Da Afghanistan Bank

Seal of the bank

The seal of Da Afghanistan Bank has the name of the bank in Pashto at the top and Latin script at the bottom, the year 1939 in which it was established, and a depiction of a Eucratides I-era coin with the Greek text, "ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΕΥΚΡΑΤΙΔΟΥ" which means "Of the great king Eucratides".

Mission

Basic tasks of DAB are:

• Formulate, adopt and execute the monetary policy of Afghanistan.
• Hold and manage the official foreign-exchange reserves of Afghanistan.
• Print and issue afghani banknotes and coins.
• Act as banker and adviser to, and as fiscal agent of the state.
• License, regulate and supervise banks, foreign exchange dealers, money service providers, payment system operators, securities service providers, securities transfer system operators.
• Establish, maintain and promote sound and efficient systems for payments, for transfers of securities issued by the state or DAB, and for the clearing and settlement of payment transactions and transactions in such securities.
• Accept foreign bank applications from banks that wish to operate in Afghanistan.

Chief of the bank

• Habibullah Malie Achekzai, 1954–1960
• Abdul Hay Azizi, 1960–1975
• Mohammad Hakim Khan, 1975–1980
• Ghulam Hussain Jujeni, 1980–1982
• Mehrabuddin Paktiawal, 1982–1985
• Abdul Basir Ranjbar, 1985–1988
• Mohammad Kabir, 1988–1990
• Khalil Sediq, 1990–1991
• Abdul Wahab Asefi, ?–1991–?
• Najibullah Sahu, ?–1992–?
• Zabihullah Eltezam, ?–1993
• Ghulam Mohammed Yailaqi, 1993
• Mohammad Hakim Khan, 1993–1995
• Ehsanullah Ehsan, during Taliban era, 1996–1997
• Abdul Samad Sani, during Taliban era, 1997–?
• Mohammad Ahmadi, during Taliban era, ?–2001
• Anwar ul-Haq Ahady, 2002–2004
• Noorullah Delwari, 2004–2007
• Abdul Qadir Fitrat, 2007–2011
• Noorullah Delwari, 2011– 14 January 2015
• Khan Afzal Hadawal, acting, 14 January – 8 July 2015
• Khalil Sediq, 8 July 2015 – 2019
• Wahidullah Nosher, acting, 2019–2019
• Ajmal Ahmady, acting, 2019 – August 2021
• Haji Mohammad Idris, acting, August 2021 – October 2021
• Shakir Jalali, acting, October 2021 – March 2023
• Hidayatullah Badri, acting, March 2023 – July 2024
• Noor Ahmad Agha, acting, July 2024 – present

Members of the Supreme Council

In July 2021, the Supreme Council at DAB consisted of:

• Ajmal Ahmady
• Shah Mohammad Mehrabi
• Katrin Fakiri
• Abdul Wakil Muntazer
• Muhammad Naim Azimi

Seizure of US-based assets

DAB owned about US$7 billion in assets held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. After the 2021 Taliban seizure of power, a group of about 150 relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks attempted to use a judgement from the SDNY case Havlish v. Bin Laden to gain control of these assets, asserting that they were now legally the Taliban's and thus could be used to pay damages to 9/11 victims' families. After a period of deliberation, the Biden administration went along with the request, dividing the assets into two halves, one of which would be allocated to the plaintiffs as potential damages, and the other which would be used to set up a trust fund to "support the needs of the Afghan people" but which the Taliban government would remain barred from accessing. On 26 August 2022, a judge recommended to not award damages as the bank is "immune from jurisdiction" and that it would "acknowledge" the Taliban as the legitimate Afghan government. On 21 February 2023, the request of the relatives was denied, with Judge George Daniels stating that he was "constitutionally restrained" from allowing access to the funds.

