A recollection of dedication and integrity: Matiul Islam launches his second memoir

"A hero of history – every page of his life is like that of a novel, full of stories," said actor and director Afzal Hossain, while introducing the first finance secretary of Bangladesh Md Matiul Islam.

A veteran of the Civil Service of Pakistan, the private sector of Pakistan, the government of Bangladesh, the World Bank, UNIDO, and Bangladesh's private sector, Md Matiul Islam, who is 92 years old now, launched his second memoir at a city hotel yesterday.

"Recollections of a Civil Servant-Turned Banker (2019-2022)", whose earlier instalment was published by Pathak Shamabesh, covers Islam's transition from civil service into the private sector, his creation of non-banking financial institutions and a credit agency, his pioneering of the first commercial bank in the private sector and his anecdotes and insights on these areas.

The book contains essays and articles that reflect on the role of public servants in good governance, the legacy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the history of Sonali Bank's debut in 1972, and the author's role in helping reduce carbon emissions for the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB), among other milestones in the country's history. Some personal anecdotes in the books pay homage to the author's late wife, Zohra Islam, and offer glimpses of his 90th birthday.

"Past and present have been inextricably intertwined in this book," said Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad and chief guest of the event, drawing parallels between the book's contents and that of the author's early career.

Just as this second memoir documents Islam's experiences as a bureaucrat and a banker during 2019-2022, a time of global turmoil wrought by Covid-19, so did Islam's tenure as Bangladesh's first finance secretary document the shaping up of the financial systems of a war-ravaged country, Shirin pointed out.

"I could never conceive that there would be anything about my life after I reached the age of 89. But it seems that I was grossly wrong," said Islam. Over the last four years, the author recalled that he has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Alumni Association and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), attended the University of Dhaka centenary as its senior-most alumnus, and celebrated the golden jubilee of Sonali Bank.

"These positions demonstrate unyielding dedication and integrity. Matiul Islam's life can also be defined as the chronological record of the past," said Shirin Sharmin.

Prof Rehman Sobhan, eminent economist and founder of Centre for Policy Dialogue, pointed out that these historic episodes recorded in the book need to be shared with the younger generations, particularly early and mid-career professionals who are working towards developing the country's current business and financial sectors.

Islam has dedicated the book to his wife, who passed away in 2021. Speaking at the ceremony, he noted that the event felt incomplete in her absence, alongside those of Brac founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, former finance minister AMA Muhith, and Niloufar Manzur, the former principal of Sunbeams school. 

The book launching ceremony was moderated by Afzal Hossain. Former finance secretary and former Bangladesh Bank governor Fazle Kabir, and Salman F Rahman, lawmaker and advisor to the prime minister, spoke at the event as special guests.