bdnews24.com :Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman has recommended forming an ‘independent selection committee’ to recruit people in the state-owned commercial and specialised banks.He sent a letter on June 2 to Secretary M Aslam Alam of Bank and Financial Institutions Division on this issue.The governor said in the letter that the initiative would “improve quality and ensure transparency” in the recruitment process of the banks.Since 2010, the banks’ management bodies have been recruiting employees at all levels according to recruitment rules laid down by their own boards.Before that, since 1997, the state-owned banks would appoint their first and second class officers through the Bankers’ Recruitment Committee.The Bangladesh Bank governor was the ex officio chair of that committee. The state-owned banks’ chairpersons were members.But the BRC was dissolved after Sonali, Janata and Agrani banks were converted to companies in December 2009.Afterwards the banks formed their own recruitment rules, as under the Company Act the bank authorities have full control over recruitment.”The banks have failed to follow their own recruitment rules due to different unexpected pressures. This has resulted in a shortage of qualified personnel in the banks and disrupted financial management,” the central bank governor said in his letter.Asked about the letter, Bank and Financial Institutions Division Secretary M Aslam Alam told bdnews24.com he had received the governor’s proposal.”We’ll talk to the banks and other key persons about this. If everyone agrees, and if it’s good for the banks, of course we can form this committee,” he said.Former governor Saleh Uddin Ahmed and former Krishi Bank chairman Khandker Ibrahim Khaled supported the Governor Atiur’s proposal.”The governor has made a good proposal. It’s a good idea, because there is a lot of lobbying in bank recruitments,” Saleh Uddin said.”But there should be some additional things, like special policies in the banks’ human resource departments, outside experts etc. Bangladesh Bank will supervise the whole thing,” he said.Saleh Uddin served four years as the BRC chairman.Khandker Ibrahim Khaled said the current recruits were not so bad.”But there’s a lot of lobbying. Socially and politically influential people lobby for jobs. Bank MDs can’t always ignore them,” he said.”This sort of a committee will be able to cut down on the lobbying,” he said.