References

References

1. (2017). "The Organisation and Structure of Central Banks".
2. (7 July 2024). "'Financier of Taliban Bomb-Making' Appointed as Central Bank Chief".
3. (24 July 2025). "Da Afghanistan Bank Reports Gross Reserves Reach $10 Billion". TOLOnews.
4. (26 July 2022). "The US and Taliban are negotiating the release of part of the $9.5 billion in frozen Afghan government assets, report says". Business Insider.
5. (18 August 2021). "US freezes Afghan central bank's assets of $9.5bn". Al Jazeera.
6. (17 August 2021). "U.S. Freezes Nearly $9.5 Billion Afghanistan Central Bank Assets". Bloomberg News.
7. (9 August 2023). "DAB officials: Inflation rate falls, afghani's value increases". Pajhwok Afghan News.
8. (18 June 2019). "AFI members". AFI Global.
9. "Zones and Branches". Da Afghanistan Bank.
10. (June 15, 2025). "Withdrawal restrictions relaxed for bank account holders in Afghanistan". Ariana News.
11. (9 March 2025). "He Was Once a Covert Taliban Operative. Now He’s the Friendly Taxman.". [[The New York Times]].
12. (9 August 2023). "Central Bank Says Inflation Has Been Managed Over Past Year". TOLOnews.
13. "Licensing Procedure".
14. "DAB History".
15. Directorate of Intelligence. (1989). "Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments". Central Intelligence Agency.
16. Directorate of Intelligence. (2003). "Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments". Central Intelligence Agency.
17. Directorate of Intelligence. (1991). "Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments". Central Intelligence Agency.
18. (18 April 1993). "Central Banking Directory". Central Banking Publications.
19. Directorate of Intelligence. (1992). "Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments". Central Intelligence Agency.
20. Directorate of Intelligence. (1994). "Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments". Central Intelligence Agency.
21. Fitrat, Abdul Qadeer. (7 March 2018). "The Tragedy of Kabul Bank". Page Publishing Inc.
22. (1995). "Chiefs of State and Cabinet members of foreign governments / National Foreign Assessment Center. 1995 no.1-4.".
23. (23 August 2012). "An Enemy We Created: The Myth of the Taliban-Al Qaeda Merger in Afghanistan". Oxford University Press.
24. Gannon, Kathy. (12 November 2018). "Pakistan frees 2 Taliban members as US envoy visits region".
25. {{CELEX
26. "Nosher, Wahidullah".
27. [https://www.centralbanking.com/central-banking/news/2390263/afghanistan-governor-delawari-resigns]
28. [https://www.centralbanking.com/regions/afghanistan?page=1]
29. (28 November 2018). "Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs".
30. (22 March 2023). "Mullah Badri named as Da Afghanistan Bank chief". Pajhwok Afghan News.
31. (9 August 2023). "Afghani strengthens by 4.4% against US dollar: central bank". Ariana News.
32. (2 September 2023). "Central bank chief Badri wounded in traffic accident". Pajhwok Afghan News.
33. (6 August 2024). "Increase in Withdrawal Limits from Commercial Banks". TOLOnews.
34. "Supreme Council".
35. (4 July 2021). "DAB Supreme Council Holds Second meeting during the fiscal year 2021".
36. (23 July 2023). "Ultimate Goal is to Use Afghan Trust Fund to Recapitalize DAB: Mehrabi". TOLOnews.
37. (21 July 2023). "Audit Fails to Win US Backing for Release of Afghan Central Bank Funds- US". TOLOnews.
38. (2 December 2021). "More Sept. 11 Victims Who Sued the Taliban Want Frozen Afghan Funds". The New York Times.
39. (11 February 2022). "Spurning Demand by the Taliban, Biden Moves to Split $7 Billion in Frozen Afghan Funds". The New York Times.
40. (26 August 2022). "Sept. 11 victims not entitled to seize Afghan central bank assets -U.S. judge". Reuters.
41. (2023-02-22). "Judge blocks 9/11 victims' claim to Afghan assets".