Bankers see leadership change as Nazrul era ends

Seventeen years of reign of Nazrul Islam Mazumdar in Bangladesh's banking domain ends with a pool of new leaderships taking
helm of the country's apex body of bank shareholders.
In a much-expected reshuffle-now that a wind of change blows with the change of government-Dhaka Bank Chairman Abdul Hye Sarker was Monday elected chairman of the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) unanimously for the remaining period of the current term (till 28 February 2025) on an ad-hoc basis.

The decision on reshuffling the office bearers of BAB comes following an executive committee meeting of the platform of bank directors held Monday in the Board Room of the association.
First Security Islami Bank Chairman Abdul Mannan and Bank Asia Chairman Romo Rouf Chowdhury were elected vice-chairmen during the meeting.
Several other BAB committee members, including two vice chairmen, go Nazrul Islam's way, losing their positions as bank directors.
Abdus Samad Labu, chairman of Al-Arafah Islami Bank and brother of S Alam Group Chairman Saiful Alam, was the vice chairman of BAB. The other vice chairman was Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, vice chairman of United Commercial Bank (UCB) and brother of former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury.
Both the vice chairmen were removed from their respective positions by Bangladesh Bank (BB) orders. These changes had left the association without a leader.
Nazrul Islam Mazumder, the former chairman of Exim Bank, had held on to the post of BAB chairman since 2008. The central bank removed him from Exim Bank's director and chairman posts after the fall of the Awami League-led government. And he lost his BAB position.
Talking to the FE, the newly elected chairman said the BAB became controversial because of various activities by the previous committee in the past. "Now, the BAB does not want to get involved in such activities in the coming days. The new committee will decide the future plan of actions of the platform."
Mr. Sarker is the current and founder-chairman of Dhaka Bank, former vice chairman of BAB and a former Director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). He was the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). Mr. Sarker was the former President of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) for consecutive four times. He is the founder-member of the Board of Trustees of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI). He was also an Associate Director of International Cotton Association based in Liverpool, the UK.
[email protected]