Staff Reporter :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed significant concerns regarding the recent restrictions imposed on journalists’ access to the Bangladesh Bank-the nation’s primary monetary authority and custodian of public funds.
In a statement released on Friday, TIB called for the immediate lifting of these restrictions, which it described as an unprecedented hindrance to the media’s essential role in revealing banking and financial information, crucial for serving the public interest.
Reports from various media outlets indicate that journalists and media workers have been blocked from accessing the Bangladesh Bank for almost a month, particularly in relation to gathering information on banking and financial accounts, TIB highlighted.
Efforts to resolve the issue through the Bank’s Governor have yet to yield a satisfactory resolution.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, the Executive Director of TIB, criticized the measures taken by the Bangladesh Bank as unethical and arbitrary, raising critical questions about the intentions behind such restrictions.
“With ongoing crises in banking such as loan defaults and financial irregularities, what message is the leadership of the Bangladesh Bank trying to send by stopping the free flow of information?” he asked.
Dr. Zaman further questioned whether the Bank’s actions were aimed at concealing failures within the sector or protecting individuals responsible for these crises, including loan defaulters and fraudsters.
He recalled instances from recent years where major financial embezzlements were brought to light by journalists who had unrestricted access to the Bank.
“Is the Bangladesh Bank now seeking to protect the interests of wrongdoers like loan defaulters and financial manipulators?” Dr. Zaman pondered.
He warned that such restrictions not only pose a greater risk in the sector but also compromise trust when the bank fails in its duty to protect customer interests, particularly in sensitive actions like bank mergers.
Rather than addressing the core issues, the Governor has opted to regulate journalist access through special bank-issued cards, a move Dr. Zaman argues will hinder investigative journalism and make bank officials more reluctant to share information.
He emphasized that these restrictions create barriers to the right of accessing essential information about banking activities and the beneficiaries of financial losses suffered by the public.
“The authorities at the Bangladesh Bank must remember their primary role is to safeguard public interests, not to cover up for those responsible for the banking crisis,” he added.
In light of these concerns, TIB urges the leadership of the Bangladesh Bank to promptly rescind this directive, thereby restoring journalists’ unrestricted access. Such a move is essential for ensuring transparency and accountability in the banking sector, concluded TIB.
