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Published : 10 Feb 2026, 04:31 PM
Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed has rated himself 70 out of 100 points in assessing his performance in the post, acknowledging limitations in implementing economic reforms and policy initiatives.
He said, “Although many initiatives were taken, it was not possible to complete everything. Still, starting work in the public interest without any political agenda is a major achievement.”
His remarks came on Tuesday while responding to journalists following a meeting of the Advisory Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat.
Salehuddin Ahmed said, “I am a very pragmatic person. Why would I give myself 100 marks? We had many aspirations and started many initiatives, but we could not finish everything. That is why I am not willing to give myself more than 70 or 80.”
“Managing the economy during the interim period was not easy. Structural weaknesses, institutional limitations and long-standing irregularities meant that many decisions took time to implement.”
The advisor said that he was leaving office with reforms at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and in taxation still incomplete. “Although some structural changes were introduced to make the NBR more effective, policy reforms could not be fully implemented. If the policy divisions were able to start working in full swing earlier, the outcomes would have been better.”
However, he said he was leaving behind a guideline report on tax policy that would be helpful for the next government.
Referring to challenges at Bangladesh Bank and in the banking sector, Salehuddin said: “Merely increasing the governor’s status in law does not ensure real independence. Operational capacity and accountability are essential.”
Sharing his experience, he said he never faced significant government intervention while serving as the governor for four years.
Noting that challenges persist in the banking sector, he said: “Default loans, lack of confidence and limited credit supply are putting pressure on the economy. Although deposits have increased somewhat recently, the situation has not yet fully normalised.”
The advisor said that the biggest challenge in the national economy was employment. There would not be employment opportunities when trade, business and industries were operational. And people’s purchasing power would not increase until there was employment.
“Inflation cannot be controlled through monetary policy alone. It is a multidimensional problem linked to supply systems, energy and import costs,” he added.
On reforms in the capital market and bond market, he said: “Reform efforts have been slow due to court-centric complexities and long-standing problems. But if we are to move away from a bank-dependent economy, developing the equity and bond markets is necessary.
“In all countries, share and bond markets are important for the private sector. Sustainable industrialisation is not possible by relying only on banks.”
Regarding money laundering, Salehuddin said: “Information has been collected about which countries the money was sent to and who were involved in laundering. However, it is difficult to specify amounts. The process of bringing money back from abroad is extremely complex and depends on international mechanisms such as mutual legal assistance.”
“A base has been established. If the next government is serious about it, the information will be useful.”
Addressing the future government, Salehuddin Ahmed said: “There is no need to reinvent everything. Consolidate what we have done. Retain the good things. The most important issue is to enhance coordination among government agencies.”
Regarding his own accountability, he said he had submitted his asset statement long ago and does not foresee any legal complications in future.
“You can criticise, but please see the overall picture. It’s not right to say that nothing was done in 17 to 18 months,” he told the media.
“Many initiatives have been taken which will show their results in future,” he said.
