Staff Correspondent

Economic journalists are protesting against unannounced restrictions on their access to Bangladesh Bank premises to collect data as the central bank struggles to address a range of financial issues plaguing the country.

For about a month journalists cannot enter the central bank as before, while some new dubious policies and the country’s consistent financial problems make the information available at central bank potent tools to criticise state policies.

From now on, journalists will only be able to visit BB spokesperson Mezbaul Haque using a special permit, the spokesperson told journalists on Thursday. Journalists will also be able to visit other officials of the bank if the officials issue permits.

But they will no longer be able to freely enter any department of the central bank as before, Mezbaul added.

The central bank has imposed the restrictions at a time when the country’s financial sector is reeling under the combined weight of various problems. Customers are not getting money back from most of the financial institutions, some banks in crisis are operating with special loans from the central bank, and despite all these the influence of defaulters remain resilient. In this situation, BB planned to merge banks, raising more questions about its policies.

Journalists have condemned the restrictions and on Thursday protested in front of the office of the Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder. Economic reporters from various news outlets staged a sit-in programme in front of the Bangladesh Bank building.

Meanwhile, Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) President Refayet Ullah Mirdha and General Secretary Abul Kashem met with the central bank governor over the unannounced restriction, but failed to reach a solution. ERF will decide the next move after discussion.