BB must withdraw entry restriction on journalists

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) is an important state organisation and people have the  :right to know about what is happening inside it.

This is the reason journalists go to the central bank to collect news. Unfortunately anyone who joins the Central Bank as governor seems to fear facing the media and journalists.

The central bank’s decision came at a moment when the banking sector is facing stringent criticism over issues such as merger and default loan.

Are the central bank officials trying to hide their weakness and failure by this decision?

However, this is not the first instance of imposing restrictions on the journalists by Bangladesh Bank. In 2016, Fazle Kabir was appointed as the governor as Atiur Rahman had resigned in the wake of the reserve heist.

On the very first day, journalists were restricted from entering the third floor of the governor’s house.

The order was later canceled in the face of objections and protests from journalists.
A similar ban was imposed after Abdur Rauf Talukdar joined as governor in July 2022.

The concerned journalists announced a boycott of all programmes of Bangladesh Bank. The restriction was later relaxed. After almost two years, Bangladesh Bank has come up with the same strategy of restricting press.

The question is whether the central bank is trying to protect the vicious cycle of the banking sector or cover up their own failures by shutting the door for journalists.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in separate statements condemned Bangladesh Bank’s decision to ban journalists’ entry into the central bank.

Expressing deep concern over such action, the organizations have called for the immediate withdrawal of such a ban in the public interest.

Meanwhile, the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) and the Editors’ Council in a joint statement have demanded free access for journalists to the Bangladesh Bank.

This move would not only dent the image of the central bank, but also end the remainder of transparency and accountability of the banking sector.

We hope that Bangladesh Bank would immediately withdraw this restriction and would refrain from issuing any written or unwritten obstruction in the gathering of information by the journalists.