The British High Commission in Dhaka considers financial statements from the country’s 33 commercial banks to be non-compliant for processing a UK visa.

After extensive examination and discussion with the Bangladesh Bank Governor several times during last one year, British High Commission earlier selected 14 private and multinational banks as qualified to accept financial statements for issuing visas to Bangladeshi citizens, a senior official of the Banking And Financial Institution Division said.

A tug of war has been prevailing between the British High Commission and foreign ministry centering the issue during the last six months as the government sees it as a violation of the Vienna Convention 1961.

The British authorities, in the meantime, have suspended the vital move following request from Bangladesh’s foreign ministry.

The 14 banks those were selected by British High Commission are— AB Bank, National Credit and Commerce Bank, Eastern Bank Limited, Southeast Bank Limited, One Bank, Mutual Trust Bank, Brac Bank Limited, First Security Bank, Shahjalal Islami Bank, State Bank of India, Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank N.A., Bank of Ceylon and HSBC.

With some 47 commercial operating in the country currently, the central bank gave go-ahead for six new banks in April this year.

The UK Border Agency earlier said the UK government will accept financial statements from the selected banks from November 1.

Commenting on the issue, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Aitur Rahman told reporters that he knew nothing about the selection of banks for UK visa process.

Sources in the Banking Division of the finance ministry said a brief summary of the UK government’s move has already been sent to the foreign ministry.

The division has recommended wide-range discussions with the stakeholders to resolve the issue, sources said. A senior official of the Banking Division said they sought opinion from the central bank through a letter sent to BB Governor Dr Atiur Rahman.

After receiving feedbacks from Bangladesh Bank, the Banking Division will decide further course of action to address the discrimination by selecting a handful of banks from accepting financial statement by the UK authorities in the name of financial compliance in processing UK visa, the official added.

News: The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/14-Nov-12