About Us
Our Story
The Ismail Farida Foundation (IFF) is our family’s legacy project. IFF started its journey in 1998 following the passing of our father, Mohammed Ismail Ali.
Soon after our father’s demise we used part of his estate to support the extension of an orphanage in Bangladesh and the IFF journey began. Over the past 25 years we maintained our support for various projects in the UK, The Balkans, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
To continue our father’s legacy we have committed to giving a portion of our income to good causes in his and our family’s name. It was our fathers wish and our intention to use a large part his estate and our income, to support those in need, focusing on specific areas of work to help alleviate poverty, need and raise awareness.
Our Legacy
Mohammed Ismail Ali was born into a landowning family, in the village of Moinpur, Chhatak, a region of the northern district of Sylhet, Bangladesh.
After completing his early years education in local schools, he left the familiar surroundings of his upbringing to join his father, Abdul Monaf (commonly known as Babru Miah – a seaman in the British Merchant Navy) in the UK at the age of just 17, in 1957.
After a short period getting to know his new surroundings in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire he moved to Coventry and joined as an apprenticeship at SS White, a components manufacturer for the car industry and where he would work on and off for over 30 years.
As the elder of 6 children he assumed the role of patriarch after the demise of his father in 1972, taking responsibility for his 5 siblings, 3 of whom would later join him and settle in the UK.
During his 30 year stint at SS White, he would be afforded extensive annual leave to go back to his family in Bangladesh and he utilised this time to pioneer a longstanding solution for rural communities in Bangladesh.
In 1970, prior to the creation of Bangladesh, he managed to convince the then government to give him a match-funding grant to invest in a series of automated rice, pulse and spice milling machines. After sourcing 6 state of the art machines directly from Tokyo, Japan, he started and trade-marked his Al-Madina Rice and Spice Milling business in 1972. AMRS would trade from the cross roads of the Surma River, the Divisional SunamGonj Highway and the Afzalabad Train Station, in GobindaGonj, Chhatak, for more than 25 years.
At the height of its success, AMRS employed over 400 people and served across Bangladesh with its milled powdered products. The business later expanded to timber milling and a brickfield, creating an employment hub for the local population.
He ran this thriving business by taking 3 months out every year from his employment with SS White in the UK, with the business latterly supported by his siblings.
Due to on-going political instability in Bangladesh and emerging competition, he moved his family to the UK in the late 1980s and settled in Northampton. AMRS would trade for a further decade until different parts of the business were wound down and it closed it’s doors in 1994.
Following a 10-year battle with diabetes and associated complications, he passed away at this home in Northampton, on 28 April 1998, at the age of 63. He left behind 6 children, many grandchildren and well-wishers and many hundreds of orphans and destitute people he supported throughout his life.
It was common knowledge that he often gave in charity more than he earned and could afford and it was his last wish that his family continue to support those most in need with part of his estate and their future earnings to maintain the legacy of giving, in the Islamic tradition.
About Us
Our Story
The Ismail Farida Foundation (IFF) is our family’s legacy project. IFF started its journey in 1998 following the passing of our father, Mohammed Ismail Ali.
Soon after our father’s demise we used part of his estate to support the extension of an orphanage in Bangladesh and the IFF journey began. Over the past 25 years we maintained our support for various projects in the UK, the Balkans, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
To continue his legacy we have committed to giving a portion of our income and wealth to good causes in his and our family’s name. It was our fathers wish and our intention to use a large part of our father’s estate and our income, to support those in need, focusing on specific areas of work to help alleviate poverty and need.
Our Legacy
Mohammed Ismail Ali was born into a landowning family, in the village of Moinpur, Chhatak, a region of the northern district of Sylhet, Bangladesh.
After completing his early years education in local schools, he left the familiar surroundings of his upbringing to join his father, Abdul Monaf (commonly known as Babru Miah – a seaman in the British Merchant Navy) in the UK at the age of just 17, in 1957.
After a short period getting to know his new surroundings in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire he moved to Coventry and joined as an apprenticeship at SS White, a components manufacturer for the car industry and where he would work on and off for over 30 years.
As the elder of 6 children he assumed the role of patriarch after the demise of his father in 1972, taking responsibility for his 5 siblings, 3 of whom would later join him and settle in the UK.
During his 30 year stint at SS White, he would be afforded extensive annual leave to go back to his family in Bangladesh and he utilised this time to pioneer a longstanding solution for rural communities in Bangladesh.
In 1970, prior to the creation of Bangladesh, he managed to convince the then government to give him a match-funding grant to invest in a series of automated rice, pulse and spice milling machines. After sourcing 6 state of the art machines directly from Tokyo, Japan, he started and trade-marked his Al-Madina Rice and Spice Milling business in 1972. AMRS would trade from the cross roads of the Surma River, the Divisional SunamGonj Highway and the Afzalabad Train Station, in GobindaGonj, Chhatak, for more than 25 years.
At the height of its success, AMRS employed over 400 people and served across Bangladesh with its milled powdered products. The business later expanded to timber milling and a brickfield, creating an employment hub for the local population.
He ran this thriving business by taking 3 months out every year from his employment with SS White in the UK, with the business latterly supported by his siblings.
Due to on-going political instability in Bangladesh and emerging competition, he moved his family to the UK in the late 1980s and settled in Northampton. AMRS would trade for a further decade until different parts of the business were wound down and it closed it’s doors in 1994.
Following a 10-year battle with diabetes and associated complications, he passed away at this home in Northampton, on 28 April 1998, at the age of 63. He left behind 6 children, many grandchildren and well-wishers and many hundreds of orphans and destitute people he supported throughout his life.
It was common knowledge that he often gave in charity more than he earned and could afford and it was his last wish that his family continue to support those most in need with part of his estate and their future earnings to maintain the legacy of giving, in the Islamic tradition.
Mohammed Ismail Ali
(1935-1998)
The prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Three things follow the deceased: charity he gave, knowledge he taught, and righteous children he raised”. This was our family’s motivation for setting up IFF to continue our father’s legacy and support for those most in need.