Top BB officials quit after allegation of giving $30m to Salman F Rahman

Four top officials of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Monday resigned from their posts after allegations arose that they gave $30 million to Awami League leader Salman F Rahman on 4 August from Export Development Fund (EDF).

The 4th of August was marked with violent upheaval across the country, and a day later, the Sheikh Hasina-led government, where Salman served as the PM’s private sector advisor, was eventually toppled.

They resigned officials are former deputy governors Kazi Sayedur Rahman and Khurshid Alam, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) chief Masud Biswas, and central bank policy advisor Abu Farah Md Nasser.

Speaking on behalf of the student community, Mohiuddin Rony, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, gave them an ultimatum to resign by 1pm Monday.

The students alleged that the top officials were involved in illegally providing $30 million to Salman from EDF on 4 August, and for this misdeed they have to resign from their posts as soon as possible.

After this ultimatum, the four officials submitted their resignation letters to the secretary of the Financial Institution Division (FID).

Students’ coordinator Mohiuddini alleged that Salman F Rahman, the owner of Beximco Group, stole $30 million from the EDF fund on 4 August.

“If their friends are in charge of the central bank, the money of the state will be looted again. When they have money they will buy weapons to kill Chatra-Janata (students and common people). This will destabilise the country,” he pointed out.