Mr. Arefin began his banking career in 1995 with ANZ Grindlays Bank, Bangladesh, as a Management Trainee. During his tenure there, he eventually held the position of Head of Consumer Finance, Bangladesh. He subsequently worked with Standard Chartered Bank in Qatar and the ANZ Banking Group in Melbourne, Australia.

Mr. Arefin also served as a Director at American Express Bank, Bangladesh, and held the role of Resident Vice President at Citibank N.A., Bangladesh, for a brief period.

Before joining City Bank in 2007, he was the Head of Consumer Banking at Eastern Bank Ltd. Since then, his career at City Bank has been marked by a range of leadership roles. He has served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and was the Business Head of SME Banking, Retail Banking, Cards, Agent Banking, and Digital Financial Services (DFS). From 2007 to 2018, he also held the position of Chief Communications Officer (CCO) at the Bank.