Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri facts for kids

Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri (also known as S B Chaudhuri) was an important economist from Bangladesh. He was born in 1931 and passed away on November 11, 2020. He held two very important jobs: he was the fourth governor of the Bangladesh Bank (which is like the main bank for the whole country) from 1987 to 1992, and he also worked as an advisor for Bangladesh's first temporary government in 1996.

Early Life and Family

Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri was born in 1931. His father was Dewan Mamun Chaudhuri, and his mother was Syeda Zebunessa Khatun. His maternal uncles were the famous writers Syed Mujtaba Ali and Syed Murtaza Ali.

He grew up in his home village of Bongaon, which is in the Habiganj District of Bangladesh. In his family, he was known as Taufiq. He was the oldest of five children, with one younger brother and four sisters. S.B. Chaudhuri was known for being an honest and humble person who didn't like to be in the spotlight.

Education Journey

Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri studied Economics at the University of Dhaka in the early 1950s, earning his Bachelor of Arts with honors. He started a Master's degree in International Relations at the same university but couldn't finish it due to illness.

Later, in 1967, he went to the John F. Kennedy School of Government and earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. This degree helped him learn more about how governments work.

Working in Government

Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri started his career as a journalist at the Morning News newspaper in the early 1950s. In 1955, he joined the Pakistan Taxation Service after passing special government exams.

He worked in many different roles for the governments of Pakistan and later Bangladesh. These roles included:

• First Secretary (Commercial Attaché) at the Pakistan Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, from 1967 to 1970.
• Chief Controller of Imports and Exports for the Government of Pakistan from 1970 to 1971.
• Director-General of the Export Promotion Bureau for the Government of Bangladesh for a short time.
• Chief Controller of Imports and Exports for the Government of Bangladesh from 1973 to 1974.
• Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Secretary of the Internal Resources Division in the Ministry of Finance from 1974 to 1977.
• Chairman of the National Board of Revenue for the Government of Bangladesh from 1981 to 1987.
• Governor of Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh, from 1987 to 1992.

After retiring from Bangladesh Bank, he started writing a column called "Along My Way" for Daily Star newspaper. In 1996, he served as an Adviser (like a cabinet minister) for three months in a temporary government. This government was in charge of the country and oversaw the parliamentary elections. He also advised City Bank in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from around 1993 or 1994 until 1998.

Later Years and Passing

Shegufta Bakht Chaudhuri passed away on November 11, 2020, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was a respected figure in Bangladesh's economic and political history. He was survived by his wife, his son, his daughter, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.