Mirza Abu Talib Ispahani visited England in 1799, and the family have maintained a presence and properties in Richmond, London.
In 1820, Mohammed Hashim (1789–1850) moved from Isfahan in Qajar, Iran to Bombay and established the Ispahani Group business.
He spent twelve years in Cairo, Egypt trading Indian produce such as leather, tea, turmeric, tamarind and peanuts amongst others.
By 1947, M.M Ispahani Limited was a leading exporter in shellac, kapok, hessian, jute bags, tea and chemicals.
When the family moved to East Pakistan after the Partition of India, they purchased a vast swathe of land in Dhaka's Maghbazar area.
[1] The company now has corporate offices in Chittagong, Dhaka and Khulna where it employs over 20,000 people in many sectors such as tea, textile, real estate, crisps, poultry, shipping and internet services.