BB officers frustrate over no visible progress in BB's full autonomy
Published: 12:00 AM, 06 February 2026 Last Update: 12:12 AM, 06 February 2026
BB officers frustrate over no visible progress in BB's full autonomy
Bangladesh Bank (BB) officers expressed their frustration over no visible progress in two key financial sector reform agendas – proposed amendment in BB order 1972 and Bank Company Act.
Like many others, members of the BB Officers’ Welfare Council thought the post-uprising interim government having commitment to bring fundamental changes in the financial sector will sustainably be able to heal many macroeconomic ills through ensuring full autonomy of the central bank and tightened provisions in the existing Bank Company Act to avert possible attempt of malpractices in lending operations.
Despite making necessary changes in the drafts of the two major reform agendas prepared by the central bankers before it sent to the ministry concerned for next course of actions, the developments seem to get stuck up in the ministry of finance for several months, causing the concern as few days of the government’s tenure remains.
The council leaders expressed their dissatisfaction over the matters at a press conference at the BB headquarters in Thursday.
A council leader and BB director (SME & Special Programmes Department) Nawshad Mustafa said the central bank governor is macro- economically very sound and accepted by all quarters while finance adviser is one of the successful BB governors. On the other hand, the chief adviser of the interim government is a Nobel laureate and one of the most globally recognised individuals.
“So, we have huge expectation to this team to get such importance changes approved. But it is yet to be. We are frustrated to some extent. But we are still hopeful that the interim government will take quick measures to get things passed in the next few days,” he added.
The council general secretary Golam Mostafa Srabon said the full autonomy of the banking regulator is required to bring discipline in the finance sector with preventing possible scope of political interventions over the BB regulations, which they observed in many cases in the past.
Talking about the current structure of the board of directors at the BB, he said the board lacks professional directors and dominated by the government representatives although there was only one government representative with no voting right when the BB Order got passed in 1972.
Citing example of Sri Lanka, he said the Sri Lankan government after the latest uprising removed the lone government representative from their central bank board of directors.
The council also called for resolving the existing stalemate in recruitment and promotion of Bangladesh Bank officials and cancelling appointments of advisers, consultants, and officials hired on a contractual basis without proper evaluation and transparent recruitment processes.
The council further demanded institutional protection for officials who face harassment while performing their official duties. It also urged the governor to devote active time and attention to matters related to Bangladesh Bank’s policies and interests and to refrain from making inconsistent or arbitrary statements in the media regarding central banking policies and practices.
BRPD director Md. Bayazid Sarker and the council’s president AKM Masum Billah also spoke at the press-meet.
