Permission to travel abroad for three deputy governors of Bangladesh Bank was blocked by the Financial Institutions Division (FID) of the Ministry of Finance.

Although they were supposed to participate in four international training programs from July to November, none of them could go abroad due to lack of government orders (GOs).

This information was revealed by sources concerned at the central bank.

They said that deputy governor Md Kabir Ahmed was supposed to participate in two of the four trips, while the two other deputy governors Md Habibur Rahman and Zakir Hossain Chowdhury were supposed to participate in the remaining two.

According to Bangladesh Bank policy, the governor and deputy governors need the approval of the Finance Adviser and later a government order from the Office of the Chief Adviser to go on a foreign trip.

However, the rest of the officials get permission to travel abroad from Bangladesh Bank.

The IFSB annual meeting on Islamic finance was held in Morocco last July. Although a GO was sought in the name of deputy governor Md Kabir Ahmed to participate in it, the order was not issued in the end.

Zakir Hossain Chowdhury was supposed to attend a workshop on digital transactions and card management in France in September. Although the trip was supposed to be funded by an Indian organization, he could not go due to lack of government permission.

Two more similar opportunities were missed in November. Md Habibur Rahman was nominated to participate in a one-day IMF training workshop in the United States. Although the IMF agreed to bear the expenses, the trip was canceled due to the absence of GO.

Md Kabir Ahmed had the opportunity to participate in another IMF training program in China in the same month. Here too, the trip was ultimately postponed due to lack of government permission.

Some sources related to Bangladesh Bank say that in recent times, the authorities concerned have been taking extra time to approve the files of the governor and deputy governors for foreign trips.

As a result, the central bank's participation in international programs is being hampered.

None of the officials from the FID or Bangladesh Bank agreed to remark on the matter.