Protest at BB a ‘conspiracy’ by vested quarters: governor

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Ahsan H Mansur today termed the protest a “conspiracy” by a vested quarter, alleging that a small group of officials is undermining discipline and recent financial sector achievements.

Officials under the banner of the Bangladesh Bank Officers’ Welfare Council staged a rally this morning in front of the BB headquarters in Dhaka and threatened a pen-down programme from tomorrow if their demands are not met.

Read more

BB governor faces employee protest, resignation call

Speaking to journalists after the protest, Mansur said the issues raised, particularly the merger of several banks, are matters of state policy and political economy, not concerns for a staff association.

“The process of taking over these banks is aimed at protecting the interests of 76 lakh depositors who have been unable to access their funds for the past two years,” he said.

“No official has the right to question these policy decisions. It is not within their jurisdiction,” he added.

He said Tk 32,000 crore has been allocated for the purpose, including Tk 20,000 crore from the government and Tk 12,000 crore from the Deposit Insurance Fund.

He said the BB provided Tk 9,500 crore in equity support to EXIM Bank, which the newly formed board failed to manage properly. 

Further liquidity support—Tk 1,000 crore and Tk 3,000 crore in recent weeks—was extended to ensure stability and facilitate repayment to depositors.

He added that the officials were served show-cause notices and later transferred outside Dhaka to defuse tensions after the alleged spread of misinformation on social media.

The administration will take further action in line with service rules and in consultation with the government to maintain discipline, he added.

Asked if he would resign, Mansur said resignation “takes only two seconds”, adding that such appointments are a prerogative of senior management and are common globally.