Protest at Bangladesh Bank calls for resignation of governor, senior officials

The protesters are calling for the resignations of central bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and four deputy governors

Bangladesh Bank officials are protesting to call for the resignations of Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and several other senior officials at the central bank.

Protesters calling for the resignation of the governor, four deputy governors, the chief of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit and policy advisors gathered at the Bangladesh Bank offices in Motijheel on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank deputy governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman has resigned amid the protests. When protesters demanded his resignation he penned his signature on a piece of paper in front of them and submitted it to the office of the executive director.

Officials from nearly all departments took part in the protests. They claim that the central bank is supposed to be a responsible institution but is involved in various misdeeds, that deputy governors aren’t doing proper work, and have not taken proper action to tackle financial fraud.

The protesters claim that a lot of money has been laundered out of the country, but BFIU chief Masud Biswas has not taken any proper steps on the matter. They say all of the senior officials are involved in money laundering and financial irregularities.

The protesting officials expressed their anger, chanting slogans to demand resignations. An official said that they cannot work properly at Bangladesh Bank because many senior officials are involved in illegal activities.

When the protesters entered the room of Deputy Governor Nurun Nahar, she said she would leave the office. Two other deputy governors at the bank were not at the office.

The central bank’s Executive Director Md Zakir Hossain Chowdhury addressed the protesters and asked them to keep calm and follow the instructions given by the interim government. Effective measures will be taken after discussions, he said.