Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
The government plans to appoint competent persons as directors of public banks, apparently taking a u-tern from its earlier policy of partisan appointments.
Sources said, the Bank and Financial Institutions Division (BFID) under the Finance Ministry has already prepared a ‘fit list’ for picking up competent and professional persons to the vacant posts of bank directors.
“As many as 30 director posts are lying vacant in public banks from December 19 last year as their terms expired,” a senior BFID official told The New Nation on Monday, on condition of anonymity.
He added: These vacant posts will be filled as soon as possible with persons having relevant track records.
“We have already prepared a ‘fit list’ to fill the vacant posts. Former bureaucrats and experienced bankers have been included in the list,” he added.
Earlier, the government appointed a number of handpicked directors for the public banks under political consideration. Even, leaders of ruling Awami League (AL) and its front organisations were appointed as banks directors sparking controversy.
Taking advantage of political appointment, many of them later influenced boards’ decision in sanctioning loans to fake companies helping the vested quarters to loot over Tk 8000 crore from the public banks, including Sonali and Basic.
Such loan scandals also seriously tarnished the image of the government.
“The politically appointed directors have not only miserably failed to run the banks but also made the institutions pauper,” said the BFID official, adding,” The government seems to take a cautious stance this time deciding not to give political appointment to the posts of bank directors.”
He further said the government lately realised the gravity of the ‘wrong policy’ and decided to select professional hands in giving appointments to the vacant directors’ post for public banks.
Even, the Finance Minister earlier admitted that decision of appointing members on the board of directors of the state owned banks on political consideration was a wrong and failed one. Now he instructed us to appoint experienced and professional bankers to the board of directors. “If all process to fill the vacant director posts remain okay, people with political leanings may not get appointment this time,” he added. According to him, a maximum of eight director posts are vacant at Agrani Bank, followed by Sonali Bank seven and Janata Bank six.
Besides, nine director posts are also remain vacant at three specialized public banks-Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB), Bangladesh Development Bank (BDB), Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB).
