Why journalists would enter Bangladesh Bank, Quader asks

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader has asked why journalists would enter the Bangladesh.

Quader also questioned in which country, one can enter the central bank freely.

“Can anyone enter the central bank of any country of the world freely? You (journalists) have to know information. Everything has been given on website. So, why would you enter the central bank?” he said while addressing a press conference at Awami League President’s Dhanmondi political office in the capital on Saturday (May 18).

When a journalist asked whether the government was worried after the country’s foreign exchange reserves had declined to $13 billion from $48 billion, Obaidul Quader said, “Who told you that the reserves had fallen to $13 billion?”

Then the journalist concerned mentioned that the central bank governor himself said that the Bangladesh Bank had ‘usuable’ reserves worth $13 billion.

In response, the Awami League general secretary said, “So, you ask the governor why the reserves had reached at such a stage. We don’t know this, rather we know that the foreign exchange reserves are fluctuating between $19 billion and $20 billion.”

When a journalist asked the Awami League general secretary that how would they ask the government as they were not allowed to enter the Bangladesh Bank, Obaidul Quader asked where journalists can enter the central bank freely? Everything is on the website. You need to know but why would you enter [the central bank]?

AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, organizing secretaries Mirza Azam and Sujit Roy Nandi, Science and Technology Affairs secretary Abdus Sabur, Liberation War Affairs secretary Mrinal Kanti Das and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan, among others, were present.