Ogroj sheds light on Dr Atiur Rahman’s life

The fourteenth episode of IPDC Ogroj, organised by IPDC Finance, has shed light on the life of Dr Atiur Rahman, development economist, writer, and former governor of Bangladesh Bank

Atiur Rahman, in an in-depth conversation with Ogroj host Anis A Khan, shared his inspiration behind his dedication to empowering the poor and the disadvantaged both as a teacher and a regulator during his checkered career.

Born in 1951, in a small village in Jamalpur district, Dr Rahman studied at Mirzapur Cadet College for his secondary and higher secondary education, followed by his undergraduate and graduate studies at the Department of Economics of the University of Dhaka.

He has been a renowned economist in his varied roles as a university professor, researcher, banker, and a leader in the pro-poor, environment-friendly and gender-sensitive development paradigm.

Rahman took the helm of the Bangladesh Bank—the country's monetary policy authority, financial sector regulator and supervisor— for a four-year tenure on 1 May 2009, as its 10th governor. He is considered an authority on matters related to the fiscal budget in Bangladesh. 

His achievements include the creation of the National Payment Switch of Bangladesh; introducing automated check clearing for banks in Bangladesh using local currency cheques; starting mobile banking; establishing the Bangladesh Electronic Funds Transfer Network (BEFTN) and installing the Bangladesh Automated Clearing House (BACH).

He has also been recognised as "Asia's Central Banker of the Year," by London-based The Financial Times-owned magazine, prestigious Indira Gandhi Gold Plaque from Asiatic Society, Kolkata. Rahman also received the 'GUSI Peace Prize International 2014' award as a recognition of his work in establishing peace by reducing poverty in Bangladesh.

Mominul Islam, the managing director and CEO of IPDC Finance Limited, said, "We are extremely honoured to have associated with such a protagonist behind the restructuring of Bangladesh. He has been a torchbearer of financial inclusion in Bangladesh. His human-centric, multidimensional, and integrated approaches have redefined the economy. Through Ogroj, IPDC intends to initiate a digital memoir on such narratives and looks forward to creating a dialogue about their accounts and inspiring the audience."

'IPDC Ogroj' is a webinar series broadcasted live from the official IPDC Facebook page every first and third Thursday of the month. The episodes ruminate both professional and personal peaks and valleys of the guests' lives.