Atiur Rahman, who tendered his resignation as Bangladesh Bank governor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier in the day, said he had taken the decision out of moral responsibility over the $101 million cyber heist at the central bank.
“I have resigned willingly with moral responsibility,” said former governor while addressing a press briefing at his Gulshan residence on Tuesday afternoon, a few hours after he quit his job.
He said: "I do not want my institution and my country to face any controversy over the fund heist issue, so I decided to quit. I think my resignation will help restore our image. "
At the same time he urged the government to mete out capital punishment to those involved in the heist after a detailed investigation.
''The prime minister was in tears while receiving my resignation,” Atiur said in an emotion-choked voice.
Atiur faced media for the first time after the biggest ever cyber heist. Though, he came to the briefing with a smiling face sporting a panjabi but soon he became very emotional.
Listen During the entire time of briefing he seemed very sad and his voice broke several times and he fought back his tears while speaking.
As he came he began: ''I came to meet all of you to take farewell formally.''
He explained that the heist was reported to the authorities concerned late as the central bank itself was puzzled over the issue.
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He termed the cyber theft terrorist attack saying that the attack was very much innovative and complex. The attack was like an earthquake and Bangladesh Bank could not identify which way the quake was approaching from.
''Perplexed at what was really going on what could we report to the finance ministry?'' he questioned.
''The incident will be a good lesson for the banking sector like Rana Plaza disaster which brought a massive transformation in the garment sector,'' he said.
"I have left the office as a hero," he said adding that he would now return to his teaching profession.''
Expressing sorrow the governor said: “I am the man who took the bank reserve to over $28bn from $6bn gradually by working hard and now that reserve was stolen at my negligence! he wondered saying: “Is it believable.”
There was no need to make the incident a big issue, he said.
“I am grateful to the finance minister as he has helped me on different issues during my job tenure,'' the governor said.
Atiur left the press conference hastily after his briefing.
He had been serving the Bangladesh Bank as the governor since the year 2009 with a second-time extension which was supposed to end on August 2 this year.
He was the first governor in Bangladesh Bank's history who resigned in the face of any allegation.
Atiur drew flak from the government for not informing the issue of the cyber theft of $101m from the central bank's reserve account with the Federal Reserve Bank in New York more than one month.
Atiur last attended the office on March 9. He left the country for attending a three-day conference on 11-13 March in New Delhi.
He returned home on March 14 and before he went to his office he went to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the first half of Tuesday and tendered his resignation.
