The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Qingfeng Zhang as its new Country Director for Bangladesh, with the development finance institution saying he assumed office in Dhaka on Thursday.
Zhang will oversee ADB’s operations in Bangladesh, one of the bank’s largest country programmes, while leading policy dialogue with the government and other stakeholders. He will also guide the preparation of ADB’s next country partnership strategy.
“It is a privilege to serve as ADB Country Director for Bangladesh at an important stage in the country’s development,” Zhang said in a statement.
He said Bangladesh has demonstrated strong economic progress and resilience over the past decades, adding that ADB remains committed to supporting the country through quality investments, innovative financing and knowledge solutions.
According to ADB, the bank will continue working with the government and development partners to create quality jobs, strengthen climate and economic resilience, promote private sector-led growth and deepen regional cooperation.
Zhang brings more than three decades of experience in sustainable development, including over 20 years at ADB. His work has focused on agriculture, food systems, water resources, environment, natural capital and rural development.
Before taking up his new assignment, Zhang served as Senior Director of ADB’s Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, where he led the bank’s regional strategy and operations in the sector.
A Chinese national, Zhang holds a doctorate in environmental engineering from Tsinghua University, a master’s degree in water resources management and a bachelor’s degree in hydrology from Sichuan University. He also completed executive education at Harvard Business School.
Bangladesh became a member of ADB in 1973. As of July 2026, the bank’s active public and private sector portfolio in the country stood at about $12.5 billion, making it one of ADB’s largest country programmes.
ADB has committed around $43 billion in cumulative loans and grants to Bangladesh since the country joined the bank. It expects to provide around $2.4 billion in annual lending over the next several years to support sustainable growth, strengthen resilience to natural hazards, improve regional connectivity and enhance living standards.