Four deputy governors of Bangladesh’s central bank resigned on Wednesday after 300-400 bank officials protested against alleged corruption by senior officials, according to two bank sources.
The protesters also called for the resignation of Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, who was not present during the protests at the bank’s headquarters in Dhaka, the sources said, requesting anonymity.
Neither Talukder nor the bank’s spokesperson responded to calls for comment.
The protests occurred two days after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh’s prime minister and fled the country amid weeks of violent protests that began with students opposing government job quotas and grew into a larger movement demanding her resignation.
Deputy Governor Nurun Nahar will continue to manage operational tasks at the bank temporarily but will step down once new deputy governors are appointed, one source said.
“While many officials, including myself, are still working, we support the protests,” said another central bank official who did not participate in the protests and wished to remain anonymous.
Two of Talukder’s deputies were not in the office on Wednesday but agreed to resign after speaking with protesters by phone, the sources added.
The chief of the financial intelligence department and the policy adviser to the central bank also resigned, with Bangladesh army personnel ensuring the safety of the officials and assisting them in leaving the bank.
Bangladesh Bank released its monetary policy for the first half of the 2024-25 fiscal year last month, and the next policy is scheduled for release in January.
NANCY MBAMALU
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