Governor urges ACC not to name cenbank's desk officials in graft cases without specific proof

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur has written to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman, urging that central bank desk-level officials not be named in cases filed against banks' clients unless there is specific evidence of money laundering or amassing wealth illegally.

The letter, seen by The Business Standard, dated 24 March this year, requested that routine duties of Bangladesh Bank officials or their supervisory roles over commercial banks not be construed as grounds for prosecution.

Mansur, in the letter, clarified that if there is any concrete proof of officials amassing wealth illegally through abuse of their authority, the Bangladesh Bank will extend full cooperation with the ACC in investigating and taking legal action.

Asked about the matter, a deputy director of the ACC, on condition of anonymity, said that a case is filed only if there is a specific allegation against someone.

He also noted that before that, the ACC conducts an inquiry.

If the inquiry finds the allegation to be relevant, then the ACC proceeds to file a case against the individual, the ACC official added.

In the letter, the governor explained that the operations of commercial banks and financial institutions are governed under the Bank Company Act 1991, the Financial Institutions Act 2024, and relevant circulars and directives issued by Bangladesh Bank under its legal mandate.

He pointed out that in many cases, economic realities demand special directives beyond existing regulations — a power granted to the central bank under the Bank Company Act 1991 and Bangladesh Bank Order 1972 to safeguard depositors and ensure financial stability.

"Unfortunately, it has been observed that in some of your [ACC] recent investigations, such legally mandated actions have been treated as illegal or intentional, resulting in our officials being named in cases," the governor noted.

As an example, Mansur cited the recent Suprov Spinning Mills case, where Bangladesh Bank officials were accused simply for carrying out their official responsibilities within their jurisdiction.

The governor further warned that implicating bank and financial institution staff in client cases without concrete evidence of corruption would not only be unjustified but would also have a severe negative impact on ongoing reforms and the day-to-day functioning of the financial sector.