One viral photo shows the two men in Ihram during the Hajj pilgrimage, while another captures Matiur greeting Rouf with a bouquet of flowers at the governor’s office in the central bank.

Matiur Rahman was appointed as a director of Sonali Bank on 1 February 2022. At that time, Abdur Rouf Talukder was serving as the finance secretary.

Some media outlets have questioned the Bangladesh Bank governor through the central bank’s spokesperson, Mezbaul Haque. The inquiry focused on the governor’s comments regarding Matiur’s appointment as a director of Sonali Bank during his tenure as finance secretary and the allegations of anonymous stock market investments through Matiur.