Mostaqur Rahman replaces Mansur as BB governor
Staff Reporter :
Md Mostaqur Rahman FCMA has been appointed as the new governor of Bangladesh Bank for a four-year term, succeeding Dr Ahsan H Mansur.
The Financial Institutions Division (FID) of the finance ministry issued a gazette notification on Wednesday afternoon confirming the appointment. Mostaqur currently serves as chairman of the BGMEA Standing Committee on Bangladesh Bank.
Mostaqur, who is also the managing director and CEO of Hera Sweaters Limited, played a role as a member of the BNP’s election steering committee during the 13th national election held earlier this month.
As per Section 10(5) of the Bangladesh Bank Order, 1972 (President’s Order No. 127 of 1972), a central bank governor is appointed for a four-year term and can serve until the age of 67.
The previous interim government had appointed Mansur as BB governor on 13 August, replacing Abdur Rouf Talukder, who resigned on 9 August following the mass uprising that ousted the Awami League government.
The FID’s notification also officially cancelled the remainder of Mansur’s tenure, while Mostaqur’s appointment takes effect immediately in the public interest.
According to the rules of appointment, Mostaqur must sever all professional ties with other institutions before assuming office.
His four-year term will start from the day he formally takes charge, and he will receive salary, allowances, and other benefits under a contract agreement with the government.
All other terms of his appointment will also be determined by this contract, as per the notification signed by FID Deputy Secretary Mohammad Abraoul Hasan Majumder.
Mostaqur is a qualified Cost and Management Accountant (CMA) with over 33 years of post-qualification experience.
He holds a BCom (Hons) and a master’s degree in accounting from Dhaka University.
Over his career, he has been actively involved in professional and industry bodies including the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI). He has also collaborated with regulators such as Bangladesh Bank and Chittagong Stock Exchange Ltd.
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury approved the FID’s proposal earlier in the day, which was then forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office and subsequently the President’s Office. Following presidential approval, the gazette was issued.
Commenting on the Bangladesh Bank governor reshuffle, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the changes are natural with a new government in power.
“A new government has come to power. Many things will change. This is nothing new,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mansur left the central bank premises in Motijheel after attending routine work and a press briefing. He denied resigning or being removed, commenting,
“I saw it in the media, so I am going home.” Mansur had also described recent internal disputes over bank mergers and recoveries as a “conspiracy” and “propaganda.”
Professor Selim Raihan has expressed concern over appointing a business figure as Bangladesh Bank governor, warning it may create a “conflict of interest.”
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, he questioned the government’s commitment to banking reforms, asking, “Is the government genuinely sincere about reforming the banking sector?”
