Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) o Monday urged the government to make public the actual reasons behind the major changes in the management of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL).

“The entire management of the country’s largest bank, Islami Bank, has been changed. The Finance Minister has said they did it due to pressure from foreigners. We wan to know clearly what type of foreign pressure was created to this end,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

He further said, “We want to get a clear idea for which problems the entire Islami Bank management has been changed. We aren’t calling the change good or bad, but are seeking to know the reasons as we have every right to know that.”

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a press conference at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan, reports news agency UNB.

At a meeting of the IBBL Board of Directors on January 5, major changes were brought to board and the management of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited.

Former secretary and bank director Arastoo Khan was appointed as the new chairman of the private bank replacing Mustafa Anwar while Yousif Abdullah Al Rajhi was reelected vice-chairman and Prof Syed Ahsanul Alam vice-chairman of the bank.

Besides, Md Abdul Hamid Miah was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank.

About the Islami Bank’s management reshuffle, Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Sunday said the foreign partners of the bank were changed, and everything happened due to their pressure.

Fakhrul alleged that the banking sector is being destroyed by changing the managements and organisational structures of many banks.

He also alleged that only the ruling party men are now being permitted to open new banks, insurance companies and financial institutions. “Apart from ruling party MPs and ministers, Mr Ershad (Jatiya Party chief) has also got permission for a bank.”

The BNP leader also accused the government of lying about the country’s development as the economic surveys and statistics contradict with its version about development.

He said the remittance inflow is not increasing, and foreign investment is static while local investment is not being diversified.

Showing different newspaper reports on corruption, Fakhrul said the entire country has plunged into corruption. “No devolvement can be sustainable without democracy.”

He also alleged that the government has destroyed the country’s education system with its wrong policies and actions. “Thousands of students are getting GPA-5 in SSC and HSC exams, but they can’t pass public universities’ admission tests, demonstrating the degrading equality.”

The BNP leader said many private universities and medical colleges are mushrooming, but those have no capacity to provide quality education. “We think the education system is being destroyed as part of a plot to ruin the country,” he said.