I quit on my own like a hero: Atiur
Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman speaks to the media at his Gulshan residence in Dhaka after tendering resignation on Tuesday afternoon. – Sourav Lasker
Embattled Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman on Tuesday quit amid a huge row over the heist of $101 million from the Bangladesh Bank’s account with the US federal reserves.
The governor’s resignation came following his meeting with the prime minister at her office, according to the PMO press wing.
Hours after the resignation, Atiur said he himself stepped down to protect the central bank’s image he built over the last seven years, United News of Bangladesh reports.
‘I resigned on my own like a hero to save the Bangladesh Bank’s image I built over the last seven years,’ he told reporters at a press briefing at his Gulshan residence.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim said Atiur Rahman submitted his resignation after a meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the morning following the unexpected incident (money heist).
Briefing reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office, he said after accepting the resignation letter of Atiur, the prime minister termed his step a courageous one. ‘This will remain as a rare example of his moral strength and honesty,’ she said.
Recalling his contributions to the country’s economic development, Hasina said Bangladesh’s reserve saw a remarkable rise and the banking sector became more dynamic during the tenure of Atiur Rahman.
Besides, the prime minister said necessary actions will be taken against Bangladesh Bank officials responsible for the heist of $101 million from the central bank’s account with the US federal reserves through hacking its website under the Cyber Crime Act, Ihsanul said.
PM’s deputy press secretary Mamun-or-Rashid was present at the press briefing.
Earlier talking to reporters at his official residence in the morning, Atiur said he was ready to resign if the prime minister asked him to do so.
He talked to the media first about the cyber theft since his return from India on Monday.
Defending himself for not informing the finance minister about the money heist, he said he took some time since it was like a ‘terrorist attack’ on the country’s banking sector after the ATM fraud.
‘But whatever I did, I did in the interest of the country as I didn’t want the incident to create any panic in the banking sector,’ he added.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to appoint ex-finance secretary Fazle Kabir as new governor of the Bangladesh Bank.
Fazle Kabir, chairman of the board of directors of Sonali Bank Limited, is now in New York. He will return home on March 18.
Source: New Age
This is good news but our dear Prime Minister is trying to glofify the resignation by saying that “Atiur’s resignation is a rare instance of moral strength.” Really? How and why is Atiur’s resignation an incidence of “moral strength” especially when we are talking about a guy who presided over a major heist, concealed the information for over a month and was compelled to address the issue only after it became public in a foreign press and this is also the guy that sat through the entire scandal in a comfortable meeting room in Delhi? PM also regards Atiur’s resignation as ‘rare’ . Looks like our memory is short for the PM may may do well to know that in 1995 the then Industries Minister Late Mr. Zahiruddin Khan resigned due to an industrial accident (first time ever in the entire history of the sub-continent) and as the minister in charge of industries he also took upon himself the entire responsibility for the accident and what is more important is that unlike Atiur who has been forced to resign Zahir resigned voluntarily without being coaxed or compelled even though the then PM wanted him to withdraw his resignation and continue, but he declined – this was indeed rare and a genuine example of moral strength, not Atiur’s. These days we seem to be making it a habit of doing everything we can to put personal loyalty ahead of national interest and decorate the most dishnourable with the cloak of honour. How shameless!
Things are turning really ugly now. There is no room for Atiur to be proud after the scam which he had been trying to hide. The entire government machinery is trying to divert the truth by creating irrelevant stories and issues. http://www.banglatribune.com/columns/opinion/87061/%E0%A6%8F%E0%A6%95-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE
It appears from this report that Sk Hasina and her son may be involved. Therefore, the investigation cannot be credible with keeping Sk Hasina in the seat of the PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN4y-Opj0Wg
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2016/03/16/327656#.Vuoj7-J96Um