The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has sought two weeks before the High Court for hearing the rule over minimum salary for entry-level officials and employees of private banks.
The lawyers of the writ petitioner, however, opposed the prayer, saying once the salary structure comes into effect, the writ petition would become infructuous.
“So an expeditious hearing is needed for passing a direction over the issue,” they argued.
After hearing the parties, the High Court bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman fixed March 2 for rule hearing.
Lawyer Fida M Kamal appeared before the court hearing on behalf of the Bangladesh Bank, while lawyers AM Masum, Md Farhad Bin Hossain, Saifur Rahman Rahi and Syed Mahsib Hossain appeared for the writ petitioner. Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the state.
Lawyer Md Farhad Bin Hossain, also a shareholder of the One Bank through BO account, filed the writ petition challenging the BB circular, issued on January 20, on fixing the minimum salary of the employees.
Upon primary hearing on the petition, the High Court on February 7 issued a rule on the concerned bodies of the government to explain within a week as to why the BB circular that fixed Tk 28,000 as the minimum salary for assistant officer, trainee assistant officer, trainee assistant cash officer, and equivalent officer and Tk 39,000 as their total minimum total salary post probation should not be declared without lawful authority.
In the rule, the court also wanted to know as to why the term of the same circular that fixed the minimum starting salary of the messenger, cleaner, security guard, support staff or equivalent other posts at Tk 24,000 should not be declared without lawful authority.
Finance Secretary and the governor of the Bangladesh Bank were asked to comply with the rule within a week.
The court also appointed four renowned lawyers as ‘amici curiae (friends of the court)’ to hear if the central bank has any authority to issue such circular.
The amici curiae are attorney general AM Amin Uddin, lawyers Ajmalul Hossain, Rokanuddin Mahmud and Probir Neogi.
For the first time in history, Bangladesh Bank on January 20 this year fixed the minimum salary for entry-level officials of private banks in order to encourage talented youth to take banking as a career and play role in the country’s economic advancement.
The central bank said the entry-level salary of assistant officer, trainee assistant officer, trainee assistant cash officer or equivalent officials would be minimum Tk 28,000 during the probation period and their total salary including basic be minimum Tk 39,000 per month after the end of probation period.
Lawyer Syed Mahsib Hossain said the circular is totally arbitrary and absurd in the present scenario of the financial sector of our country, especially during the pandemic situation.
“The financial situation of most banks is very critical now. If the central bank fixes the minimum salary the banks will face more crisis,” added the lawyer.