Staff Reporter :
The government has moved to significantly tighten foreign travel rules for officials across key economic institutions ahead of the upcoming national election, imposing strict limitations on overseas trips unless they are deemed absolutely essential.
The restrictions now cover personnel of the Internal Resources Division (IRD), the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and all banks and financial institutions regulated by Bangladesh Bank.
The IRD’s restrictions follow a circular from the Office of the Chief Adviser, which recently wrote to the division’s secretary, directing the imposition of stricter controls on foreign travel.
The instruction later published on the NBR website states that no official or employee may travel abroad until the national election unless the reason is unavoidable. Acceptable categories include medical treatment, pilgrimage, or urgent official duties.
The Chief Adviser’s Office expressed concern over recurring incidents unavoidable. Acceptable categories include medical treatment, pilgrimage, or urgent official duties.
The Chief Adviser’s Office expressed concern over recurring incidents of officials traveling abroad without adhering to existing government protocols.
The letter noted instances where secretaries, advisers, and other senior officials from the same ministry embarked on foreign trips at the same time and cases where multiple officers from one division travelled together practices that violate government rules.
The office therefore urged all departments under the IRD to avoid non-essential overseas travel with immediate effect.
A similar directive was issued on Wednesday by Bangladesh Bank, extending the foreign travel restrictions to the entire banking and financial sector.
The central bank instructed managing directors, CEOs, and all other officials of banks and financial institutions to refrain from foreign trips until the election concludes in February next year, except in situations considered absolutely necessary.
The notice, issued under the Bank Company Act, 1991, did not specify what qualifies as “essential travel,” but made clear that all non-critical trips must be suspended.
Together, the two directives reflect a coordinated government effort to ensure administrative stability, prevent misuse of official travel privileges, and maintain tight oversight of key institutions in the run-up to the national elections.
