Three Bangladesh Bank officials have been chastised after calling the governor a ‘tyranny’ in a press conference on weak bank mergers, digital bank license issues and central bank autonomy. Sources said that they have been asked to give a written reply within the next 10 days.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan gave this information in a press briefing on Tuesday (February 24).
The three mourned officers are Bangladesh Bank Blue Team General Secretary and Director of SME and Special Programs Department Naushad Mostafa, Bangladesh Bank Officers Welfare Council President AKM Masum Billah elected from Blue Team and General Secretary Golam Mostafa Shravan.
They criticized various decisions of the governor in an impromptu press conference on February 16. There, questions were raised about the merger of Exim Bank and Social Islami Bank with weak banks, licensing process of digital banks and recent policies of the banking sector. At the same time the Governor was termed as ‘dictatorship’.
According to Bangladesh Bank’s staff regulations, officials are required to seek approval from the governor before addressing press conferences, meetings or media. There is scope for discussion in internal forum if there is any objection regarding Governor or senior officials. There is no direct press conference. However, in the February 16 press conference, questions were also raised about the central bank’s board meeting on the same day.
AmarBangla/SAB
