Mr. M. R. Siddiqi was elected as the first Chairperson of UCEP Bangladesh following the sudden passing of its founder, Mr. Lindsay Allan Cheyne. He served in this role from May 1988 to October 1990, personally covering UCEP Bangladesh’s expenses for the first two months of his tenure.

A distinguished politician, Member of Parliament, industrialist, former ambassador, and chartered accountant, Mr. Siddiqi played a significant role in Bangladesh’s economic and trade sectors. In 1972, he was appointed as the Minister of Commerce and Foreign Trade in the Cabinet of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, contributing to the country’s early economic policies and international trade relations.