Ishter Mahal

Ishter Mahal is an accomplished Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting & Information Systems at the University of Dhaka. With a distinguished academic career spanning more than 16 years, she completed her Research Master’s in International Finance and Accounting from Europe under the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Scholarship, graduating with Honor Distinction. Before that, she secured 1st position in both her BBA and MBA programs at the Department of Accounting & Information Systems, University of Dhaka.Throughout her career, Ishter has significantly contributed to academia, publishing numerous scholarly articles in prominent international journals. Her research spans financial reporting, corporate governance, audit quality, and entrepreneurship, often focusing on how transparency and ethics in financial disclosure impact business sustainability. Her works have been widely cited and recognized for their relevance and impact on both academia and industry practices.

In her professional career, Ishter has held significant positions in the corporate world. She served as an Independent Director of Chittagong Stock Exchange PLC and Chairman of its Audit & Risk Management Committee from February 2023 to August 2024. She also previously held directorships at Apex Weaving and Finishing Ltd. and Fu-Wang Food Ltd., where she chaired the Audit Committee.Beyond her corporate achievements, Ishter has been actively involved in various leadership roles. Since 2021, she has been serving as the Vice-President of the Bangladesh Muktijuddha Poribar Songshod - National Command Council. She was the Welfare Secretary of the Accounting Alumni Association from 2018 to 2022 and currently holds the position of International Relations Secretary.

Ishter comes from a family with a rich legacy of public service, art, and literary contributions. Her father, S. M. Shaukat Usman, was an administrative cadre, journalist, famous lyricist, and a "Son of Soil" (Freedom Fighter). Her mother, Shireen Mahal Bandana, is a pioneering figure in the Bangladeshi art scene, being the first woman painter in the country to hold a solo art exhibition in 1976. She also served as the Chief Controller of Design at Bangladesh Television, the national television network. Additionally, she was the heir to the Dhankundi Zamindar estate in Bogra (a feudal landholding under British rule in the Dhankundi region of the Sherpur, Bogra District).Her maternal grandfather, Md. Asaf Ud-Doula Reza was a distinguished journalist, writer, and broadcaster. He served as the Executive and News Editor of The Daily Ittefaq and was honored with the Ekushey Padak in 1989, the second-highest civilian award in Bangladesh. Ishter also proudly carries the legacy of her great-grandfather, Syed Ismail Hossain Siraji, a celebrated poet and a key figure in the Bengali Muslim Renaissance. His first poetry book was banned by the British government, and he was subsequently imprisoned as the first South Asian poet to allegedly call for independence against British colonial rule in India. Throughout his lifetime, the government imposed Section 144 against him 82 times.