Bangladesh Bank deputy governor barred from going abroad

Md Habibur Rahman, deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB), was barred from going abroad yesterday.

He was scheduled to fly to Namibia to attend the Alliance for Financial Inclusion Global Policy Forum 2025.

Along with him, 10 officials from the central bank's financial inclusion department were invited to the event, according to BB officials.

BB Deputy Governor Rahman, along with the officials, was at the Dhaka airport yesterday. 

However, except for Rahman, the other officials were allowed to fly by immigration police, said officials. 

Contacted, Rahman told The Daily Star that he was stopped while crossing immigration. "I was told that there was an observation against me. So, I returned home."

"I don't want to say anything more," he said, adding that he also does not know what the observation was.

Moazzem Hossain, deputy inspector general at special branch (Immigration) of police, said immigration is done based on an automated system. And none is allowed to go abroad if there is any observation against the person.

He said he is yet to receive any information on the nature of observations against Rahman.

Rahman was appointed deputy governor during the tenure of the previous Awami League (AL) government, ousted in a mass uprising in August last year.

Recently, the Ministry of Finance sent a letter to the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate corruption allegations against three former governors and deputy governors of the central bank, as well as managing directors and directors of 26 state-owned and private commercial banks, who served during the AL.

Industry insiders said the list was also sent to the Immigration Police.

After the fall of the previous government in August last year, two deputy governors, Kazi Saidur Rahman and Khurshid Alam, along with BFIU Head Md Masud Biswas and BB Policy Adviser Abu Farah Md Nasser, were forced to resign in the face of protests by central bank officials.

Rahman and Nurun Nahar, who were appointed by the previous government, are serving as deputy governors.