Profile - Mirza Azizul Islam

Mirza Azizul Islam

General Information

Former Advisor to the Caretaker Government

Bureaucrat, Economist

Full Name: Dr. A B Mirza Azizul Islam

Affiliation: Visiting Professor

Current Position: BRAC University Business School

Date of Birth: February 23, 1941

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Pabna

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Mirza Azizul Islam (born 23 February 1941) is a Bangladeshi bureaucrat, economist and the former Advisor (2007-08) of the Caretaker Government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed. He was in charge of the finance ministry. He is the former chairman of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission.

Islam was born in Sujanagar of Pabna District. He completed his master's degree in economics from Dhaka University in 1961. After graduation, he went to the United States of America and completed his master's degree in development economics from Williams College there and Ph.D. from Boston University. He began his professional career as a Lecturer in the Department of Economics, Dhaka University in 1962. He then joined the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) in 1964.

Islam has held a number of positions in the Governments of the then East and West Pakistan and later in the Government of Bangladesh. These include Director, West Pakistan Agricultural Development Corporation; Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh; Deputy Commissioner, Mymensingh and Joint Secretary/Additional Secretary, Ministry of Establishment, Government of Bangladesh.

Islam joined the United Nations in 1982 and served in Bangkok and New York. He was Economic Affairs Officer/Senior Economic Affairs Officer of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, (UNESCAP) Bangkok (1982-1987); Chief, Developing Economies Section, United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations, New York, (1987-1992) and Director, Development Research Policy Analysis Division, UNESCAP, Bangkok (1993-2001).

Islam was the Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission (2002-2005); Chairman, Board of Directors of Sonali Bank (2006); and Adviser to the Caretaker Government, Ministries of Finance and Planning (2007-2008).

Islam has been a consultant to UNESCAP, UN. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Bank. Dr. Islam is presently a Visiting Professor in BRAC University.