The central bank has decided to pick up a contractual general manager for Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) from outside its high-ranking officials.
The decision came at a Bangladesh Bank board meeting held yesterday at its headquarters in the face of protest by hundreds of high-ranking BB officials.
The demonstrators gathered in front of the governor’s building under the banner of Bangladesh Bank Officers Welfare Council, Dhaka, and staged a sit-in for half an hour at 1pm.
Bangladesh Bank management is interested to appoint general manager (GM) from outside whereas 25 deputy general managers could not get promoted to GM even in seven years due to not having adequate posts, they claimed.
The protesting officials handed letters to the board members including National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Nojibur Rahman, Banking Division Secretary M Aslam Alam while they came to the central bank premises to attend the board meeting.
During the demonstration Siddiqur Rahman Molla, president of the officers’ council, threatened to stage a wide-scale movement if the decision about contractual GM appointment is taken.
They demanded that general manager be picked up from existing officers of the central bank.
Despite the protest, the board approved the proposal of contractual GM appointment at the BFIU.
“The board took the decision on the grounds that the department needs a specialised person,” said a director who was at the meeting.
Moreover, Bangladesh Bank has earlier practiced giving contractual appointment to different sectors like medical, press etc.
The board only approved the policy, but the appointment will be made through an open competition.
The decision came on the grounds that the existing GM of BFIU is not very much capable for the department, he said.
However, Bangladesh Bank Executive Officer M Mahfuzur Rahman, also in-charge of the department, has not been informed about appointing GM.
While reporters asked him about the GM appointment, he said he has not been informed that such a decision is going to be taken.
Following the meeting, as the designated spokesperson of the central bank, he, however, said the board took the decision on appointing a contractual GM at BFIU.
On the other hand, it was alleged that the central bank took the decision to re-appoint Deboproshad Debnath, former GM at BFIU, who went on retirement a year ago, being lobbied by the government high-ups.
