Staff Reporter :
The ‘Culture of denial’ will not help to solve the problem in our banking sector, rather proactive initiatives can, Professor Mustafizur Rahman, distinguished fellow at CPD, said on Tuesday.
The CPD distinguished fellow also said that the comments of the Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud regarding the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) report on irregularities in the banking sector and financial scams are very unfortunate.
While speaking at a programme titled “Conversation with Prof Mustafizur Rahman” organised by Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) in the capital yesterday, he said “There seems to be more focus on who raised the issue and why, rather than on the actual content of the concern.
The way reactions are being displayed is quite disheartening.” Earlier on last Saturday in a study, CPD showed more than Tk 92,000 crore have been siphoned off from the banking sector through 24 major loan scams since 2008.
Speaking about the CPD report, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday said the CPD itself needs to address the allegations it has raised regarding irregularities in the country’s banking sector.
“Where has the money gone? We want to know that. The money will be brought back to the country if the organisation provides detailed information,” Quader said.
Likewise, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud alleged that the CPD had not conducted genuine research in preparing the report.
The Centre for Policy Dialogue’s (CPD) allegation of Tk 92,261 crore has been stolen from Bangladesh’s banking sector through 24 major scams since the fiscal year 2008-09 is absurd, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen yesterday.
“There are many Russian economists in CPD, who sat at home and gave absurd information like Tk92 thousand crore being looted from the banking sector in 15 years,” the minister said while speaking to journalists during a public meeting in the Ambarkhana area of the Sylhet on Tuesday.
Referring to the ministers’ remarks, Mustafizur Rahman said, “When a problem arises, it should be considered as a problem, rather than considering it as a campaign against the government. Efforts should be taken to resolve the issue.”
He also mentioned that the independent think-tank comes with the figure of fund embezzlement from the financial sector by compiling reports published in the media between 2008 and 2023.