Mashrur Arefin named ‘CEO of the Year 2025’ at Bangladesh C-Suite Awards

Mashrur Arefin, managing director and CEO of City Bank, has been named ‘CEO of the Year—2025’ in the Financial Institutions category at the 4th Bangladesh C-Suite Awards.

The honour recognises his exceptional leadership and more than 30 years of contributions to Bangladesh’s banking sector, says a media release.

Previous recipients of the award from the industry include Ali Reza Iftekhar of EBL, Syed Mahbubur Rahman of MTBL, and Kamal Quadir of bKash.

During his six-year tenure, Mashrur has steered City Bank to record growth.

The bank’s operating profit rose from Tk 6.99 billion in 2018 to Tk 23.51 billion in 2024, while net profit increased from Tk 2.02 billion to Tk 10.85 billion over the same period. City Bank’s ROE surged from 8.2 per cent to 26.1 per cent, and its total capital more than doubled.

The bank was also recognised by Bangladesh Bank as the country’s top sustainable bank in 2024 for its strong governance and green financing initiatives.

Arefin has led major strides in digital transformation, expanding Citytouch and introducing innovative products such as the Digital Nano Loan, which has helped advance financial inclusion.

Beyond banking, he is an acclaimed novelist, poet and translator, and currently serves as chairman of the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB), chairperson of SWIFT Bangladesh, and a Board Director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.