Global Finance Assessment Awards ‘C’ Grade to Ahsan H. Mansur

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News Desk: Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur has been awarded a ‘C’ grade in the 2025 evaluation by the international financial magazine Global Finance. The rating indicates that the central bank’s performance under his leadership is considered “mixed.”

According to the recently published Central Banker Report Card 2025 by Global Finance, Bangladesh Bank performed at an average level in four key areas: inflation control, economic growth, currency stability, and policy credibility. By comparison, Sri Lanka’s Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe received an ‘A’ grade, while Vietnam’s Governor Nguyen Thi Hong earned the top ‘A-plus’ rating.

In 2023, Bangladesh’s former governor Abdur Rouf Talukdar had received a ‘D’ grade. While the evaluation suggests some improvement under Mansur’s leadership, the magazine noted that the central bank has not yet reached the desired level of performance.

Ahsan H. Mansur assumed office on August 5, 2024, following a change in government. He took charge at a challenging time when political instability, irregularities in the banking sector, foreign currency reserve pressures, and high inflation were disrupting the economy. Soon after taking office, he raised the repo rate from 8.5% to 10% to curb inflation. While this had some impact, economic growth slowed, with GDP for fiscal year 2025 dropping to 3.9%, significantly below the decade-long average of 6%.

Under Mansur’s leadership, Bangladesh Bank, with IMF support, launched a three-year banking sector reform program aimed at reducing non-performing loans, updating insolvency laws, and increasing accountability in bank management. However, progress has been slow.

Global Finance highlighted that while Mansur’s policy directions are rational, implementation has been sluggish, and public confidence has yet to be fully restored. Economists note that a ‘C’ grade indicates that although policy measures are on the right track, tangible results are not yet visible. Challenges such as inflation, banking irregularities, and dollar market volatility continue to test the central bank.