Salehuddin Ahmed (economist)

Last updated

Salehuddin Ahmed
সালেহউদ্দিন আহমেদ
Financial Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed in 2025.jpg
Ahmed in 2025
Adviser for Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 August 2024
Prime Minister
Preceded by Fakhruddin Ahmed
Succeeded by Atiur Rahman
Personal details
Born (1949-10-08) 8 October 1949 (age 75)
Nazirabazar, Bengal, British India
Nationality Bangladeshi
Political party Independent
Education BA, MA, PhD
Alma mater University of Dhaka (BA, MA)
McMaster University (PhD)

Salehuddin Ahmed (born 1949) is a Bangladeshi economist, who has served as the finance adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh since August 2024. [1] He is also a former governor of the Bangladesh Bank. [2] [3] He is also a Professor of BRAC University.

Contents

During his tenure as finance adviser, his move to dissolve the National Board of Revenue and bring revenue management under his direct ministerial control has been criticized as executive capture of the revenue sector. [4] [5] [6] Transparency International Bangladesh and the Centre for Policy Dialogue argued that Ahmed's initiative undermined the autonomy of the revenue service, weakened accountability, and reduced transparency and neutrality. [4] [7] They also said that the initiative ignored the recommendations of the government’s own advisory committee on revenue reform and risked weaponizing taxes and tariffs, worsening existing systemic problems and bureaucratic dysfunction. [4] [7]

Salehuddin Ahmed has also faced criticism for prioritizing Bangladesh's international image over addressing substantive domestic issues, stating that "excessive criticism of the government does not leave a good impression internationally" and damages the country's image abroad, suggesting a defensive approach that deflects from real problems. [8]

Early life and education

Ahmed was born in Mahuttuli, Old Dhaka and his family were originally from the village of Darisrirampur in Nabinagar Upazila, Brahmanbaria District. [9] He graduated from Dhaka Collegiate School in 1963 and from Dhaka College in 1965. [9] Ahmed earned his masters in 1969 in economics from the University of Dhaka. [10] He completed his second masters and PhD from McMaster University in 1974 and 1978, respectively. [10]

Career

Ahmed joined the University of Dhaka as a lecturer and later joined the Civil Service of Pakistan. [10] He was appointed the Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka District. [9] He served as the executive magistrate of Pirojpur District. [9] He worked at the National Foundation for Research on Human Resource Development which merged with Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies later. [9] He worked at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific. [10]

Ahmed is a former Director General of Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development from 1993 to 1995. [10] [9] Ahmed was the Director General of the NGO Affairs Bureau at the Prime Minister's Office. [11]

Ahmed was the Managing Director of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation from 1996 to 2005. [10] In 1998, he joined BRAC as Deputy Executive Director. [12]

Ahmed was the ninth governor of Bangladesh Bank. After the retirement of Fakhruddin Ahmed, he took the responsibility of Bangladesh Bank on 1 May 2005 and he took rest from his duty on 31 April 2009. [13] [14] As a Fulbright Scholar, he taught at Marlboro College in the State of Vermont in the United States for a year. [12] In 2006, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award back from McMaster University. [9]


From 2009, Ahmed taught at North South University and the University of Dhaka. [11] He was a professor of business at North South University from 2010 to 2014 and then joined BRAC University. [11] He is a trustee of Gono University. [15]

In 2020, Ahmed was appointed an independent director of ASA International. [16] He is one of the founders of the Centre for Advanced Research and Social Action, non-profit. [17] He is a member of the general committee of the NGO Forum. [18] He is an independent director of GrameenPhone. [19] He is an advisor to Southeast University Journal of Arts and Social Sciences of Southeast University. [20]

Personal life

Ahmed's daughter is also a faculty at North South University. His son was a faculty member at Black Hills State University and is currently a senior economist at the Virginia Department of Taxation. [9]

Awards and Achievements

1. Awarded Nawab Sir Salimullah Foundation Gold Medal in 2006.

2. Distinguished Alumni Award from McMaster University, Ontario, Canada at the Convocation held in Hamilton in November 2006.

3. Mercantile Bank Award 2014 for Economics. [21]

References

  1. ↑ "Yunus-led interim govt sworn in". The Daily Star. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "DR SALEHUDDIN AHMED, Professor, BRAC Business School, BRAC University and Former Governor of the Bangladesh Bank". ICE Business Times. 5 July 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "Lessons from Sri Lanka on politics and economy". businesspostbd.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Revenue System at Risk of Executive Control: TIB". Transparency International Bangladesh . Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "Division of NBR was not done properly: Debapriya Bhattacharya". Prothom Alo . 19 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "Revenue management at risk of coming under executive control: TIB". The Daily Star. 17 May 2025. Archived from the original on 19 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Mishandling of NBR reform undermined trust and triggered unrest: Professor Mustafizur Rahman". Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). 25 May 2025. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  8. ↑ "Criticism of government tarnishes country's image abroad: finance advisor". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rahman, Akhlakur (15 September 2021). "IPDC Finance's Agraz: A chat with Dr Salehuddin Ahmed". The Daily Star. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Governor". www.bb.org.bd. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 "Salehuddin Ahmed, PhD". www.bracu.ac.bd. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Welcome". saags.edu.bd. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  13. ↑ "Bangladesh Bank". www.bb.org.bd. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "Bangladesh Bank - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "Board of Trustees – Gono Bishwabidyalay" . Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "ASA International appoints Dr Salehuddin Ahmed to its Board as Independent Director". talent4boards.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  17. ↑ "CARSA | Founder". carsa-bd.org. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Policy Formulating Structure". ngof.org. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  19. ↑ "Board of Directors | Grameenphone". www.grameenphone.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  20. ↑ "Southeast University Journal of Arts and Social Sciences". www.seu.edu.bd. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  21. ↑ https://www.bracu.ac.bd/about/people/salehuddin-ahmed-phd
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.