Hyderabad: Eminent businessman and philanthropist Ghiasuddin Babukhan, who channelized Zakat to bring a silent educational and social revolution, passed away here yesterday following prolonged illness.
One of the prominent faces of Hyderabad, he breathed his last at a private hospital here. Namaz-e-Janaza was offered at Masjid-e-Baqi in Banjara Hills and the burial took place at the adjacent graveyard.
One of the leading real estate developers, Ghiasuddin Babukhan co-founded Moghul Builders and Planners and Babukhan Properties, both of which built some landmark structures in the city.
Son of Khan Abdul Kareem Babukhan and brother of former Andhra Pradesh minister Basheeruddin Babukhan, Ghiyasuddin Babukhan left an indelible mark with his unique initiatives.
He along with some like-minded friends founded Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust (HZCT), which opened doors for thousands of poor and orphaned Muslim boys and girls, paving the way for them to carve out promising futures.
With HZCT, he showed how Zakat can be channelized to bring a change in the community through education.
Committed to serve the community, Ghiyasuddin Babukhan ensured that talented students belonging to poor families and orphans get all support to pursue higher education and realise their dreams.
With a firm belief in “empowerment through education and freedom through knowledge,” he and his friends formed a network of schools for poor, mostly in remote villages.
HZCT made a humble beginning in 1992 with total ‘zakat’ of just `11 lakh. During the last three decades, the Trust collected and disbursed a staggering `155 crore in Zakat, benefiting 16.40 lakh beneficiaries including poor students, orphans and widows in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
More than 3 lakh students have so far passed out of schools set up by the Trust and many became professionals like doctors and engineers.
About 90% of the Zakat amount is spent towards providing education for the poor. In the last three decades the HZCT has spent a staggering `100 crore on education alone.
“Our schools are a success story, not because I am handling it, but because Allah is handling it. For other works there can be several hurdles, but nobody can stop us in the area of education,” Babukhan had once said.
The other core areas of HZCT concern include feeding the poor, empowerment of women through skill development, rehabilitation and remarriage of young widows and education of their kids.
In 1996, he established Foundation for Economic and Education Development (FEED) to run the institutes established by HZCT. FEED set up the Hyderabad Institute of Excellence (HIE) in 2013 to hone the skills of meritorious students from poor and needy families to groom them as leaders with a strong sense of dignity, integrity, love for the country, and deep religious values.
Spread over 120 acres at Vikarabad, this residential school boasts of world-class amenities and state-of-the-art infrastructure, providing education from 6th to 12th Grade. About 50% of the students at HIE are on annual scholarship of `2 lakh each.
HIE also prepares students for various competitive exams like IIT-JEE Mains and Advanced, NEET, Birla Institute of Technology Science Aptitude Test (BITSAT), and entrance exams to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) and the National Defence Academy.
The requirements of non-Muslims and critical needs of rural communities are taken care of through FEED and the Ghiasuddin Babukhan Charitable Trust.
Babukhan was honoured with the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Award in 2014 by the Government of Telangana for his sustained commitment to minority upliftment through education and economic progress.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has offered condolences on the passing away of Ghiasuddin Babukhan.
Extending his heartfelt condolences, Syed Sadatullah Husaini, President, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said, “His remarkable contributions to society, especially through the Hyderabad Zakat & Charitable Trust, which transformed the lives of thousands, will be remembered for generations to come.”
“He was a true champion of education, a liberator of the marginalized, and a benefactor of the Muslim community — an embodiment of the noble spirit of zakat and compassion. Through his philanthropic initiatives, he played a pivotal role in the educational upliftment of the Ummah, poverty alleviation, relief work, and community development. I pray for his maghfirah. May Allah grant him eternal peace, elevate his status in Jannah, and grant strength and solace to his family and all those who carry forward his inspiring legacy,” he added.
AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also condoled the demise of Babukhan: “The passing of Ghiasuddin Babukhan is a great loss for Hyderabad. He was a dedicated philanthropist whose efforts in educating the poor will be remembered. My condolences to his family and friends. May Allah grant him maghfirah and patience to his loved ones.”
“Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Gayasuddin Babu Khan, a renowned personality of Hyderabad and a true humanitarian. His lifelong commitment to uplifting the underprivileged, through numerous educational and welfare institutions, has left an indelible mark on society. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” said BRS-MLC K. Kavitha.
