Mr. A. N. Hamidullah Former Governor, Bangladesh Bank
Mr. A. N. Hamidullah, known as Abu Nazam Hamidullah leads the central bank of Bangladesh as the 1st Governor after the independence. He, in his tenure form 18 January 1972 to 18 November 1974, played a decisive role in setting up a central bank for the newly sovereign country and formulating its policies and procedures for establishing a robust money and credit system.
Mr. Hamidullah initiated his career by joining the State Bank of Pakistan as a Probationary Officer. He was the Chief Executive of the East Pakistan Regional Office of the Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan from 1961 to 1965. In 1965, he assumed as the founder Managing Director of Eastern Banking Corporation and served the bank till December 1971, which is today recognized as Uttara Bank. Later in 1980s, he decorated the post of Executive President and Managing Director of United Commercial Bank, the City Bank Limited and Al Baraka Bank and created a new level of momentum in the banking system.
In addition to his banking career, he also provided business consulting services to various firms in the UK, and served as the High Commissioner of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in Kenya with concurrent accreditation to Zambia from 1978 to 1982. In addition, he served as the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to UN Agencies such as U.N.E.P and U.N.C.H.S. He also held the prestigious position of the First President of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB).
In his educational pursuits, Mr. Hamidullah achieved commendable milestones. In 1942, he successfully passed the Matriculation Examination from Munshiganj Haraganga School. Two years later, in 1944, he excelled in the Intermediate Examination from Munshiganj Haraganga College. In 1946, at the age of 22, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Presidency College under the University of Calcutta.
As the first Governor of the Bangladesh Bank, his visionary leadership guided the establishment of appropriate monetary policies to ensure the robust macroeconomic development of the country as well as stable internal and external value of Taka. In 1983, he assumed the role of President and Chairman of the United Commercial Bank Ltd., where he continued to oversee all operations and played an integral role in promoting economic development in Bangladesh through private sector banking. From 1984 to 1985, he served as the Chief Advisor to City Bank Ltd., provided valuable guidance to the Board of Directors and significantly contributed to the bank's impressive growth. From 1987 to 1992, he held the position of Founder Executive President of Al-Baraka Bank Bangladesh Ltd. The bank strictly adhered to Sharia law in all its banking, financial, and business activities, under his watchful eye.
Mr. Hamidullah received recognition and accolades for his dedicated service. On the 14th of August 1969, he was honored with the Pakistan Civil Award 'Sitara-e-Khidmat' or the 'Star of Service' by the government of Pakistan, in acknowledgment of his commitment and public service to the people of East Pakistan. On the 12th of October 1973, he was elected as a Fellow of the International Bankers Association in Washington, D.C., USA.
He was dedicated to continuous learning and knowledge sharing. He participated in an advanced banking training at Barclays Bank in London. His active participation in representing Bangladesh at seminars focused on 'Financing in the Industry' in Tokyo in 1963 and 1967, and his role as an alternate member of the ‘Annual Joint Committee of IMF/IBRD’ between 1972 and 1974 are highly acclaimed.
Mr. Hamidullah was born on the 1st of February 1924, in the 'Shamashpur' village of 'Sreenagar' Upazila in Bikrampur, now recognized as Munshiganj. His personal life had a tragic incidence as he had lost his first wife and son in an attack by the Pakistani occupying forces during the war of liberation in 1971. This luminous economist and multifaceted central banker died at the age of 71 and laid to rest in Canada on 19 June 1995, leaving behind the legacy of a memorable service to the banking industry and his beloved motherland. He blessed with a son and two daughters.