Reassuring depositors of Islami Bank, Bangladesh Bank Governor Mostakur Rahman said the central bank had “certain rules and tools that will be applied within the next few days. Depositors will face no difficulty; they will be able to withdraw money at any time.”
He spoke on Friday at a news conference following the presentation of the budget for the coming fiscal year, held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.
Denying allegations that the central bank had made an “unlawful intervention” in Islami Bank, the governor said: “At Islami Bank, one member of the five-member board formed by the interim government was replaced on March 16 after allegations of irregularities were raised against him. Beyond that, we have not intervened in any transfer or promotion.”
He also said that after the bank’s then chairman resigned the day before Eid, a new chairman had to be appointed immediately because of a legal requirement. Since then, an attempt to destabilize the bank’s environment had been noticeable, he said.
Expressing concern over the bank’s investment position, he said Islami Bank’s investment ratio was about 93 percent in July 2024 and had risen to about 97.9 percent by March. Under the rules, it should be at most 92 percent. He also assured that the central bank would provide support if needed.
On the overall reform of the banking sector, Mostakur Rahman said: “One-third of deposits have been stolen. To stabilize a banking system like this, everyone must be patient. We are resolving the long-accumulated problems in phases.”
Bringing good news for depositors of financial institutions who have not received their money for as long as 12 years, the governor said that within the next one or two weeks, a special program would begin for several troubled financial institutions (NBFIs), through which affected depositors would get their money back.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report