NEWS report in an English daily on Wednesday said a powerful Adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has forwarded a letter to Finance Minister AMA Muhith asking him to appoint a presidium member of Jatiya Party on the board of directors of a state owned bank (SOB).
Reports said the Prime Minister has forwarded the move on request of Jatiya Party Senior Presidium Member Rawshan Ershad; who is also the leader of the opposition now in Parliament.
We must say that the move has come at a time when almost all SOBs have been plundered by people who were earlier nominated on political consideration on their board of directors.
Reports said the board of directors of most SOBs was reorganized during the past two and a half years following massive swindling of bank money under the cover of earlier board members. They led the swindling of over Tk 3500 crore alone from a single branch of Sonali Bank under fictitious business accounts. Bismillah Group swindled Tk 1,200 crore from Janata Bank, Basic Bank disbursed Tk 4,236 crore violating banking rules to clients which are not traceable now.
The mismanagement of the banking sector was at the center of public debate over the past several years when management specialists and private depositors made it clear that the government must not put any more person on political consideration on the board to save the banks from swindlers hand.
Jatiya Party members for helping the government to be elected without election have the right claim of gains as Awami League members are enjoying illegally. While the government is relying on loyalty through corruption and illegal gains, as if the whole state is a leasing company, then such demands of Jatiya Party is nothing unusual. It is a matter of sharing.
