Publish photos of defaulters, says ABB president

President of Association of Bankers' Bangladesh (ABB) Syed Mahbubur Rahman on Saturday suggested the government publish the names of loan defaulters.

"Loan defaulters aren't allowed to go abroad in China and Nepal. They aren't allowed to travel in high speed train. Such steps can be taken in Bangladesh," he said to a roundtable organised on the proposed budget.

Among others, executive director of Policy Research Institute (PRI) Ahsan H Mansur, former president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Abul Kashem Khan and director of Dhaka Stock Exchange Rakibur Rahman also spoke. ICAB council members Shahadat Hossain and Snehashis Barua presented two papers in the proposed budget for 2019-20 fiscal year. Planning minister M A Mannan was also present.

Institute of Chartered Accounts of Bangladesh (ICAB) and The Daily Star jointly organised it at the Daily Star office.

Syed Mahbubur Rahman said the government is supplying capital to the state-owned and private banks for its survival.

But it is not a good example, he added.

As a result many may think what is wrong if they perform badly as the government will stand by them, Mahbubur argued.

He is in favour of death of a number of banks in stead of supplying capital.

"How long will the government supply money to state-owned banks and organisations in this way?" Abul Kashem Khan said.

A liquidity crisis is persisting in the banking sector, he said adding, "From where will the private sector get loans if the government takes Tk 470 billion as loan from the banks as proposed in the budget for 2019-20 fiscal year?"