The decision comes at a time when an International Monetary Fund-IMF team is meeting with various departments of the central bank as part of the $4.7 billion loan package.
Bangladesh Bank has announced strict entry of journalists.
The decision comes at a time when an IMF team is meeting with various departments of the central bank as part of the $4.7 billion loan package.
Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and Spokesperson Mejbaul Haque told reporters, “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 the journalists, then they can only go to that official. They can. But they will not be able to freely enter any department of the central bank.”
President and General Secretary of Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) met Central Bank Governor Abdur Rauf Talukder regarding the entry of journalists on Thursday morning (April 25). The governor has taken the approach of wasting time without taking effective steps to resolve the matter.
Journalists reporting on the bank account held a sit-in program under the governor’s building in protest of not allowing journalists to enter the central bank.
Economy Beat reporters stayed there from 11 am to 12:30 pm on Thursday.
Banking sector reporter and special correspondent of Daily Samakal, Obaidullah Roni told TBS, “There was free access for journalists to Bangladesh Bank earlier. Currently, entry has been restricted. Now journalists can only go to certain officials through the issue of passes. Outside of that, anywhere else or any official. Can’t get close.”
He said, “The free movement of journalists to the Bangladesh Bank has been obstructed. Although earlier they had to enter the central bank through the issue of a pass. However, there was free movement inside. Now it has been controlled.”
Journalists in the banking sector complained, “The steps taken by the Bangladesh Bank governor to control inflation in the country since his accession – are not effective, on the contrary, the country’s inflation is increasing. In addition, he has failed to prevent the irregularities of the dollar market since September 2022. Those issues are in the media. He is restricting the entry of journalists.”
They added that since the establishment of the central bank on December 16, 1971, no one has imposed such restrictions on the entry of journalists. The governor took such a decision to cover his weakness.
