Veteran banker Muhammad Selim Barkat and Brigadier General Md Humayun Kabir have joined the Dhaka Stock Exchange PLC (DSE) board as independent directors, bringing extensive experience in banking, military leadership and institutional management.
They joined the board at its 1,127th meeting on Tuesday, according to a DSE press release.
Barkat has nearly four decades of experience in banking and financial services in Bangladesh and the United States.
He worked at Citibank NA Bangladesh from 1989 to 2000 and was part of the team that established the bank’s first branch in the country.
From 2001 to 2019, he held senior positions at Citigroup in New York, working in global credit and risk management and overseeing portfolios involving investment banks, broker-dealers, stock exchanges, clearing houses, depositories and insurance companies.
Returning to Bangladesh in 2019, he joined Habib Bank Limited (HBL) as general manager and country manager before becoming regional general manager for South Asia, overseeing operations in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Since September 2026, he has served as chairman of Financial Excellence Limited (FinExcel), leading the development of its strategic and financial advisory services.
Barkat holds an MBA in finance and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Dhaka’s Institute of Business Administration and the university respectively.
He also holds the FINRA Series 7 certification, completed Korn Ferry’s Leadership Excellence Programme and served as an adjunct faculty member at Rutgers Business School.
Kabir joined the Bangladesh Army’s Infantry Corps in 1996 and has nearly three decades of experience in strategic planning, operations, institutional management and organisational development.
He has held key directorial positions at Army Headquarters and currently commands the 46 Independent Infantry Brigade.
An alumnus of Rangpur Cadet College, he holds a master’s degree in military studies from Bangladesh University of Professionals, another in defence studies from King’s College London and an MPhil from the University of Madras in India.
He also has an advanced qualification in strategic management and leadership from the Chartered Management Institute in the United Kingdom.
His military training includes the Army Staff Course in Bangladesh, the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the UK and the National Defence Course at India’s National Defence College.
He has also received advanced security and management training in Canada and the United States.
Kabir has served in two United Nations peacekeeping missions and received military honours from Bangladesh, the United States and the United Nations in recognition of his leadership and professional contributions.
The DSE expects the directors’ experience in governance, leadership, international engagement and institutional management to strengthen the board’s work, institutional effectiveness and confidence among market stakeholders.
