6 top officials including Bangladesh Bank deputy governor resign

Six top officials of Bangladesh Bank including Deputy Governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman resigned as unrest erupted at Bangladesh Bank on Wednesday, the second day after offices reopened.

Several witnesses said that the protesters first entered Deputy Governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman's room and pressured him to resign. Kazi Sayedur Rahman wrote his resignation on a blank paper and signed it before leaving the bank.

The angry officers then forced deputy governors Nurun Nahar, Md Khurshid Alam, and Md Habibur Rahman to sign blank papers.

Later, bank advisor Abu Farah Nasser and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) head Masud Biswas were also asked to resign.

All these top officials of Bangladesh Bank were appointed on a contractual basis. The agitating officers declared them undesirable in the central bank and named Executive Director Zakir Hossain Chowdhury as the responsible officer of the bank.

Deputy Governor Kazi Sayedur Rahman said: "The angry officials forced me to sign my resignation on a blank paper before throwing me out. There is no rule anywhere to resign like this. The government appointed me, so I can resign to the government if I wish, or the government can remove me. Officials cannot force someone to resign by signing a blank paper; it is not a provision."

Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder has not returned to the bank since the fall of Sheikh Hasina.

On Wednesday, central bank officials demanded the resignation of those who worked as "friends of dictator Hasina."

Subsequently, Deputy Governor-1 Kazi Sayedur Rahman left the office, followed by Deputy Governors Nurun Nahar, Khurshid Alam, and Habibur Rahman. At this time, BFIU head Masud Biswas also left the office.

Aggrieved officials demanded the resignation of the four deputy governors, the BFIU head, and the policy advisor.

When asked about the situation, the executive director of the human resources department did not comment, and the spokesperson did not answer the phone.