If not journalists, will mafia, mob, loan defaulters enter central bank: Rizvi
He also claimed that Bangladesh used to have above $50 billion in reserves, which has now fallen down to $8 billion
Journalists are not allowed to enter the Bangladesh Bank so they can't find out about "looters and loan defaulters", BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has alleged.
Speaking at the party head office at Nayapaltan today (19 May), the BNP leader said, "If journalists do not enter the central bank, then who will? The mafia, mob, loan defaulters?"
He made the marks after Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul yesterday said there is no need for journalists to enter the Bangladesh Bank because all the information they require is available on the bank's website.
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Addressing the AL leader, Rizvi said, "People close to you, who have looted money from the bank, got rich and settled abroad. Journalists are not allowed to enter the Bangladesh Bank so that they can't find out about them."
He also claimed that Bangladesh used to have above $50 billion in reserves, which has now fallen down to $8 billion.
"Although the Awami League government claims to have $13 billion in forex reserves, those who are in-the-know say there's only $7 to $8 billion. Of this, $4 billion is needed to repay debts in the power sector. The country's reserves are very low," the BNP leader said.
He said, "In the last 15 years, the amount of money that has disappeared from the banking sector is around Tk92,00 crores, which is 12% of the national budget. This is not my statement but information published by the Center for Policy Dialogue."
