Governor Mansur orders withdrawal of BB dress code after directive draws criticism
“When this internal matter came to the notice of the governor, who is abroad, through the media, he expressed his frustration, and as per his instructions, the matter has been withdrawn at this time,” says the central bank spokesperson.
Following widespread criticism, the Bangladesh Bank has withdrawn the new dress code for all of its employees, issued by its Human Resources Department-2 on 21 July, at the instruction of Governor Ahsan H Mansur.
"Considering the social context of all levels of officers and employees working in Bangladesh Bank, a decision was taken in the discussion of the respective departmental meetings to advise them to wear professional and elegant clothes during office hours," Arif Hossain, the central bank's executive director and spokesperson, said in a statement this morning (24 July).
"However, no policy decision was taken in this regard and no circular was issued in this regard," it said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"When this internal matter came to the notice of the governor, who is abroad, through the media, he expressed his displeasure, and as per his instructions, the matter has been withdrawn at this time," the statement added.
The governor's decision comes after the 21 July directive, mandating "modest" attire for all of its employees, drew harsh criticisms from various quarters.
Apart from that, the directive asked its female staff members to wear sarees, salwar-kameez with dupattas, or other modest and professional attire. The directive also discouraged the wearing of short-sleeved or short-length dresses and leggings by women.
It also said female employees are permitted to wear formal shoes or sandals and may wear plain headscarves or hijabs if they choose.
In addition, male employees were asked to avoid jeans and gabardine, and to wear full or half-sleeved formal shirts with formal pants. Violation of the dress code may be treated as a breach of discipline, it added.
Contacted by The Business Standard in the wee hours of Thursday (24 July), Governor Mansur had expressed surprise over the matter.
"I'm surprised to see the news. I am currently out of the country and will certainly look into the issue shortly," he said.
Spokesperson Arif Hossain last night said the dress code directive aimed to promote uniformity and cohesion in the workplace.
"The idea is to ensure equality and unity in dress within the institution and avoid any psychological discomfort," he said. "Moreover, modest clothing is mandatory for both male and female employees in any professional environment."
"For female employees, the directive advises avoiding short-sleeved or short-length dresses and leggings. However, no one has been required or forced to wear a hijab," he added.
When asked whether anyone at Bangladesh Bank had worn inappropriate attire before the issuance of the directive, the spokesperson said, "No, no one did."
When asked why such a directive was necessary, he said, "Now, each batch entering the Bangladesh Bank includes 200-250 young recruits who have just graduated from universities. Some of them still exhibit behaviour typical of university life.
"So, this circular was issued to promote bonding among officers of all levels, both junior and senior."
