Online Desk:  In protest against the recent ban on journalists’ access to Bangladesh Bank, journalists from print, electronic, and online media boycotted a press conference of the central bank scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The central bank issued a notice at a press conference on Tuesday, aiming to brief journalists over the recent visit of the IMF team and the launching of Crawling Peg System for fixing the exchange rate between the US dollar and Bangladeshi taka.

However, journalists covering the banking and financial sectors boycotted the press conference held at the conference hall of the central bank.

This action came in response to the central bank’s refusal to lift the ban on journalists’ entry to its headquarters.

The boycotting journalists staged a sit-in in front of the central bank building.

General Secretary of the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) Abul Kashem and other senior reporters spoke out against the central bank’s decision.

Kashem said news gathering is a core responsibility of journalists and the central bank’s ban directly hinders their scope to perform duty.

The journalists expressed concern that the central bank’s action could create misunderstandings and instability among public regarding the financial sector.

Journalists had been freely entering Bangladesh Bank for the past 50 years, they said and demanded an explanation for the sudden restriction on journalists’ access and their right to report on public interest.

Several organizations, including Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB), the Editors’ Council, ERF, Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), and Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (DUJ), have condemned the BB’s decision.

They argued that the ban on journalists’ access to the central bank violates the principles of independent journalism, democracy, and fundamental constitutional rights.