CENTRAL BANK’S CONTRACTUAL APPOINTMENT BID: Tension mounts as BB serves show-cause notices on 20 officials

Tension among Bangladesh Bank officials mounted on Monday as the BB issued show-cause notices to its 20 officials for their ‘involvement’ in the demonstrations held on Sunday against a central bank’s controversial bid to appoint a general manager on contractual basis. The officials have been asked to explain within three working days why punitive measures should not be taken against them. All the central bank associations including Bangladesh Bank Officers Welfare Council are going to organise an indoor meeting today (Tuesday) to set fresh programmes against the issuance of the show-cause notices, a BB official told New Age on Monday. The Council also started to take preparations to hold its annual general meeting tomorrow to prevent the BB’s controversial bid to appoint a general manager on contractual basis at the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit. The BB official said the recruitment policy and process at the central bank had been fair for years. Now, some quarters are trying to destroy it by appointing officials without any competition on contractual basis that has created frustration among the central bank’s officials, he said. The frustration among the central bank’s officials worsened after the issuance of the show-cause notices by the BB high-ups to the 20 officials on Monday, he said. Of the 20 officials, 11 are deputy general managers, six joint directors and three deputy directors. According to the show-cause letter, the 20 officials stayed at the gate of the main building of the central bank headquarters avoiding their official duties. The officials also created obstacle on the way of the BB’s board members when they (board members) came to the central bank to join a monthly board meeting, the letter said. It said the officials handed over letters with some illogical statements written on those to the board members although they were not interest to receive those. The board members felt embarrassed because of such type of attitude. Besides, the officials exchanged their opinions with journalists without taking prior approval from the authorities, the letter said. Such type of activities are contrary to the official discipline and violation of article number 42 and 19 (I) of Bangladesh Bank Staff Regulation, 2003, the show-cause letter stated. The activities are punishable offense under the article of 44 of the same regulation, it said. Before Sunday’s board meeting, around 300 officials led by the Bangladesh Bank Officers Welfare Council staged demonstrations against the BB bid to appoint former GM Deb Prasad Debnath as GM on contractual basis at the BFIU. Following the demonstrations, the BB board backtracked from appointing Debnath, who is close to BB high-ups including governor Atiur Rahman, on contractual basis. But, the board decided to pursue the BB’s aim to appoint a GM or consultant on contractual basis at the BFIU, this time by issuing an open tender, said another BB official. The Council on June 17 issued a letter to the governor saying that the initiative of appointing a contractual GM at the BFIU created frustration and distraction among the central bank’s officials. Such type of appointment will create obstacle to ensuring good governance in the BB and it will also hinder the development of the skill of the central bank’s officers, the Council’s letter said. News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net