The Bangladesh Bank building at Motijheel Mehedi Hasan/ Dhaka TribuneThe central bank issued a circular to all managing directors and CEOs of the country’s scheduled banksBangladesh Bank (BB) on Thursday asked banks to ensure paid six-month maternity leave for the female bankers. Earlier, BB had instructed banks to ensure six-month maternity leave for the female bank employees but many of the banks implemented the instruction in different ways, prompting the central bank to issue fresh circular in this regard. Many banks are allowing the six-month maternity leave without pay, a BB official says, adding that the new instruction will help ensure women staffers’ financial rights. All the female staff of banks including permanent or contractual will be entitled to enjoy the six-month maternity leave twice throughout their service life, says the circular. Other regular leaves cannot be adjusted with the maternity leave, it says further, adding that the female staffers will be entitled to get regular salary and other allowances during the leave.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 11, 2020 13:30 UTC