Errant CBA men let off the hook

Bangladesh Bank has drawn criticism for reinstating six pro-Awami League CBA leaders to their jobs reversing its decision to send them into forced retirement on charge of assaulting a deputy director of the bank.
The move will dampen the morale of the officials and thwart efforts to enforce discipline in the bank's administration, feared former officials of the central bank and two former caretaker government advisers.
Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled, former deputy governor of the BB, said at least those who led the assault in August last year should have been forced to retire.
"It would have been more acceptable if Bangladesh Bank ensured forced retirement for one or two persons who led the harassment," said Ibrahim Khaled, who once headed a committee to recommend ways to discipline trade union activities in the banks.
The central bank transferred the six leaders to its regional offices early this week and decided against providing them with annual increments in the revised penalties for their offence.
Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, called for enforcing discipline in the financial sector.
“In the past there was conflict between the Bangladesh Bank management and CBA leaders. It hampered func tioning of Bangladesh Bank," he said. "Bangladesh Bank management should be careful so that they can avoid this type of incident."
Former finance adviser to a caretaker government Mirza Azizul Islam said discipline should be enforced irrespective of whatever the office someone holds. "It is a question of governance," he said.
In a statement the BB said yesterday it revised its decision on humanitarian grounds after the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agent) leaders appealed against the punishment.
The six leaders, who were sent into forced retirement in April this year, are: CBA general secretary and a clerk of BB Md Manzurul Haque, four caretakers of BB--Mohammad Ayub Ali, Md Adul Barik, Md Humayun, Md Abdul Khair (cash) and a driver Mohammad Abdul Gaffar.
Of them, CBA leader Manzurul has been transferred to Rajshahi, Ayub to Khulna, Barik to Bogra, Humayun to Chittagong, Khair to Rangpur and Gaffar to Barisal regional office of the central bank.