Central Bank governor rated ‘C’ in latest Global Finance ranking
Business Desk :
Bangladesh Bank governor Ahsan H Mansur has received a ‘C’ grade in Global Finance magazine’s 2025 ranking of central bank governors, reflecting a mixed assessment of his performance during a turbulent phase for the country’s economy.
The magazine’s Central Banker Report Card 2025 evaluated governors from 100 major economies based on inflation control, economic growth, currency stability and policy credibility between July 2024 and June 2025.
Ratings ranged from ‘A+’ for excellent performance to ‘F’ for outright failure.
The Global Finance report said: “Ahsan H. Mansur’s policy direction is reasonable, but the pace of implementation is slow; as a result, public confidence has not yet fully returned.”
In the report, Sri Lankan Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe received an A grade, and Vietnam’s Governor Nguyen Thi Hong received the highest “A+.”
In comparison, Bangladesh’s former Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder received a “D” grade in 2023.
As a result, the central bank’s position has improved somewhat under Mansur’s leadership, but it has not yet reached the desired level, the organization said.
According to economists, a “C” grade means that although the policy direction is on the right track, the results of real change are not yet visible.
The central bank is still facing a tough test as inflation, credit irregularities and dollar market volatility remain uncontrollable.
Ahsan H Mansur took over as governor after the change of government on August 5, 2024.
He took over at a time when political instability, banking sector irregularities, foreign exchange reserve crisis, and high inflation were roiling the economy.
After taking office, he increased the repo rate from 8.5per cent to 10per cent to control inflation.
Although this had some impact, growth slowed down, with GDP falling to 3.9per cent in FY25, which is much lower than the average of 6per cent in the past decade.
Under the leadership of Ahsan H Mansur, Bangladesh Bank has undertaken a three-year banking sector reform program with the support of the IMF.
It plans to reduce non-performing loans, update bankruptcy laws, and increase accountability in bank management, but actual progress has been slow.