TIB’s concern over controlling journalists’ access to Bangladesh Bank

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep concern over the imposition of restrictions on journalists’ access to Bangladesh Bank. Such a move has been termed as a hindrance in the media’s professional responsibility to disclose information on the banking and financial sector in the public interest. At the same time, the organization called for its immediate withdrawal.

TIB informed this information in a press release sent to the media on Friday.

According to the circular, according to the news published in the media, the media and journalists were facing obstacles for almost a month in accessing the Bangladesh Bank to collect information about the banking and financial sector. In this case, the governor’s help in solving the problem was hopeless but no positive result came.

The executive director of TIB referred to it as an unethical and arbitrary step in the way of ensuring the legal right of the people to know the information. Iftekharuzzaman asked, ‘What message does the top leadership of Bangladesh Bank want to send to everyone by deciding to stop the free flow of information when the banking sector is plagued by various crises including bad debt, financial fraud and fraud and lack of overall good governance? Or what Bangladesh Bank wants to achieve through this? However, is this initiative to hide the information of their own failure to establish good governance in the banking sector that has reached the edge of the abyss? Or is it an attempt to protect the interests of those who are responsible for the crisis in this sector, including defaulters and frauds.’ He further said, ‘In the past few years, most of the information that has been published in the public interest about the financial sector scams of thousands of crores of rupees has come from the sources of media workers’ free access to Bangladesh Bank. However, should we assume that Bangladesh Bank is working to ensure the continued protection of the criminal circles involved in the irregularities of the sector such as debt defaulters, fraud and money laundering and has taken such reprehensible steps to hide the fact that Bangladesh Bank’s policies and leadership have become hostages in the hands of the gang.

The Executive Director of TIB also said, “The partisan system that the governor is talking about introducing, offering training, and whatever else, without solving the problem, not only imposes an insurmountable restriction on the professional responsibilities of the media, especially in gathering information for investigative reporting, but also As a result, Bangladesh Bank officials at any level will want to refrain from meeting journalists. It goes without saying that if the relevant journalist publishes the report after the meeting, the specific official will face harassment in the name of administrative accountability. That is, access to information will be practically blocked. People will be denied the right to know what is happening in the banking sector, why and who is benefiting from the loss of people’s money. Which cannot in any way be the work of the sane.’

He said, ‘Bangladesh Bank authorities should remember that they are supposed to play the role of protecting the public interest, not those who are responsible for the debt defaulters and the crisis in the banking sector.’

Meanwhile, the press release said, ‘When the question of confidence in the banking sector is swirling in the public mind or when the central bank itself is visibly confused about bank mergers in the name of protecting the interests of bank customers, then TIB believes that the siege of secrecy can cause greater danger. In addition, TIB is expressing concern that Bangladesh Bank is unwilling to consider the matter of returning the opportunity of unhindered information gathering to journalists by avoiding the main issue through bureaucratic procedures in the name of training the media and journalists on the sensitivity of information in the banking sector. Apart from this, taking into consideration the overall situation, the Bangladesh Bank leadership will ensure unhindered access of journalists to the central bank by announcing the immediate withdrawal of the ban and facilitate the way of free disclosure of information – that is what TIB expects.