New captain of StanChart: a Bangladeshi

Abrar A Anwar

Standard Chartered Bangladesh yesterday announced Abrar A Anwar as its chief executive officer, the second Bangladeshi to lead the British banking giant's local operations.

Previously the head of corporate and institutional clients at SCB, Anwar will succeed Jim McCabe, who leaves after five years at the helm to join Standard Chartered Sri Lanka as CEO.

He has “delivered impressive revenue growth, diversifying the business beyond traditional banking into sophisticated financial solutions to meet the more complex needs of corporates”, SCB said.

“Abrar is a hugely talented member of our team and he has already made a major contribution to our success, under Jim McCabe's leadership,” Sunil Kaushal, CEO of Standard Chartered's South Asia operations, said on Anwar's appointment. “His deep knowledge of Bangladesh, a key growth market for us globally, and our customers and clients will take this exciting business to new heights,” he added.

Anwar, who joined SCB in 2011, has more than 23 years of experience in international banking in Bangladesh, India and the UK. His elevation to the top of the largest foreign bank in the country is in line with the recent trend among multinationals to appoint Bangladeshi professionals to rudder their local operations.

In 2012, Unilever got its first local CEO and the following year, British American Tobacco appointed its first ever Bangladeshi managing director.

“This is a very big achievement for Bangladesh and its corporate professionals,” Muklesur Rahman, managing director and CEO of NRB Bank, said on Anwar's appointment.

Rahman previously worked in senior positions at Standard Chartered's franchises in Bangladesh and Nepal.

Anwar will continue to be based in Dhaka and has already taken up his new position on January 1.