Dr. Sadiq Ahmed

Dr. Sadiq Ahmed is a distinguished Bangladeshi development economist and the Vice Chairman of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), a position he has held since co-founding PRI in 2009. He is one of Bangladesh's most respected economic policy experts, with a career spanning academia, international development, and policy research spanning more than four decades.

🎓 Education

Dr. Sadiq Ahmed has an exceptional academic background in economics from prestigious institutions in Bangladesh, the UK, and the USA:

• 📊 B.A. (Honors) in Economics — First Class Third, Dhaka University (1972)
• 📊 M.A. in Economics — First Class First, Dhaka University (1974) — Best Student in Economics Award
• 📊 M.Sc. in Economics — London School of Economics (1976) — Ford Foundation Fellowship
• 📊 Ph.D. in Economics — Boston University (1984) — Graduate Student Fellowship + Teaching/Senior Fellow Award

💼 28-Year World Bank Career

Dr. Sadiq Ahmed joined the World Bank's Young Professional program in 1981 and held several key positions over 28 years until 2009:

• 🌍 Country Economist, Egypt — Middle East and North Africa Region
• 🌏 Principal Economist, Indonesia, PNG and Pacific Islands — East Asia and Pacific Region
• 📊 Lead Economist, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan
• 🏛️ Country Director, Pakistan — Senior leadership role
• 📊 Chief Economist and Director, Economic Policy — South Asia Region

He led key World Bank missions to Egypt, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. He interacted regularly with senior government officials including finance ministers and chief ministers of states/provinces. He has participated in numerous international conferences, and has long experience in dealing with leading global multi-lateral agencies such as ADB, DFID, IMF, EU, and IsDB.

🏛️ PRI Co-Founder and Vice Chairman

In 2009, Dr. Sadiq Ahmed co-founded the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and has served as its Vice Chairman since establishment. PRI is one of Bangladesh's leading economic policy think tanks, providing research-based policy advice to the government, private sector, and development partners. Under his leadership, PRI has become a respected voice on Bangladesh's macroeconomic management, trade policy, energy sector reform, and development strategy.

He is the Principal Author of "Bangladesh 2030: Pathways to Shared Prosperity" — a major policy publication outlining Bangladesh's development trajectory toward middle-income status and beyond. His recent op-eds and policy analysis are frequently published in The Daily Star and other major Bangladeshi newspapers, making him one of the most quoted economic policy experts in the country.

📚 Publications

Dr. Ahmed has published extensively on development economics, South Asian growth, and Bangladesh's development experience. Among his many books:

• 📖 South Asia: Accelerating Growth and Creating Jobs (with Ejaz Ghani) — Oxford University Press, 2009
• 📖 South Asia: Growth and Regional Integration (with Ejaz Ghani) — Macmillan, 2007
• 📖 India's Long-Term Growth Experience — Sage, 2007
• 📖 Making Dhaka Livable (with Junaid Ahmad and Adeeb Mahmud) — The University Press Limited, 2007
• 📖 Growth and Poverty: The Development Experience of Bangladesh (with Wahidudin Mahmud) — The University Press Limited, 2006
• 📖 Explaining South Asia's Development Success: The Role of Good Policies — World Bank Publication, 2006
• 📖 Transforming Bangladesh Into A Middle Income Economy — Macmillan, 2005

🏆 Awards and Recognition

• 🏆 Best Student in Economics Award, Dhaka University (1974)
• 🏆 Ford Foundation Fellowship (1975-76)
• 🏆 Boston University Graduate Student Fellowship Award (1978-79)
• 🏆 Boston University Teaching/Senior Fellow Award (1979-1980)
• 🏆 High Trust Manager Recognition, World Bank (1999)
• 🏆 Allama Iqbal Memorial Lecture, Pakistan Society for Development Economics (2004)
• 🏆 Bangladeshi American Foundation Incorporated (BAFI) Pride Award, Washington DC (2005)

🌐 Recent Policy Contributions

Dr. Sadiq Ahmed is actively engaged in Bangladesh's policy discourse, with recent contributions on critical economic challenges:

• ⚡ Energy sector restructuring — Authored comprehensive analysis proposing 6 bold reforms for Bangladesh's energy sector (July 2026)
• 📊 Macroeconomic stability — Frequent commentary on banking sector reform, fiscal policy, and IMF programme
• 🌍 LDC graduation preparation — Policy analysis on trade transition post-2029
• 💰 Revenue mobilization — Research on tax-to-GDP improvement strategies
• 🏭 Export diversification — Analysis of export competitiveness beyond RMG

His combination of World Bank experience, academic credentials, and deep understanding of Bangladesh's development challenges makes him one of the most authoritative voices on Bangladesh's economic policy trajectory. His recent energy sector reform proposals have been particularly influential in shaping the public discourse around the structural reforms needed to address Bangladesh's macroeconomic challenges.