AFM Shahinul Islam, a former executive director of Bangladesh Bank, has been appointed as the chief of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU).
The appointment was announced through a gazette notification issued by the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance on Thursday (9 January), and is on a contractual basis for a term of two years.
Shahinul Islam previously served as the deputy chief officer under the former BFIU Chief Masud Biswas.
His extensive experience within the unit and his prior responsibilities were pivotal in his selection for this role.
The gazette states that, in accordance with rule 22 of 2019, Shahinul Islam, relinquishing any affiliations with other institutions and organisations, will serve in the rank of deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank for the duration of his term. The conditions of his contract will be determined in the approved agreement.
Sources reveal that Bangladesh Bank called upon ten candidates for interviews for the position of BFIU chief, held on 11 and 12 December.
Shahinul Islam submitted his application for the role on 31 October.
Shahinul Islam has a distinguished career at Bangladesh Bank, having held various significant positions.
He holds a BSc (Honours) and an MSc in Statistics from the University of Dhaka. Starting his career as an assistant director in 1993, he climbed the ranks to executive director in March 2022, overseeing the Bogura regional office.
His last official role at Bangladesh Bank, from 28 March 2023 until his retirement on 31 December 2024, involved acting as the deputy chief officer of BFIU, where he contributed to the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing with great professionalism.
