Global Finance evaluation: Bangladesh Bank governor receives ‘C’ grade

In the 2025 evaluation by the international financial magazine Global Finance, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur has received a ‘C’ grade. The organisation has marked the performance of the central bank under his leadership as ‘mixed’.

In the recently published ‘Central Banker Report Card 2025’ by Global Finance, it has been stated that Bangladesh Bank performed average in four indicators; inflation control, growth achievement, currency stability, and policy credibility.

In the report, Sri Lanka’s Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe has received an ‘A’ grade, while Vietnam’s Governor Nguyen Thi Hong has received the highest ‘A plus’.

Comparatively, Bangladesh’s former governor Abdur Rouf Talukder received a ‘D’ grade in 2023. As a result, although the position of the central bank has slightly improved under Mansur’s leadership, it has still not reached the desired level, the organisation commented.

Ahsan H. Mansur took responsibility as governor on August 5, 2024, after the change of government. After assuming the role, he increased the repo rate from 8.5 percent to 10 percent to control inflation. Although this had some impact, growth slowed and GDP fell to 3.9 percent in the 2025 fiscal year, which is much lower than the decade’s average of 6 percent.

Under the leadership of Ahsan H. Mansur, Bangladesh Bank has taken up a three-year reform programme for the banking sector with IMF assistance. Although the plan includes reducing default loans, updating bankruptcy laws, and increasing accountability in bank management, actual progress remains slow.

The Global Finance report said, “Although Ahsan H. Mansur’s policy guidance is logical, the pace of implementation is slow; as a result, public confidence has not yet fully returned.”

According to economists, a ‘C’ grade means that although the policy direction is on the right track, the practical results of change are yet to be visible.