“The governor overseas expressed his frustration through the media upon learning of this internal matter, and following his advice, we have decided to withdraw the issue,” a spokesman for the central bank mentioned.
Following significant backlash, Bangladesh Bank has retracted a new dress code imposed on its employees, which was announced by the HR department on July 21.
Arif Hossain, an executive director and spokesperson for the Central Bank, shared in a statement on July 24 that, “In light of the social context affecting all levels of staff at Bangladesh Bank, we advised during divisional meetings that employees should wear professional attire during work hours.”
He added, however, that “no formal policy decisions had been made regarding this matter, nor was any official circulation released.”
The withdrawal came after the governor’s awareness of the situation through media reports, which led him to express dissatisfaction. The original order had mandated conservative dressing, and it faced severe criticism from various sectors.
The directive had particularly specified that female employees should don traditional attire like saris or salwar kameez, while discouraging casual options like short-sleeved clothing or leggings.
Male employees were also instructed to refrain from wearing jeans and opt for formal shirts and pants instead. Violations of this dress code were indicated to potentially constitute disciplinary issues.
Governor Mansoor, reached for comment, expressed surprise over the controversy. “I’m out of the country right now, but I’ll look into this soon,” he remarked.
Arif Hossain elaborated that the dress code was intended to foster a sense of uniformity and harmony within the workplace. “The goal is to enhance equality and reduce any psychological discomfort among employees,” he said. He mentioned that modest attire was expected from all staff, regardless of gender.
While the directive recommended avoiding casual clothing for female employees, he clarified that wearing a hijab was not imposed.
When asked whether there had been instances of inappropriate attire prior to the directive, Hossain replied, “No, that hasn’t been the case.”
On questioning the necessity of such an order, he stated, “We have a large influx of fresh university graduates, and some still carry over habits from their student life.”
“Thus, this circular was introduced to strengthen connections between staff at all levels, both junior and senior.”
