Fakhruddin Ahmed

Fakhruddin Ahmed is a Bangladeshi economist and civil servant who served as the chief adviser of Bangladesh from 2007 to 2009. He previously held the position of governor at Bangladesh Bank, which serves as the country's central bank.

Early life and education

Ahmed was born on 1 May 1940 in Rob Nagorkandi, Tongibari, Munshiganj. His father was Mohiuddin Ahmed. He completed his Matriculation exam at Mathbaria High School in Pirojpur during 1955. After this, he passed his Intermediate exam from Dhaka College in 1957.

He pursued studies in economics at Dhaka University. He obtained both his BA (Hons) and his MA in 1960 and 1961, respectively. Ahmed stood first in his class during both of these academic periods. Following his time in Dhaka, he earned a master's degree in development economics from Williams College. He completed a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University in 1975. His doctoral dissertation focused on "Migration and employment in a multisector model; an application to Bangladesh".

Career

Ahmed began his professional journey as a lecturer in Economics at Dhaka University. Between 1963 and 1978, he served in the Civil Service of Pakistan. During this period, he held several roles including Assistant Commissioner in Sylhet and Subdivisional Officer in Moulvibazar. He also worked as Additional Deputy Commissioner in Mymensingh and served as Deputy Secretary to the East Pakistan Cabinet. After independence, he became Joint Secretary to the Economic Relations Department within the Ministry of Finance for the Government of Bangladesh.

He joined the World Bank in November 1978. He remained with this international organization for two decades. From October 2001 to April 2005, he served as the 8th governor of Bangladesh Bank.

Following his tenure at the central bank, Ahmed transitioned to a new role on 1 June 2005. He became the managing director of the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). This organization serves as the apex micro-finance body in the country.

On 12 January 2007, President Iajuddin Ahmed appointed him as the chief adviser of the non-political caretaker government. This appointment occurred during the 2006–2008 Bangladeshi political crisis. He assumed leadership after the previous interim government under the president was dissolved. His administration worked to reduce political and social unrest while conducting various anti-corruption activities.

During his leadership, authorities arrested more than 160 senior politicians, top civil servants, and security officials. These individuals faced charges related to graft and economic crimes. The group of detainees included former ministers from the Bangladesh Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia were among those reported to be included in these legal actions. Ahmed held his position until the Jatiya Sangsad elections took place on 29 December 2008.

Personal life

Ahmed experienced a brief health issue on 3 June 2007. He fainted while delivering a speech at a tree-planting event. Reports indicated that the heat caused the incident, which led to his hospitalization. He was released from the hospital later that same day and stated that he was well.

He has since retired from the public sphere. Ahmed currently lives in the United States.