Bangladesh Bank sets dress code, disallows short-sleeved dresses, leggings for female staff

Bangladesh Bank has issued a dress code for all for all employees, warning that failure to comply may lead to disciplinary action.

 The circular, issued by the Human Resources Department-2 on Jul 21, instructs female staff to wear “modest”attire, explicitly advising against short-sleeved or short-length clothing and leggings.

Male staff have been directed to wear formal shirts with long or half sleeves, along with formal trousers and shoes. Wearing jeans or gabardine trousers has been disallowed.

As per the guidelines, female employees are allowed to wear saree, salwar-kameez with orna, or any other plain, modest, professional-coloured outfit. Simple headscarves or hijab are also permitted, along with formal sandals or shoes.

 “Officials and employees of all levels must dress modestly and professionally, in line with the country’s social norms,” the directive read.

The policy will apply across all departments, projects, units and divisions of the central bank. 

It has also been included as a standing agenda item in each division’s monthly meetings.

The decision was recorded under point 11(Gha) of the circular, specifying that all officials -- excluding C and D-grade staff with designated uniforms -- must follow the prescribed code. 

Point 12 designates a responsible officer to oversee adherence. Any violation must be reported to the HR division for further action.

Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arief Hossain Khan said the circular was introduced to address the wide variation in attire across age groups and gender within the office, which he said sometimes created “psychological distance” between colleagues.

 “The intent is to reduce those differences and improve interpersonal understanding among co-workers,” he added. “There is no obligation for female staff to wear hijab or burqa. 

“More ornate dress styles are discouraged, while hijab and burqa are allowed.”

Arief also described the directive as advisory. “We hope this will not curtail anyone’s personal freedom of dress in the workplace.”

A senior official at the central bank told bdnews24.com: “We’ve received the instruction on dress code. But I’m surprised. This was not expected.”