Is ban on entry of journalists to Bangladesh Bank to hide their own failure, asked TIB

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed concern over the imposition of restrictions on journalists’ access to the financial sector regulatory body and Bangladesh Bank, the last resort of public funds.

The organization called for immediate withdrawal of such a decision citing unprecedented obstacles in the way of media’s professional responsibility in disclosing banking and financial sector information in the public interest.

Citing the news published in the media, TIB said in a press release on Friday, that the media and journalists were facing obstacles in accessing Bangladesh Bank for more than a month to gather 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, ‘When the banking sector is plagued by various crises including bad loans, financial fraud and fraud and overall lack of good governance, what message does the top leadership of Bangladesh Bank want to send to everyone through the decision to stop the free flow of information? 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? This is an attempt to protect the interests of those who are responsible for the crisis in this sector, including defaulters and fraud.

In the last few years, the information of thousands of crores of taka scams in the financial sector has been published in the public interest. Zaman said, ‘however, should we assume that Bangladesh Bank is working to ensure the continued protection of the criminal circles involved in the irregularities of this 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. .’

At a time when public confidence in the banking sector is on the rise, or when the central bank itself is visibly confused about bank mergers in the name of protecting the interests of bank customers, TIB believes that the siege of secrecy can pose a greater danger.

TIB is expressing concern that it is clear that Bangladesh Bank is unwilling to consider the matter of giving journalists the opportunity to gather information unhindered by avoiding the main issue through bureaucratic red tape in the name of training the media and journalists on the sensitiveness of information in the banking sector when the media workers are helpless and seek the help of the governor to solve the problem.

This is not only an expression of arbitrariness, but also indicative of a colonial mentality, says the Executive Director of TIB, ‘Instead of solving the problem, the governor is talking about introducing a pass-based system, offering training, whatever else, the professional responsibility of media workers, especially investigative reporting. Not only is there an insurmountable ban on the collection of information, but 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 virtually blocked, people will be denied the right to know what is happening in the banking sector, why and who are 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 to be responsible for the delinquency and the crisis in the banking sector.’

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 said ban, TIB hopes.