Thevakumar Kandiah

Thevakumar Kandiah, country director of the Asian Development Bank, retired from ADB services yesterday.

Kandiah had a 35-year professional career in development banking, including more than 28 years at the ADB focusing on transport and energy infrastructure development, financing and implementation.

Kandiah joined ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission as country director in May 2010, according to a statement.
“During the last 20 months, I interacted with stakeholders extensively, and learned about the country, its resilient and resourceful people, growth dynamism, and received valuable suggestions on how to make ADB's operations more effective,” Kandiah said in the statement.

“I am going home with fond memories.”
“During my tenure, I witnessed a dynamic and resilient Bangladesh progressing fast to attain the middle-income status by 2021,” he said.

“The country has attained a respectable 6.7 percent growth in gross domestic product in FY2011. Average GDP growth of 6 percent was achieved in the past decade, up from 4.8 percent in the 1990s,” he said.
“The achievements are significant despite daunting challenges.”

The Daily Star/Bangladesh/ 13th Jan 2012