M Matiul Islam, a central figure in shaping Bangladesh’s early economic administration, has died at the age of 95.
Matiul Islam, widely known as the “doyen of the financial sector”, passed away early Thursday morning, his family said in a statement.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing away of our beloved father and grandfather. He will always remain in our hearts for the love he shared, the wisdom and the quiet but powerful impact he made on everyone around him,” his family said.
His namaz-e-janaza will be held on Friday at Azad Mosque in Gulshan after Jummah prayers.
Matiul Islam began his public service career with the Pakistan Civil Service in 1952.
Following the independence, he was appointed the country’s first finance secretary in 1972 at a time when the newly born nation faced the overwhelming task of rebuilding its financial architecture.
He played a pivotal role in restoring fiscal stability and implementing the nationalisation of the banking sector.
His distinguished career later took him to key national and international positions, secretary of the Ministry of Industries, alternate executive director at the World Bank, head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)/World Bank Cooperative Programme in Vienna, and UNIDO country director in India, according to the website of IIDFC, a non-bank financial institution where he served as a director.
A graduate of Dhaka University with a BCom, where he ranked first in his class, Matiul Islam went on to earn a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard University.
