Atiur Rahman, who has resigned after days of calls for his firing as Bangladesh Bank Governor under pressure over the $81 million cyber heist, has wished Abul Maal Abdul Muhith success as finance minister.
Published : 15 Mar 2016, 10:38 PM
Referring to the cooperation he received from the minister while serving as governor, Atiur said, “He (Muhith) is an elderly person. I convey my regards to him.
“I wish he will view tomorrow’s economy with the eyes of the youth and will help to take it forward,” he said.
Muhith was upset with Atiur for not informing him right away about the theft of $100 million of Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves kept with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The finance minister also disapproved of Atiur's visit to India at this juncture.
Muhith had warned of effecting changes in the central bank management even before the governor was back from India.
Atiur came back on Monday afternoon, spoke to the finance minister, and went and handed over his resignation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday.
Before leaving for the Prime Minister’s Office from his Gulshan home, Atiur told reporters he was ready to quit but would do so only if Hasina wanted him to.
After having met the prime minister, Atiur held a press conference at his official residence where he said he had “volunteered to resign out of a sense of moral responsibility”.
“I am stepping aside gallantly,” he said, adding that he was the first Bangladesh Bank governor who has to quit under a situation like the current one.
The former Dhaka University teacher said he would go back to teaching and hoped to succeed in that role.
In his 22-minute speech he spoke of endeavours such as the creation of digital and green banking systems, taking the country’s foreign currency reserves to $28 billion, and the opening of bank accounts for farmers.
He also regretted his inability to establish the central bank’s full control over public-sector banks, whose many scams had surfaced even as he held office.
“I hope the government will pay special attention to the public-sector banks. If the need arises, the Bangladesh Bank should be given more powers to oversee their functioning,” he said.
Atiur wants an inquiry into the heist that has forced his resignation and punishment for those involved.
“I want those involved here or abroad to be punished after an investigation. I believe that will happen. An investigation is on and that will happen.”
Defending his trip to India, he said: “I went to India at the invitation of Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and IMF chief Christine Lagarde. I am a member of two panels.”
He said the heist had been discussed there too. “I was away for two days and two days were holidays. I was constantly working online while I was there.”
“So, it (his absence) need not have been made into a big issue,” said Atiur.
About the delay in informing the finance ministry about the heist, he said he was trying to figure things out after the cyber attack.
“We were trying to understand what had happened. I brought an expert from abroad, called in RAB, NSI, and all of them tried to locate where it happened.
“Meanwhile, I had to be on high alert to ensure the remaining money wasn’t touched. I also tried to retrieve the sum that had been taken out. It took us a bit of time to do all that.”
Recalling the prime minister's cooperation in helping him fulfil his responsibilities, he said: “I won’t say I have been entirely successful. But I tried to create a new trend in the running of the central bank. Today, the world treats the Bangladesh central bank as a model.”
About his parting meeting with the prime minister, Atiur said: “She was very upset. There were tears in her eyes. But she accepted my resignation.”
He quoted Hasina as saying that he had set an “example by volunteering to resign” and had proved himself to be a “brave person”.
“What more can I expect! I am an ordinary person. You know I am a son of the soil. I have risen from there.
"I am thankful to God, I am obliged to the prime minister for having reposed her confidence in me and giving me the charge of this institution,” he said.