Ahsan H Mansur Bangladesh Bank passed a tumultuous day Wednesday amid protests and unusual exit of the central bank's top brass that badly impacted regular operations of the banking regulator.
Amid the standoff, press conference by the governor and demonstrations by officers on allegations and counter-allegations led to eventual exit of BB Governor Ahsan H. Mansur with his contractual appointment terminated.
In fact, the tension in the BB erupted on February 16 when Bangladesh Bank Officers' Welfare Council called a press conference strongly criticising the governor's emergency board meeting a day before the new elected government took oath and digital bank licensing-related affairs.
In the press briefing, the officers called the sudden board meeting "desperate and undemocratic" and a serious breach of administrative norms at a time when the process of forming a new government was underway.
Amid in-house criticism, the board meeting was ended without any decision. Few days later on February 23rd, the BB governor issued show- cause notice to three council leaders for holding the press conference without permission, ordering them to reply in 10 days. But the following day, the BB governor office transferred the three officials outside Dhaka and it infuriated the council members.
In reprisals, officials of Bangladesh Bank held a protest rally on Wednesday morning demanding the fulfillment of various demands and the withdrawal of show-cause notices and transfer orders issued against three officials.
From the rally, they announced that if their demands were not met, officers and employees will begin a pen-down strike Thursday on demand for resignation of Governor Ahsan H. Mansur.
At the protest rally, the demonstrators described the transfer decision as the "autocratic" behaviour of the governor. Officials and employees from all levels of Bangladesh Bank participated in the event.
Amid tensions fuelled by the protests against the governor, additional police were deployed at the Bangladesh Bank headquarters in Motijheel on Wednesday.
In response to the protest rally, the governor held emergency press meet where he claimed some officials were acting under the influence of vested-interest groups and were damaging the institution's reputation.
He said all officials must follow the central bank's service rules. "Anyone acting outside institutional policies would face action," he said, adding that no internal disorder would be tolerated in order to protect institutional capacity.
Dr. Mansur said a group of the officers was instigating others through circulating wrong information because they raise issues relating to bank mergers which are not their jurisdiction.
"I think it's a conspiracy of a vested quarter who probably wants to bring back past owners in the merged banks," he smelled.
An hour after the press meeting, the central bank governor left the BB headquarters amid tight security following media reports about his removal.
"I don't resign. But I came to know through media reports that I have been removed from the position. So, I am leaving," the ousted governor told the reporters before his exit.
An hour later, contractual adviser to the governor Ahsan Ullah was forced to leave his office amid protest as protestors had been demanding cancellation of the contractual appointments in the banking regulator.
Later in the day, the central bank reshuffled five officials, including personal secretary to the governor Md. Kamrul Islam, Director (Banking Regulation and Policy Department) Md. Bayezid Sarker to Sadarghat office and Motijheel office respectively.
jubairfe1980@gmail.com
© 2026 - All Rights with The Financial Express
