The Bangladesh Bank has told all banks in the country not to charge bank job applicants any fee.
A circular sent to the banks on Tuesday directed them not to seek bank drafts or pay orders as payment of fees from those applying for jobs in banks.
The central bank had issued a similar circular in November 2010.
Tuesday’s circular has been prompted by complaints that most banks had ignored the earlier order and were charging Tk 300-500 as fees from each job applicant.
The circular, sent to the chief executives of all banks, reads: “It is very difficult for young applicants to pay fees by bank draft or pay order along with their applications. You had been requested, in a circular in 2010, to consider not charging such fees.
“But it has come to light that some banks are charging fees from applicants through pay orders or bank drafts.”
The circular stressed a prohibition on the charging of any application money. “It has now been decided that no applicant for a bank job can be asked pay any fee in the form of pay order or bank draft.”
In a recently held banking fair, a few bank job applicants had complained in the presence of Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman and the managing directors of 10 banks that the banking companies continued to charge application money but denied many applicants the opportunity to appear for the test after a preliminary screening.
There are 56 scheduled banks in Bangladesh at present. They are opening 400 to 500 branches annually, requiring fresh manpower to fill up new posts and vacancies created by retiring employees.
Source: bdnews24