One regulator: diversified Shariah governance practices, why?

Abstract

Purpose – The study aims to investigate the reasons behind the growing diverse practices of Shariah governance (SG) among Islamic banks in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach – Data has been collected through a semi-structured interview process from the concerned authorities (Shariah supervisory board members, Shariah department officers, central bank executives and banking professional experts) related to SG and Islamic banks in Bangladesh. The data has been analyzed by NVivo software. Findings – The results of the study show that SG mechanisms are different due to the lack of unique comprehensive SG guidelines and the absence of a Centralized Shariah Supervisory Board (CSSB) under the Central Bank. The self-developed practices, the diversified opinions and viewpoints of the Board of Directors (BOD), banks' policies, business motivations and profit intention are also responsible for diversified SG practices. The diverse understandings and explanations of Shariah, Madhab (school of thought) and rulings are also responsible for the different practices of SG in Bangladesh. Research limitations/implications – The study has unique implications for the regulatory authorities and Islamic banks in Bangladesh. The study explored the diverse reasons for numerous applications of SG guidelines which will be beneficial for the central bank and regulators to resolve the issues by outlying unique SG guidelines. Originality/value – This study outlines the reasons for dissimilar practices of SG by the Islamic banks in Bangladesh, which will be beneficial for Islamic banks and the central bank of Bangladesh.

Keywords

• Shariah governance
• Central bank
• Islamic banks
• Qualitative research
• Bangladesh