Mamun Rashid

Despite having spent more than three decades in the financial sector, I faced the real test as a credit officer when I was appointed head of restructuring and recovery at Standard Chartered Bank. This was particularly so during audit, portfolio review and due diligence assignments following the Asian financial meltdown in 1997, in East Africa, Greater China and Europe.

The future of healthcare in Bangladesh depends on whether we can move beyond words and take real action.

The interim government has presented its first national budget, possibly the last under this setup.

Bangladesh is at a traction point in its technology transformation journey, having started later than many global counterparts.

Globally, the financial sector has become a prime target for cybercrime, with attacks growing in scale, sophistication, and impact. In 2025, several high-profile breaches exposed vulnerabilities even within well-established institutions.

Modern, reliable, technologically advanced banks might be the engines for Bangladesh's next development boom.

Ships are safest in the harbour, but that is not what they are meant for.

For years, local businesses have struggled with an invisible but formidable opponent: a web of outdated, inconsistent, confusing and burdensome regulations. Navigating this bureaucratic maze has often meant facing unpredictable delays, opaque procedures, and uneven enforcement.

There is no doubt that Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry has shown remarkable potential.

The World Bank recently urged Bangladesh to implement a comprehensive set of reforms to restore confidence in our financial system, which has been weakened by poor governance, political interference and related lending.

When we hear the phrase “conflict of interest,” many of us picture shady backroom political deals. But in truth, conflicts of interest are just as rampant in the world of business, especially in Bangladesh’s fast-growing economy, where family ties and personal connections often blur professional lines.

The path ahead is becoming clearer, and more complicated.

Moody’s recently downgraded the outlook for Bangladesh’s banking sector to negative due to increasing asset risks and worsening economic conditions.

The start-up ecosystem in Bangladesh is experiencing a period of exciting growth, driven largely by a youthful, entrepreneurial population eager to make their mark.

US President Donald Trump has done what he had long wanted to do – try to increase America’s revenue in every possible way.

Bangladesh needs rigorous legal strategy to reclaim its illegally transferred assets.

I, along with some seniors from Standard Chartered Bank, went to meet the-then finance minister SAMS Kibria in late 2000 to share our decision to acquire ANZ Grindlays Bank.

Despite being a humble banking professional, I am very lucky to have been engaged with the country’s budgetary process since the early ‘90s. Many champions, including Saifur Rahman, Shah AMS Kibria, AB Mirza Azizul Islam, Akbar Ali Khan, Masihur Rahman and Khairuzzaman Chowdhury, valued my inputs and private sector insights.

In Bangladesh, nearly 70 percent of total tax revenue comes from indirect taxes.

The banking industry is profoundly transformed by changing customer behaviour, technological advancements, and competitive pressures.