Within a day of Sheikh Hasina leaving the post of Prime Minister, the tone has changed in the banking sector. Mourning meetings were organized yesterday in various banks including the Central Bank in memory of the victims of the anti-discrimination student movement. The governor did not take office under the changed circumstances.

Again, the officers-employees protested demanding the release of Islami Bank Bangladesh, which was seized in 2017. The Central Bank has announced the withdrawal of the ban on entry of journalists to cover up irregularities and corruption in the banking sector. Just yesterday, the banks removed the photos of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina from their offices.

Meanwhile, Islami Bank Bangladesh, once known as the best bank in the country, was taken over by S Alam Group in 2017 with the help of an intelligence agency. There was a protest at the bank demanding action against the looting by S Alam Group. Apart from this, it is demanded that the appointments made without notification be cancelled, and the officials who were promoted quickly in violation of the rules be removed. None of the bank’s senior officers except Additional Managing Director Altaf Hossain was present yesterday.

Officials of Islami Bank said that through some officials, S Alam Group has taken out thousands of crores of rupees anonymously in the last few years. The once best bank is now at its worst. The former personal assistant and DMD of the bank, Saiful Alam Masud, the leader of the S Alam Group, is directly involved in assisting the robbery to cut the bank’s fragility. Akiz Uddin, Bank’s Company Secretary and AMD JQM Habibullah, DMD Miftah Uddin, Mohammad Sabbir and Kazi Rezaul Karim, who have been promoted 5 to 7 times in the last 8 years, two SEVPs. Maksudur Rahman and Ahmed Zobairul Haque should be removed quickly. In the meantime, the angry officers-employees have removed the nameplates from the front of these officers’ rooms.

Deputy Governor, Kazi Chaidur Rahman, Noorun Nahar, Md. Khurshid Alam, Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman and Executive Director Mejbaul Haque were present. A delegation of journalists led by Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) president Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mirdha and general secretary Abul Kashem went to the central bank. In the meeting, the journalists gave various suggestions stating that the central bank cannot avoid the responsibility of the current plight of the financial sector. In particular, he highlighted the issue of strengthening inspection to prevent irregularities and fraud, identifying benami loans, identifying real defaulters, leaving multiple banks in the hands of one person.

The fragility of the country’s financial sector, especially the banking sector, has been discussed for several years. Especially irregularity-corruption, benami loans and other ways of smuggling money out of the bank have been discussed. The central bank did not take any action despite knowing the information of various irregularities and frauds. On the contrary, various measures are taken to hide this information. Fazle Kabir, who was in charge of the governor from 2016 to mid-2022, and Abdur Rauf Talukder, who was in charge of the governor from July 2022, put pressure on the officials in various ways so that the information of any irregularities is not disclosed in the media. Many times, when an official goes to visit and finds special irregularities and fraud, action is taken against that official. Abdur Rauf Talukder imposed a ban on the entry of journalists from March last year.

ERF was vocal in demanding the withdrawal of ban on Bangladesh Bank from the beginning. Apart from this, various organizations including Newspaper Owners’ Association Nowab, Editor Parishad, BFUJ, DUJ, Dhaka Reporters Unity gave statements.

In a meeting with journalists, Deputy Governor Kazi Saidur Rahman said that there is no obstacle for Central Bank officials to work against irregularities and corruption. The other three deputy governors also said the same thing and said that they will work to solve the crisis in the financial sector. They said that Central Bank will strengthen inspections to prevent irregularities and corruption. At the same time measures will be taken to prevent smuggling and bring back the smuggled money. From now on journalists will be able to enter as before.

Governor Abdur Rauf Talukder was not in office yesterday. There are rumors of leaving the country.