Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday fixed March 2 for hearing the rule issued by it earlier over the minimum salary of the entry level officials and staff of private banks.
The lawyers of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) sought two weeks time in the High Court for hearing the rule issued over the minimum salary.
However, the lawyers of the writ petitioner opposed the prayer saying that if once the salary structure comes into effect then the writ petition would become infructuous. So an expeditious hearing is needed for passing a direction over the issue, they argued.
After hearing the parties the High Court Bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman fixed March 2 for rule hearing.
The court will also hear the ‘amici curiae (friends of the court)’ on that day over if the central bank has any authority to issue such circular.
Lawyer Fida M Kamal appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the Bangladesh Bank,
while lawyers AM Masum, Md Farhad Bin Hossain, Saifur Rahman Rahi and Syed Mahsib Hossain appeared for the writ petitioner, and Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the State.
Lawyer Md Farhad Bin Hossain, also a share holder of the One Bank through BO account, filed the writ petition challenging the BB circular issued on January 20 in 2022 fixing the minimum salary of the staffs.
Upon primary hearing on the petition the High Court on February 7 issued a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government to explain in one week as to why the BB circular that fixed the minimum salaries with allowance of assistant officer, trainee assistant officer, trainee assistant cash officer and equivalent officer at Tk 28000 and also fixed the minimum total salary of those officers upon completion of probation period at Tk 39000 should not be declared without lawful authority.
In the rule, the court also wanted to know as to why the term of the same circular that fixed the minimum starting salary of the messenger, cleaner, security guard, support staff or equivalent other posts at Tk 24000 should not be declared without lawful authority.
Finance Secretary and Bangladesh Bank governor were asked to comply with the rule within one week.
The court also appointed four renowned lawyers as ‘amici curiae (friends of the court)’ to hear if the central bank has any authority to issue such circular.
The amici curiae are attorney general AM Amin Uddin, lawyers Ajmalul Hossain, Rokanuddin Mahmud and Probir Neogi.
For the first time in history, Bangladesh Bank on January 20 this year fixed minimum salary of entry level officials of private banks in order to encourage talented young to take banking as a career and play role for the economic advancement of the nation.
The central bank said entry level salary of assistant officer, trainee assistant officer, trainee assistant cash officer or equivalent officials would be minimum Tk 28,000 during probation period and Tk 39,000 monthly after the end of probation period.
Lawyer Syed Mahsib Hossain said the circular is totally arbitrary and absurd in the present scenario of the financial sector of our country, especially during the pandemic situation.
“The financial condition of the maximum banks is very critical now. If the central bank fixes the minimum salary the banks will face more crisis,” added the lawyer.
