M Matiul Islam, pioneer of Bangladesh’s financial sector, dies

Bangla Press Desk:   M Matiul Islam, revered as the “doyen of the financial sector” in Bangladesh, has passed away at the age of 95.

His family announced his death in a statement on Thursday (20 November), saying he breathed his last early in the morning.

“With profound grief, we share the news of the passing of our beloved father and grandfather,” the family said, adding that he would be remembered for “the love he shared, his wisdom, and the quiet but powerful impact he made on everyone around him.”

Islam began his distinguished career in the Pakistan Civil Service in 1952. Following Bangladesh’s independence, he was appointed the country’s first finance secretary in 1972, taking on the critical responsibility of rebuilding a devastated financial system and overseeing the nationalisation of the banking sector.

Over the decades, he held several key positions, including secretary of the Ministry of Industries, alternate executive director at the World Bank, head of the UNIDO/World Bank Cooperative Programme in Vienna, and UNIDO country director in India, according to IIDFC, where he served as a director.

A top-ranking graduate of Dhaka University with a BCom, Islam later earned a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University.

His contributions were widely recognised. DHL and The Daily Star presented him with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2011, while the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) honoured him with a similar award in 2021.

BP/SP