BRAC Bank has appointed economist Mohammad Abdur Razzaque as an independent director, bringing an international trade and development specialist onto its board as the lender focuses on governance and its next phase of growth.
Razzaque, chairman of Dhaka-based think tank Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), has extensive experience in economics, research, development and public policy in Bangladesh and abroad, the bank said on Saturday.
He is also a director at the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and an adjunct professor in the Department of Development Studies at the University of Dhaka.
“As BRAC Bank enters an important phase of its growth and transformation, strong governance and informed strategic oversight remain critical,” BRAC Bank Chairperson Meheriar M Hasan said.
“Razzaque’s extensive experience in research, development, education, and policymaking will bring valuable perspectives to our Board and help shape the Bank’s strategic direction. We look forward to his guidance as we continue to strengthen governance and create sustainable long-term value for our stakeholders.”
Razzaque previously held several senior positions at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, including head of international trade policy, where he led its work on trade policy and global advocacy.
Before that, he taught in the Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka.
His international work has included leading and managing multi-country studies involving economies in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
He has also maintained an extensive programme of research, policy analysis and capacity-building activities focused on Bangladesh.
Razzaque has worked with senior government officials across a number of countries and made technical presentations to the Group of Twenty (G20) Development Working Group on several occasions.
He has also provided evidence before committees of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
Razzaque holds a PhD from the University of Sussex in the UK and a Master of Social Science in Economics from the University of Dhaka. He has authored several books, journal articles and policy papers.
