Business is his profession, charity is his passion. He was born in Bangladesh and established himself in the UK. He is Dr Wali Tasar Uddin, Honorary Consul-General of Bangladesh in Scotland, Chairman of Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce in the UK and Chairman of the Commonwealth Society of Edinburgh.

One of the most celebrated British Bangladeshis, Wali has always found for himself a role for any humanitarian cause. He rushed to Bangladesh despite his busy schedule to stand by the Sidr victims. He was a key fundraiser for the 2001 Gujarat earthquake victims and 2005 Kashmir earthquake victims. In 1991, when Bangladesh was struck by a deadly cyclone, he was instrumental in raising a fund over £140,000, which was used to build a concrete cyclone shelter and Baharchara-Ratnapur High School. "Bangladesh definitely needs more multipurpose cyclone centres in the country, so that people have enough shelters when they face such disastrous cyclones," says Wali, whose involvement in charitable work worldwide has earned him the reputation of one of the leading industrialist philanthropists in the UK.

Wali's social and humanitarian activities in Bangladesh include raising a fund over £220,000 in 1998 to enable Onneyshan to oversee the construction of a model village and training centre and founding Sylhet Women's Medical College and Hospital. He is a Trustee of the Bangladesh Female Academy, and an advisor to the Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technologies in Dhaka.

Wali moved to the UK in 1967 at the age of 14 and started working for a restaurant in London. In 1976, on having gained sound experience in the catering profession, he went to Edinburgh, Scotland, worked for Indian restaurants (owned by Bangladeshis ) there for some years and eventually established his own restaurants Verandah, Lancers and then Britannia Spice in Edinburgh. Britannia Spice is widely known for its exotic multi-ethnic cuisine (Indian, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Thai cuisine), stylish atmosphere and quality customer service. The restaurant has won British Curry Awards in the category of Best in Scotland for three consecutive years (2005, 2006 and 2007).

In recognition of his contribution to the restaurant sector in the UK, Wali received BIBA's (Best in Britain Awards) Industry Personality of the Year Award in 2006. He also received the Asian Jewel Lifetime Achievement Award. His success is not limited to the restaurant business; he is Chairman/CEO of the Universal Koba Corporation Ltd and Frontline Travel (Frontline International Air Service) Ltd.

For Wali, being awarded Justice of the Peace (in UK) in 1984 was the most cherished occasion. He was the first Bangladeshi to achieve such recognition in the UK. In 1995 he was made a Member of the British Empire for his services in fostering race relations. He has been named one of the 100 most influential Asians in the UK. The Asian Power 100 is compiled by the Institute of Asian Professionals in association with the Bank of Scotland. He has also received Honorary D.Litt from Heriot Watt University (2007) and Doctorate in Business Administration (Honours Causa) from Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh (2000).

As Chairman of Bangladesh-British Chamber of Commerce, Wali has been the key player in promoting trade and investment relations between the UK and Bangladesh. Under his leadership, the chamber has been organizing many seminars and other events. It organized Expo Bangladesh 2005 -- the UK's first single country trade fair for Bangladesh - in collaboration with Bangladesh Export Promotions Bureau (EPB). The Chamber is now expanding its interests to cover other European countries.

UK's Curry Industry about 80% of which is owned by British Bangladeshis is contributing 3.2 billion pounds to the British economy every year. But there is a need for business diversification. Wali believes the situation will change in the near future because the new generation of British Bangladeshis is already getting involved in airline and hotel businesses in the UK. The restaurant business has also seen changes over the years; the curry restaurants now have more professional management, better hygiene, innovation in menu and an improved customer service, making the industry look more professional.

A combination of key qualities -- determination, dedication, honesty and integrity - is needed to succeed in life, says Wali. Business ethics enjoins a businessman to keep his commitments and ensure excellent customer service. Teamwork is also very important. But then success can be meaningful only if the society is benefited. "You also have to give something back to the society.