TIB airs concern over BB's entry restrictions on journalists

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed grave concern over the recent restrictions on journalists' access to Bangladesh Bank (BB), labelling it as a troubling example of arbitrary secrecy. In a statement issued on Friday, TIB called for the immediate withdrawal of those measures, highlighting the unprecedented barriers hindering the media's ability to fulfil its professional duty of disclosing vital banking and financial sector information in the public interest. Earlier on Thursday, a delegation from the economic reporters' apex body - ERF - demanded hassle-free and unrestricted entry into the BB headquarters. The Economic Reporters' Forum placed the demand during a meeting with the BB Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder regarding the restrictions on financial journalists' access to the central bank. Various news outlets have reported on the obstacles faced by the media personnel for over a month in obtaining information from the central bank on banking and financial matters, as stated by the Bangladesh chapter of Transparency International, based in Berlin. Despite efforts to resolve the issue by seeking assistance from the BB governor, no positive outcome has been achieved, according to the statement. Given the circumstances, TIB emphasised the importance of the BB ensuring unimpeded access for journalists to the central bank by promptly lifting the imposed restrictions. On Thursday, economic journalists protested against the unannounced restrictions on their access to BB premises to collect data. [email protected] ( [email protected] )
Published on: 2024-04-26 17:58:44.45425 +0200 CEST