Bangladesh Bank asks female employees to avoid short sleeves, short dresses, leggings

Bangladesh Bank has issued a dress code for all employees across all levels. Women officials and staff have been instructed to wear sarees, salwar-kameez with scarves, or other formal and modest attire.

The directive specifically advises against short-sleeved and short-length dresses, as well as leggings.

This instruction was issued by Bangladesh Bank’s Human Resources Department-2 on 21 July.

It also recommends wearing formal sandals or shoes and plain headscarves or hijabs. For men, the directive mandates formal shirts—either full or half-sleeved—and formal pants, while explicitly advising against jeans and chinos trousers.

Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action for misconduct.

When contacted about the directive, Executive Director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank Arif Hossain Khan told Prothom Alo on Wednesday that the guideline was introduced to ensure uniformity in dress within the institution. Effective from 21 July, the goal is to promote unity and equality in workplace attire and prevent any psychological disparity.

He stated that modest dress codes are mandatory in all institutions, regardless of gender. For women, this includes avoiding short-sleeved and short dresses as well as leggings. While hijab is not mandatory, those who choose to wear it must wear simple-coloured ones.

Asked whether any employees previously wore inappropriate clothing, Arif Hossain Khan said, “No, no one has.”

When questioned about the necessity of such a directive, he explained that every batch now includes 200–250 fresh graduates from universities joining the Bank. Some still exhibit student-like behaviour. After observing the situation for some time, the Bank decided to formalise the dress code.

The central bank spokesperson clarified that the directive applies only to the office, and employees are free to wear whatever they like in their personal lives.

At a departmental monthly meeting of the Human Resources Department-2 (Benefits and Administration Wing), several decisions were made, one of which addressed clothing. Clause 11 (D) of the decisions states that, considering social norms, all officials and employees of Bangladesh Bank (except those in the C and D categories who have designated uniforms) must wear professional and modest attire. For male employees, this includes formal shirts (full or half sleeves), formal pants, and formal shoes. Jeans and chinos pants are to be avoided.

For female officials and employees, the directive requires sarees, salwar-kameez with scarves, or other professional and modest clothing in simple, professional colours. Formal sandals or shoes and plain-coloured headscarves or hijabs must be worn. Short-sleeved and short-length dresses, as well as leggings, are to be avoided.

Clause 11 also contains three more instructions. Clause 11 (A) states that the Bangladesh Bank Staff Regulation 2003, section 39, regarding behaviour toward female employees, must be followed. Any complaints related to sexual harassment must be sent within 30 working days to the committee formed under a specific circular of Human Resources Department-1.

Clause 11 (B) emphasises adherence to existing office guidelines on the use of social media, as issued by Human Resources Department-2.

Clause 11 (C) calls for the promotion of a positive work environment by following official codes of conduct, including integrity, ethics, punctuality, discipline, dedication to duty, respectful behaviour toward colleagues, and fostering a cordial and cooperative workplace atmosphere.

Clause 12 states that to ensure compliance with the instructions under clause 11, each office, department, project, cell, and unit must nominate one officer for monitoring.

The designated officer will oversee adherence to the dress code and, in case of any violations, inform the department head and submit a report regarding the concerned employee’s breach of directive and misconduct.

Fauzia Moslem, president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, expressed surprise at the directive. Speaking to Prothom Alo, she questioned why clothing was being emphasised in the name of eliminating discrimination.

“Does anyone wear inappropriate clothing at an office like Bangladesh Bank?” she asked. “I’ve never seen such a directive before. But considering everything happening now, it’s not hard to guess why this guideline was introduced. A certain cultural sphere is being shaped, and this directive reflects that effort.”

She further said that Bangladesh Bank has thousands of tasks to prioritise, and deciding what clothes employees should wear was hardly among the most urgent. “They should be concerned about whether both men and women are fulfilling their professional responsibilities properly.”