TIB calls upon Bangladesh Bank to refrain from the reported self-defeating move to grant an unprecedented rescheduling of a top-ranking loan defaulter: Appeals to the Government to constitute an Independent Commission to recommend a new national banking

Press Release

TIB calls upon Bangladesh Bank to refrain from the reported self-defeating move to grant an unprecedented rescheduling of a top-ranking loan defaulter:  Appeals to the Government to constitute an Independent Commission to recommend a new national banking sector strategy 

Dhaka, 13 September 2019. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep concern and disappointment over yet another reported compromise and non-compliance by Bangladesh Bank (BB) of its own policy to allow a leading perennial loan defaulter another round of rescheduling and set another bad precedence with terrible consequences for the ailing financial sector. TIB calls upon the BB to refrain from this self-defeating move and appeals to the Government to consider TIB’s longstanding recommendation to form an independent commission to recommend a new national banking sector strategy. 

In a statement issued today the executive Director of TIB, Iftekharuzzaman expressed deep disappointment and grave concern over the reported move and called upon BB not to take such a self-defeating decision. He said, “we also call upon the Government to acknowledge the deep crisis in the banking sector and by shunning the denial syndrome form an independent banking sector reform commission so as to develop a national strategy to address the deepening crisis”. 

“Loan defaulters irrespective of identity or status cannot be allowed to dictate terms to BB and cause non-compliance of its own policy-decision to get illegitimate extension of endless privileges of rescheduling, nor can BB allow itself to be held hostage and continue to accumulate ever greater risks to the sector. We call upon the Central Bank to have the courage to play its entrusted role in national interest and refrain from any such move”, Dr Zaman said. 

The TIB statement said that the reported move by the Central Bank of the country sets yet another extremely bad precedence and undermines the credibility of the BB. It will open floodgates of further similar compromises and only deepen the ongoing crisis in the financial sector in general and banking sector in particular. 

Iftekharuzzaman said, “the reported rescheduling of the loan is particularly ominous for the economy at a time when the state is reportedly starving for cash and the Government is resorting to a legal provision to go for an unprecedented type of borrowing from public and autonomous institutions that may lead to a panicky deepening of public trust and paralyze the economy. If conscious of public interest, the BB cannot afford continue to protect and grant impunity to loan defaulters, nor can it further institutionalize the default culture and continue to shift the burden of this menace on the people.”

“We reiterate our call upon the Government to form a fully independent committee of experts consisting of reputed, independent and credible specialists to analyze the deepening crisis in the sector and recommend short, medium and long term strategy to address it, failing which the situation may become absolutely unmanageable causing the bubble of high growth to burst”, Iftekharuzzaman said.

According to media report published on 13 September, 2019, the Bangladesh Bank is going to grant the above-mentioned rescheduling facility to Beximco Ltd which was earlier in 2015 granted an already unprecedented concession of similar rescheduling on condition that no further rescheduling would be applicable to this and other similar beneficiaries. The Central Bank, according to the media report, is reneging on its own position apparently under pressure which is the last thing expected from a Central Bank of any degree of credibility, the statement said.   

Media Contact:  

Sheikh Manur-E-Alam 

Director (Outreach and Communication)

Mobile: 01708495395  

E-mail: manjur@ti-bangladesh.org