Jan 16, Colombo: The new Chairman of the state-run Bank of Ceylon, President's Counsel, Mohamed Razik Zarook, assumed duties today.

Zarook, a former diplomat, has served as the chairman of several state enterprises, before taking over the helm at Bank of Ceylon. He succeeds Dr. Gamini Wickremasinghe, who resigned last week after serving the bank at the top post for six years.

The new head of the BOC has served as the Chairman of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) and was also the founder Chairman of Sathosa Motors Limited, Sathosa Printers Limited, and Lanka Milk Foods Limited.

Zarook, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, had served as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to former Yugoslavia and Hungary and as Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Singapore.

A former member of the United National Party, Zarook had contested several elections unsuccessfully on the UNP ticket.

Also the new General Manager of the BOC, D. M. Gunasekera has assumed duties, effective January 8th.