Governor’s ‘no’ to journalists’ free access to Bangladesh Bank

Journalists have been banned from entering Bangladesh Bank. As a result, journalists are not able to enter the central bank as before. Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) President Reayat Ullah Mirdha and General Secretary Abul Kashem held a meeting with Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rauf Talukder demanding free access of journalists in such a situation.

In the meeting held at Bangladesh Bank on Thursday (April 25), the governor refused to immediately withdraw the ban on the free movement of journalists in Bangladesh Bank. This information has been given in a statement of ERF.

According to the statement, the governor has been strongly requested to confirm the right of reporters to go to all the officials of Bangladesh Bank without hindrance as before for the purpose of gathering information on behalf of ERF. However, the Governor has refused to immediately withdraw the Central Bank’s ban on free movement of journalists.

The governor said that journalists who want to meet the official, should enter with a pass from that official. Besides, journalists can go to the spokesperson with a pass.

ERF leaders said that reporters have been freely collecting information from Bangladesh Bank for the past 53 years. They were never barred from entering it. Suddenly blocking the entry of reporters increases the risk of misreporting about the banking sector, which is not desired by any party.

At this time, the governor highlighted some examples of the negative impact on the banking sector due to the release of news about various top secret documents of the central bank.

In view of that, ERF proposed to organize two workshops with reporters on the sensitivity and merger of various information in the banking sector.

The Governor immediately instructed the spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank to organize the workshop on the sensitivity of the banking sector after May 8. The governor said that the workshop will be organized later on the matter of merger.

The governor also said that he will consider the issue of free movement of reporters to the central bank after organizing the workshop.

A committee headed by President of ERF, Presi Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mirdha has been formed to determine what to do to ensure unhindered access of reporters to the central bank under the overall circumstances. It is also said that the ERF will take further steps as per the recommendations of this committee.

Meanwhile, angry journalists took a stand in front of Bangladesh Bank this morning. They said that the current governor has taken this decision to hide the businessmen and banks involved in big defaulters and irregularities from the media. Through this his true character is revealed. Such a decision has never been taken before since the establishment of the central bank.

After the meeting, the Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank Mezbaul Haque told the reporters that the Central Bank has decided that from now on journalists can only go to the spokesperson with the specific permission (access pass) of the bank. However, if an official gives a pass to journalists, they can only go to that official. However, they cannot freely enter any department of the central bank as before.

Financial Index/MH