Turmoil shakes BD central bank, workers force top officials to resign

DHAKA (Agencies): Hundreds of the government bank officials stormed the Bangladesh bank’s office and demanded the resignations of top officials including four deputy governors, policy advisor, the head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), and the governor himself.

Deputy Governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman resigned in response to the protests, submitting a handwritten resignation letter to the central bank’s executive director.

The agitating bank employees also got signs on plain papers from deputy governors Nurun Nahar, Khursheed Alam, and Habib ur Rahman. Two were forced to leave early after assuring the staff they would resign soon.

On Wednesday, central bank officials demanded the resignation of those who worked as friends of dictatorship. Subsequently, Deputy Governor Rahman left the office, followed by Deputy Governors Nahar, Alam, and Rahman. BFIU head Biswas also left the office.

Witnesses reported that protesters first entered Deputy Governor Rahman’s room, pressuring him to resign. He wrote his resignation on a blank paper and signed it before leaving the bank. The angry officers then forced Deputy Governors Nurun Nahar, Md Khurshid Alam, and Md Habibur Rahman to sign blank papers.

Later, bank advisor Abu Farah Nasser and BFIU head Masud Biswas were also asked to resign. All these top officials were appointed on a contractual basis.

Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder did not come to the office.

Executive Director Zakir Hussain was nominated to tackle the matters.

Bangladesh authorities have also imposed ban on withdrawing or transfer of more than 100 thousand taka from banks.