Daoud Bokhary
Encyclopedia
Daoud Bokhary is a retired Hong Kong
businessman.
in the North-West Frontier Province
of British India (today part of Pakistan
). He served in the British Indian Army for four years as a logistics expert, and came to Hong Kong with the army on the first British ship after the surrender of Japan
ended the occupation of Hong Kong
. He briefly returned home to run a coal mine
, but, fearing for his wife's safety during the partition of India
, returned to Hong Kong with her and their first son soon after.
, a position he found thanks to his army logistics experience. He received accolades and promotions for his ability to keep his workers happy, and his skilled handling of the growth in ship traffic resulting from the Communist Party of China
's takeover of Shanghai
. He eventually came to manage an entire wharf, and with his increased responsibilities, began taking night classes in accountancy
at the University of Hong Kong. He retired from his wharf position in the 1970s.
For his second career, Bokhary went into day trading
, and together with his elder son founded his own company, Bokhary Securities; he wanted to be his own boss, and believed that his religion and ethnicity would keep him out of managerial positions at the big financial corporations which then dominated securities trading in Hong Kong.
, an Anglican school, and on one occasion helped it out of financial difficulties. However, he prefers not to have any buildings named after him in return for his donations.
, but describes himself as a Muslim Indian, and believes that Pakistan and India would have been better off without Partition. He is critical of the Pakistani government's corruption and poor governance, noting that overseas Pakistanis such as himself achieve successes which they could never match at home due to the lack of an environment which rewards hard work. When asked by a journalist whether he invested in Pakistan, he reportedly responded, "Having conversed with me for an hour, do you really take me to be such a damned fool?"
Though his career development has been limited by his ethnic background, Bokhary takes a philosophical attitude towards the discrimination faced by him and other South Asians in Hong Kong
, and feels gratitude for being allowed to settle in Hong Kong. He also admonishes younger South Asian immigrants for their anti-discrimination activism, and suggests that they would feel less affected by racism if they focused more on learning about religion.
Syed Bagh Ali Shah Bokhary is Daoud Bokhary's eldest son. He inherited the brokerage business when Daoud Bokhary retired. Bagh Ali's daughter Amina Mariam Bokhary was notable for her legal problems in Hong Kong.
Daoud Bokhary's youngest son Syed Kemal Shah Bokhary
is one of the three permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
businessman.
Early life
Bokhary was born near PeshawarPeshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
in the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
of British India (today part of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
). He served in the British Indian Army for four years as a logistics expert, and came to Hong Kong with the army on the first British ship after the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
ended the occupation of Hong Kong
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
. He briefly returned home to run a coal mine
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, but, fearing for his wife's safety during the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
, returned to Hong Kong with her and their first son soon after.
Career in Hong Kong
Bokhary began his career in Hong Kong managing a dockside godownWarehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
, a position he found thanks to his army logistics experience. He received accolades and promotions for his ability to keep his workers happy, and his skilled handling of the growth in ship traffic resulting from the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
's takeover of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. He eventually came to manage an entire wharf, and with his increased responsibilities, began taking night classes in accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
at the University of Hong Kong. He retired from his wharf position in the 1970s.
For his second career, Bokhary went into day trading
Day trading
Day trading refers to the practice of buying and selling financial instruments within the same trading day such that all positions are usually closed before the market close for the trading day...
, and together with his elder son founded his own company, Bokhary Securities; he wanted to be his own boss, and believed that his religion and ethnicity would keep him out of managerial positions at the big financial corporations which then dominated securities trading in Hong Kong.
Other activities
Outside of his work, Bokhary is engaged in various philanthropic activities. He pays for the upkeep of a mosque in his hometown in Pakistan, and also served as a treasurer on the council of the Diocesan Girls' SchoolDiocesan Girls' School
Diocesan Girls' School, founded in 1860, is one of the oldest Anglican girls' schools in Hong Kong. DGS is located at 1 Jordan Road in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is administered under the Grant Code and uses English as the medium of instruction. It has always been ranked as the top secondary school in...
, an Anglican school, and on one occasion helped it out of financial difficulties. However, he prefers not to have any buildings named after him in return for his donations.
Identity
Bokhary holds Pakistani nationalityPakistani nationality law
The Pakistani nationality law governs citizenship of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The principal legislation determining nationality, the Pakistan Citizenship Act was passed by the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 13 April, 1951.-Citizenship:...
, but describes himself as a Muslim Indian, and believes that Pakistan and India would have been better off without Partition. He is critical of the Pakistani government's corruption and poor governance, noting that overseas Pakistanis such as himself achieve successes which they could never match at home due to the lack of an environment which rewards hard work. When asked by a journalist whether he invested in Pakistan, he reportedly responded, "Having conversed with me for an hour, do you really take me to be such a damned fool?"
Though his career development has been limited by his ethnic background, Bokhary takes a philosophical attitude towards the discrimination faced by him and other South Asians in Hong Kong
South Asians in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a long-established South Asian population. As of the 2006 by-census, there were at least 44,744 persons of South Asian descent in Hong Kong. Many trace their roots in Hong Kong as far back as when most of the Indian subcontinent was still under British colonial rule, and as a legacy...
, and feels gratitude for being allowed to settle in Hong Kong. He also admonishes younger South Asian immigrants for their anti-discrimination activism, and suggests that they would feel less affected by racism if they focused more on learning about religion.
Family
Bokhary's wife died in the 1970s. He formerly owned land in Peshawar near his hometown, but sold it when he realised that neither he nor his sons wanted to settle in Pakistan.Syed Bagh Ali Shah Bokhary is Daoud Bokhary's eldest son. He inherited the brokerage business when Daoud Bokhary retired. Bagh Ali's daughter Amina Mariam Bokhary was notable for her legal problems in Hong Kong.
Daoud Bokhary's youngest son Syed Kemal Shah Bokhary
Kemal Bokhary
Syed Kemal Shah Bokhary is a judge in Hong Kong. , he serves as one of the three Permanent Judges of Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal.-Early life and family:...
is one of the three permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong.