Any decision on Islami Bank will be made by following the law, not in response to protests, Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and spokesman Arif Hossain Khan has said.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at Bangladesh Bank on Monday.
Arif Hossain Khan said any individual or group has the right to protest and express opinions, as well as the right to seek redress through legal process. But Bangladesh Bank, he said, will take decisions according to the institution’s interests and legal provisions — not on the basis of emotion, pressure or agitation.
He said that under the Bank Company Act, a loan defaulter cannot be a bank director. Information reported in the media about an individual holding a 3-crore-taka defaulted loan at First Security Bank, along with issues found in Bangladesh Bank’s inspection, is being examined. Under the law, no one can hold a director’s post while in default, and verifying such matters before appointment is mandatory.
On the recent situation at Islami Bank, the spokesman said that, given various information spreading on social media and fears of possible disorder, the bank’s board meeting was allowed to be held virtually rather than in person. While maintaining law and order outside the building is the responsibility of law enforcement, Bangladesh Bank is taking the bank’s internal security seriously.
He said the governor’s position is very clear — no political interference in the central bank or any commercial bank will be tolerated. Bank officials have been told to report directly to the governor if they face political pressure while performing their duties, and the governor himself will handle such situations if necessary.
Arif Hossain Khan said it is not right to identify any bank as the institution of a particular political party. If a bank becomes dependent on a specific political identity, it could pose a major risk to the bank’s stability and sustainable management.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report