Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur has written to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman, urging that desk-level officials of the central bank not be implicated in cases against bank clients unless there is clear evidence of money laundering or illegal enrichment.
In the letter, dated 24 March, he stressed that routine duties of Bangladesh Bank staff or their supervisory roles over commercial banks should not be construed as grounds for prosecution.
Mansur clarified that if there is solid proof of any official abusing authority to accumulate illegal wealth, Bangladesh Bank would fully cooperate with the ACC in investigating and taking legal measures.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a deputy director of the ACC said
a case is only filed when there is a specific allegation. He added that the commission first conducts an inquiry, and only if the allegation is substantiated does it proceed with a case.
The governor explained in his letter that commercial banks and financial institutions operate under the Bank Company Act 1991, the Financial Institutions Act 2024, and circulars or directives issued by Bangladesh Bank under its legal authority.
He noted that economic realities often require special directives beyond existing regulations – a power granted to the central bank under the Bank Company Act 1991 and the Bangladesh Bank Order 1972 to protect depositors and ensure financial stability.
“Unfortunately, in some of your [ACC] recent probes, such legally mandated actions have been misinterpreted as irregular or intentional, leading to our officials being named in cases,” Mansur wrote.
As an example, he cited the Suprov Spinning Mills case, where Bangladesh Bank officials were accused simply for performing their official responsibilities within their jurisdiction.
The governor further cautioned that dragging central bank or financial institution staff into client cases without concrete proof of corruption would not only be unjust but would also disrupt ongoing reforms and hinder the day-to-day functioning of the financial sector.
