M Matiul Islam, revered as the 'doyen of the financial sector' in Bangladesh, passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 95.
His family confirmed his death in a statement, saying he breathed his last at early hours.
“With profound grief, we share the news of the passing of our beloved father and grandfather,” the family said, adding that he would be remembered for “the love he shared, his wisdom, and the quiet but powerful impact he made on everyone around him.”
His namaz-e-janaza will be held after Jummah prayers at Azad Mosque in Gulshan on Friday.
Matiul Islam began his distinguished career in the Pakistan Civil Service in 1952. Following Bangladesh’s independence, he was appointed the country’s first finance secretary in 1972, taking on the critical responsibility of rebuilding a devastated financial system and overseeing the nationalisation of the banking sector.
Over the decades, he held several key positions, including secretary of the Ministry of Industries, alternate executive director at the World Bank, head of the UNIDO/World Bank Cooperative Programme in Vienna, and UNIDO country director in India, according to IIDFC, where he served as a director.
Islam graduated with a BCom from Dhaka University, finishing first in his class, before earning a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University in the United States.
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