The story of BRIF began in November 1984, when its founder and current Executive Director, Shah Ahsan Habib, was only 15 years old and had just completed his Secondary School Certificate examination. He was approached by a poor neighbour, Mr. Azgar Ali, who requested money to help him get through some difficult times. The request made Habib think about how local people were plagued by the same problems every year, particularly during the "lean period" (Bangla Monga) when no agricultural work was available, and he began to question how these problems could be solved.

He discussed the issues with others who were also concerned about the poverty of the local community, and by the end of the year they had formed an organization called Akata Shongho (United Organisation). Their idea was that instead of simply giving money to people for their immediate needs, they would establish a savings group of poor people in the local community, who would work together to invest the money in a sustainable solution.

Initially, they began working with a savings group of seven members, but gradually the membership and number of savings groups grew, and the organisation began to find other ways to assist the development of poor, disadvantaged and marginalised people. The following timeline summarises how BRIF evolved:

We will continue to work towards our vision of an economically stable Bangladesh by building on this experience and expanding our activities, and we look forward to sharing our progress on this site. However, if you would like any additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us.