the trust’s educational mission. His approach reflects lessons learned from building Summit Group into Bangladesh’s largest infrastructure conglomerate, employing over 6,000 people across energy, telecommunications, and port operations.
Khan and his wife became the first Bangladeshis to join UNICEF’s International Council in 2022, a distinguished community of approximately 150 private philanthropists and global influencers. Their appointment followed AACT’s initial commitment to address learning crises caused by COVID-19 disruptions, positioning them within international networks that enabled subsequent program expansion across multiple organizational partnerships.
Geographic and Programmatic Diversification Beyond Urban Centers
AACT’s current reach extends far beyond its original Dhaka South focus through partnerships with multiple established organizations. Khan’s trust now supports the Prothom Alo Trust’s Alor Pathshala program, which operates seven schools serving students aged 6-16 in hard-to-reach rural areas, maintaining operations for over 15 years. This geographic diversification addresses educational gaps in areas where government services remain limited.
Specialized education programming includes sustained support for the SEID-Summit Community Therapy School in Kamrangirchar, serving underprivileged children with neuro-developmental challenges for over 13 years. Staff provide both mainstream academic instruction and vocational training designed to promote self-sufficiency among students facing developmental obstacles. Additional partnerships encompass Dhaka Residential Model College, Tagore University of Creative Arts, and Proyash Institute of Special Education.
Khan’s comprehensive approach includes healthcare infrastructure development, hospital construction, and substance abuse treatment programs. His trust has supported initiatives addressing violence against women and children, areas where Bangladesh continues facing persistent challenges despite overall economic growth.
“Every child is the future. If we want a future, we must enable the child via education. Education is not only children’s right, it’s our survival,” Khan emphasized during AACT’s partnership launch with UNICEF. This philosophy guides programming decisions across multiple sectors, reflecting his assessment that educational access requires addressing broader social determinants affecting children’s welfare.
AACT’s programming reaches approximately 5,000 parents and community leaders through associated outreach activities, extending impact beyond direct student beneficiaries to encompass family and community-level interventions.
Business Networks Enable Multi-Year Educational Commitments
Khan’s business experience managing complex international partnerships through Summit Group provides frameworks for sustained charitable commitments. His relationships with companies including General Electric, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Japan’s JERA, which holds a 22% stake in Summit Power International, demonstrate capacity for long-term relationship management that transfers to philanthropic contexts.
AACT operates through trustee governance including Khan’s three daughters Ayesha, Adeeba, and Azeeza Khan, alongside international trustees Hanns Kendel, Christian Prokopp, and Vijaya Rao. This structure enables both family continuity and professional oversight for multi-year funding cycles typical in educational programming.
Khan’s approach emphasizes direct engagement with beneficiaries rather than purely financial contributions. During site visits to UNICEF learning centers in Dhaka’s Jhawchar area, he has participated in student activities and community meetings, maintaining personal connections with program outcomes. His hands-on involvement reflects experience managing infrastructure projects requiring sustained oversight and relationship maintenance.
International Networks Accelerate Program Scaling
His appointment as UNICEF International Council Chair in 2024 provides access to global philanthropic networks and best practices from similar programs worldwide. Council members have collectively invested more than $552 million in UNICEF programs, offering models for scaling educational interventions across developing countries.
“I am so delighted to see the good works of UNICEF and our other partners,” Khan noted regarding collaborative achievements. AACT’s growth from 3,000 to 10,000 children demonstrates how business networks, family governance structures, and international partnerships can combine to achieve measurable educational impact across Bangladesh’s most vulnerable populations.
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