Dr. Atiur Rahman served as the Governor of Bangladesh Bank from 2009 to 2016, inheriting a strong banking sector. However, his tenure saw mismanagement, operational weaknesses, and undermining of the central bank’s autonomy, which ultimately weakened the sector. He played a pivotal role in the destruction of the banking industry. In early 2010, the Hallmark and Basic Bank scandals rocked Sonali Bank, leading to massive fraud at both institutions. Despite the scale of these scams, under Atiur’s leadership, Bangladesh Bank failed to take decisive action. During his time, the focus shifted to facilitating defaulters, and it was under his watch that Bangladesh Bank’s reserve funds were looted.