Bangladesh Bank bars bank-funded training, seminar for staff

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has imposed new restrictions on its officials’ participation in training, seminars, symposiums, and workshops organised or funded by banks, financial institutions, and other entities, aiming to strengthen transparency in the financial sector and prevent conflicts of interest.

The central bank issued a circular stating that officials and employees of Bangladesh Bank will no longer be allowed to participate as trainees or trainers in any type of training or workshop, at home or abroad, if the programme is funded by banks or financial institutions.

It also prohibited participation in foreign, non-contractual training, seminars, or workshops funded by institutions that receive services from or supply goods and services to the central bank.

However, with prior approval from the Human Resources Department-2, Bangladesh Bank officials may attend domestic seminars or discussion events organised by banks, financial institutions, or other organisations as speakers or trainers. In such cases, they will not be allowed to receive any honorarium from the host organisation.

The central bank further instructed its officials to refrain from participating in any training, seminar, symposium, or workshop in exchange for honorarium from organisers, where such engagement could create a conflict of interest with Bangladesh Bank’s activities.

The directive, issued with the approval of the competent authority, takes immediate effect.