Newly Appointed Deputy Governor Dhirbahadur Rawal Takes Oath of Office

Dhirbahadur Rawal, the newly appointed Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, took his oath of office on Thursday from Governor Prof. Dr. Vishwanath Poudel and assumed his responsibilities. The government had appointed Rawal to the vacant Deputy Governor position on Wednesday, completing the Bank’s Board of Directors with his inclusion. Rawal brings over two decades of experience at the central bank, specializing in financial institution regulation, bank supervision, monetary policy analysis, and anti-money laundering measures.

Kathmandu, 4 Bhadra: Dhirbahadur Rawal formally assumed his duties as Deputy Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank starting Thursday, having taken the oath of office and secrecy from Governor Prof. Dr. Vishwanath Poudel. The government had authorized his appointment to the previously vacant Deputy Governor post on Wednesday and directed him to commence his responsibilities immediately.

The Deputy Governor position, vacant since Falgun 2082, has been filled by Rawal, thereby completing the Rastra Bank’s Board of Directors. Earlier, in Baisakh of this year, the government appointed one Deputy Governor, Kiran Pandit, but the other post remained unfilled until now.

Rawal, previously the Executive Director leading the supervision division of Nepal Rastra Bank, officially began his role as Deputy Governor on Thursday. With over 20 years of experience at the central bank, he is regarded as an expert in financial institution regulation, bank supervision, monetary policy analysis, currency management, and anti-money laundering practices. He has led efforts in prudential regulation, risk-based supervision frameworks, and financial stability monitoring.

In his earlier capacity as Director of the currency management department, Rawal played a crucial role in strengthening systemic controls and risk management mechanisms in national currency operations. From 2019 to 2024, he headed the Financial Information Unit responsible for combating money laundering and terrorist financing activities. Additionally, he served as the Member Secretary of Nepal’s National Coordination Committee, the apex body overseeing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing efforts. He was also the main liaison during Nepal’s third mutual evaluation phase (2022–2024).

Before joining Nepal Rastra Bank, Rawal was an Assistant Manager at Nepal Bank. He holds a PhD in Finance from Kathmandu University’s School of Management and has earned an MPhil in Finance, a postgraduate degree in Economics, an MBA in Management, and a postgraduate degree in Sociology. Recognized as a top student at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, he is a co-author of two books on Nepalese banking. In 2012, he received the ‘Samana Banking Award’ in recognition of his contributions.