The council demanded further review instead of a hurried approval at a time when the process of forming a new government after the 13th national parliamentary election was underway, it said at a press conference held just before an emergency board meeting on Monday.

Bangladesh Bank held the board meeting at its main building on February 16. Ahead of it, the council held the press conference on the third floor of the central bank’s second annex building.

After the meeting, Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan said only a progress report was presented and discussed at the emergency meeting, and no final decision was made.

They cited their data showing the default loan rate had exceeded 36 percent up to September 2025, and said many banks were struggling to return deposits. They called for the necessity of new digital banks to be reviewed again in that context.

The briefing was chaired by council president AKM Masum Billah, while general secretary Golam Mostafa Srabon and other officials also spoke.

Their demands included suspending what they described as a controversial licensing process, an impartial investigation into conflicts of interest, restoring the central bank’s autonomy and, if necessary, leadership changes.

The emergency board meeting was held under Governor Ahsan H Mansur, during which a progress report on the applicants was presented.