BB turns down requests from Khaleda, Hasina

FE Team | Published: July 30, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has expressed its inability to provide the bank account statements of two former Prime Ministers - Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina - as rules and regulations concerned do not allow it giving such information to any individual.
The central bank has already informed the ministry of home affairs about its decision in connection with Sheikh Hasina's request for providing details of her bank accounts, official sources said.
The BB also informed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia of its inability of providing such information through a letter.
"We have already informed both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia about our inability to provide such information as the existing rules and regulations do not permit us to do so," a BB senior official told the FE.
BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia sought cooperation from the central bank governor Sunday for providing the statement of her bank accounts.
A similar request was earlier sent by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, who is now in a sub-jail, to the Bangladesh Bank (BB) chief Thursday last.
"We will take necessary measure in this connection in line with the existing rules and regulations," the BB Governor Salehuddin Ahmed told reporters at the central bank premises Sunday.
He also said the central bank has already received two letters, one from Khaleda Zia and another from Sheikh Hasina.
On Thursday last, the central bank received a letter from Sheikh Hasina, through the home ministry, requesting to provide statements of her bank accounts.
Sources, however, said Khaleda Zia in her letter requested the central bank governor to provide accurate information about her bank accounts and financial statements.
The Awami League president, in her own hand written letter, requested to provide detail information about bank accounts mentioning the latest balance along with opening figures of each account.
Earlier, the central bank sent the information about the bank accounts and the financial statements of two former prime ministers to the National Coordination Committee on Serious Crime.
The requests were made by two leaders when the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) on July 17 last issued notices on them asking them to submit their wealth statements to it within seven days.
Meanwhile, the ACC has given both the leaders seven more days, ending on August 2, to submit their wealth statement to the commission.