President (Board of Trustees) and Founder Vice Chancellor of East West University. Also Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country.
An economist by training and socio-economist by conviction as well as practice Mohammed Farashuddin is currently the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of East West University (EWU). The work entails significant responsibilities in management and compensation of 500 or so employees academic and non-teaching. He also was the Founder Vice Chancellor 1995-98, of EWU which is now a permanent sanad holder.
In addition, he is (a) a Senior Fellow and Member of the Board of Trustees of BIDS (b) Founder Member, Governing Council and Academic Council of the Bangladesh School of Economics (c) Senate Member, University of Dhaka (d) Syndicate Member, Jagannath University (e) Visiting Professor (occasional) at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka and East West University.
Past Positions
- Chairman, 8th National Pay and Services Commission 2013
- Chairperson, Planning Commission Reorganization Committee 2012. Chairman of several banks, financial institutions and corporate bodies during the 80s and 90s.
- Joint secretary (Investment), 1983-85 in the Ministry of Finance
- Governor of Bangladesh Bank (1998-2001)
- Rapporteur of the UNDP Governing Council 1980.
- Member of the Bangladesh Delegation of the First UNLDC Conference held in Paris in 1981 making a contribution towards the adoption of the Substantial New Programme of Action (SNPA) for the LDCs.
- Served the United Nation Development Programme, UNDP for 13 years as Resident and Deputy Resident Representatives in three countries, (1984- 1996).
- Chairman, Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad 2008-2010.
- Chairman, Dhaka City College Governing Body (2009- 2014).
- Member of the Fifth Five Year Plan Formulation Advisory Committee, 1996,
- Shamsul Haque Education Committee in 1997 and the Perspective PlanAdvisory Committee in 2009.
- UNDP Consultant 1983; following the decision of the UNLDC Conference1981
- Senate Member, Rajshahi University 1983 and Syndicate Member, University of Dhaka 2001-02.
- Administrative Management: As a member of the elite erstwhile Civil Service of Palistan (CSP), Farashuddin worked in the field administration as Sub divisional Officer (SDO), Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Additional Commissioneras well as Deputy Secretary and Joint Secretary during 1966-1975.
Honours and Fellowships
- Outstanding Foreign Student Boston University USA 1978.
- Outstanding Leadership in Higher Education Bloomsburg University, USA 2012.
- Leadership in Higher Education Award by the Australian Academy of Business Learning 2016.
- Fellow, Bangla Academy 2015
- BIDS – Banik Barta Economist Award 2015.
- Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Gold Medal 2013
- Sylhet Ratna 2012
- Mercantile Bank Gold Medal 2010
- Sorojini Naido Gold Medal 2008
Publication
- Gonotontrer Pathe Orthonitic Agrajatra : Mowla Brothers 2007
- Pratham Dorshene Bangabandhu: Agami Prakashani 2011
- Retention and Success in Higher Education: The East West University Experience: forthcoming
Education
- Matriculation (Now SSC) in 1958 and Intermediate Science in 1960 under the single education Board, The East Pakistan Secondary Education Board securing high merit position.
- BA Honours in Economics from University of Dhaka in 1963 securing the first class first position.
- MA in Economics from University of Dhaka in 1964 securing the first position.
- MA (double) and PhD in Economics from Boston University USA in 1978 and 1979 respectively with CGPA of 3.81. The PhD thesis is on Cost Benefit Analysis of Labour, Foreign Exchange and Government Revenue in the Context of Bangladesh.
Family
Married to Suraiya (Asma) for fifty years; a happy family with son, daughter in law, daughter, son in law and four wonderfully life inspiring grandchildren aged 4 to 14.