Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed Former Governor, Bangladesh Bank
Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed served as the 9th Governor of the Bangladesh Bank, from May 1, 2005 to April 30, 2009. During his tenure, he implemented reforms aimed at fostering discipline in the banking sector and modernizing the central bank's operations. Notable achievements included the implementation of BASEL-2 norms, strengthening capital structure, and expertly handling the adverse effects of the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008. He had a remarkable career that spanned academia and public service.
Dr. Ahmed achieved an SSC (Matriculation) from Dhaka Collegiate School in 1963 and an HSC (Intermediate) from Dhaka College in 1965, both in science, securing 1st Division. Focused on economics, he earned a BA (Honours) in 1968 from University of Dhaka and MA in Economics securing the 1st Class 1st Position in 1969 from the same institution. His academic pursuits extended to McMaster University in Canada, where he attained an MA in Economics in 1974, and ultimately, a Ph.D. in Macroeconomics in 1978.
Dr. Ahmed started his career as a lecturer in Economics at Dhaka University in 1970. Subsequently, he joined the erstwhile Civil Service of Pakistan in 1971 but returned to the University of Dhaka as a Lecturer in 1972. Over the years, he held various positions in Bangladesh's administrative landscape, including serving as the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Pirojpur.
In 1980, he shifted to the National Foundation for Human Resource Development and, later, the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), a regional inter-governmental organization with its headquarters in Dhaka, where he worked as the Head of Research. Dr. Ahmed was the Director General of Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), Cumilla and also Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Office of the Prime Minister. During 1996-2005 Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed was the Managing Director of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), the apex funding agency of micro credit operations in Bangladesh.
During his tenure as the 9th Governor, Dr. Ahmed undertook various noteworthy initiatives such as the implementation of the Central Bank Strengthening Project, funded by the World Bank, which brought about multi-dimensional reforms, including the modernization of the Credit Information Bureau (CIB), Foreign Exchange Management, Currency Management, and overall Inspection and Supervision. His initiatives also included doubling the equity capital to strengthen the capital structure, effectively handling the adverse effects of the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008, and implementing measures to mitigate investment risks. Dr. Ahmed’s tenure witnessed the introduction of policies for Islamic banks, the announcement of monetary policy on a half-yearly basis, and the introduction of Credit Cards and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).