Bankers demand expulsion of mandatory banking diploma

Staff Correspondent: Bank Officers are not in favor of compulsory requirement of Banking Diploma in their Promotion Criteria, read a press release yesterday.
BWAB has sent a request letter to Abdur Rouf Talukder, Governor, Bangladesh Bank on Friday signed by Kazi Md. Shafiqur Rahman, President, Bankers’ Welfare Association Bangladesh (BWAB).
The letter said that the provision of giving some extra marks to the Bank Officers for Banking Diploma in the Promotion Criteria as circulated by BRPD Circular No. 18 dated 13/10/2020 was acceptable to the bank officers.
But the inclusion of compulsory requirement of Banking Diploma in the promotion criteria as per the newly issued BRPD Circular No. 03 dated 08/02/2023 has created frustration among the bank officers.
Therefore, the Bankers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (BWAB) requested the Honorable Governor of Bangladesh Bank to continue enforcing BRPD Circular No. 18 of October 13, 2020 rather than the new BRPD Circular No. 03 of 8 February, 2023, read the PR.
The Bankers’ Welfare Association mentioned that during the recruitment of officers in the banks, both competitive written exams and interviews are conducted. In addition to primary orientation, officers are given foundation training in the BIBM for one month after selection and joining. Then they are assigned to work in a specific department and are also allowed to acquire practical job knowledge by rotating among different desks.
When management feels any of the officers needs more expertise in a particular field, he or she has to undergo training at the bank’s own training academy or at BIBM. In each training course, evaluations are also made for individual officers. Thus, the bank officers are properly groomed and equipped with job knowledge. It is also worth mentioning that there are set promotion criteria for each bank. No officer is entitled to get promoted to the next higher grade without job knowledge, efficiency, and fulfillment of promotion criteria. All the factors like job knowledge, efficiency, seniority, and leadership quality are taken into consideration for promotion or placement as the departmental head, branch manager, area chief, or in the top position.
Considering these issues, the Central Bank Governor is requested in the letter to maintain BRPD Circular No. 18 of 13 October, 2020 and not make passing the banking diploma mandatory to enhance the motivation of bank officers.