Govt appoints two new directors to heist-hit Bangladesh Bank

The government has appointed two new directors to Bangladesh Bank which is facing a rash of criticism over funds stolen from foreign currency reserves.

Bangladesh Economic Association General Secretary Dr Jamaluddin Ahmed and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Research Director Dr Rushidan Islam Rahman will sit on the bank’s board.

The Bank and Financial Institutions Division sent an office order on the appointments to the central bank on Sunday.

Bangladesh Bank spokesperson AFM Asaduzzaman said a meeting of the board of directors with the new members would be held on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister AMA Muhith hit out at Bangladesh Bank for ‘having the audacity to not inform the government’ about its funds getting stolen from the US account.

He also said action will be taken against the central bank.

Bangladesh Bank lost over $80 million in the recent heist.

Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary M Aslam Alam, who is also a director of the central bank, sat with four deputy governors of the bank earlier in the day.

The board had also been reportedly kept in dark about the heist.

The tenures of four members of the nine-strong board ended recently.

A source in the finance ministry has confirmed that the two other vacant posts will also be filled within a day or two.

Governor Atiur Rahman is the chairman in the board.

The others in it are Finance Secretary Mahbub Ahmed, National Board of Revenue Chairman Nojibur Rahman, and the bank’s Deputy Governor Abul Quasem.