Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has launched the Hajj Prepaid Card. Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of the Bank unveiled the Card on April 20, 2014 at Board Room of of Islami Bank Tower. The Hajj Pilgrims can bear the permitted US Dollar and Saudi Rial with the Card. The Pilgrims can withdraw the Dollar and Saudi Rial form the ATM booths of Saudi Arab bearing VISA Log, informed in press release.
Earlier Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited and Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). In presence of Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of the Bank, the agreement was signed by Mohd. Shamsul Haque, Deputy Managing Director of Isalmi Bank and Md. Ebrahim Bahar, President HAAB inked the agreement on behalf of their respective sides. A.K.M. Abdul Malek Chowdhury, Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Rafi Ahmed Begh, Nurul Islam Khalifa, Deputy Managing Directors of the Bank, Aftab Uddin Chowdhury, Vice President, Shaikh Abdullah, General Secretary and Mozammel Hossain Kamal of HAAB, top executives and officials of the Bank and HAAB were present on the occasion. The Bank facilitates through IBBL ATM and Online Services for HAAB Members without any charge.

News:Bangladesh Today/14-May-2014

Dhaka-Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited organized an orientation program at Mohammad Younus Auditorium of Islami Bank Tower on 12 May 2014 today on the occasion of joining of 140 newly recruited probationary officers in the Bank, reports in press release. Prof. Abu Nasser Muhammad Abduz Zaher, Chairman of the Bank was present in the program as chief guest. Presided over by Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of the Bank, the function was addressed by Engr. Mustafa Anwar, Vice Chairman and Engr. Md. Eskandar Ali Khan, Chairman, Executive Committee of the Bank as special guests. Mohd. Shamsul Haq, Muhammad Abul Bashar, Md. Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan, FCA, AKM Abdul Malek Chowdhury, Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Rafi Ahmed Begh and Nurul Islam Khalifa along with other high executives of the Bank were present in the program.
Prof. Abu Nasser Muhammad Abduz Zaher as chief guest said, Islami Bank is engaged in wellbeing of people of the country since its inception. The Bank has been working in fulfilling the basic needs of the country along with providing healthcare service and expanding education. He said the Bank is playing pioneering role in developing agriculture, garment industries, steel and re-rolling, transportation, real estate, micro and macro industries in the country. The Bank is creating new entrepreneurs through diversified investment in priority sectors. IBBL has become the leading bank in the country by uninterrupted love of the people. He urged the newly appointed officials of the Bank to conduct the banking activities with professional knowledge, discipline and expertise.
Mohammad Abdul Mannan said, Islami Bank is working for upgrading the living standard of the people by practicing welfare policy. The Bank has turned into a model bank not only in the South Asia but also in the world for its transparency, accountability, good governance, corporate culture, financial inclusion, superior business policy, and nursing human values in banking practices. He said, Islami Bank remains safe amid the world economic recession.

Md Mahbubur Rahman Khan has been appointed as new independent director of National Bank Ltd recently, says a press release. Prior to this appointment, he was a board member of the same bank from 2003 to 2005.
Mahbubur Rahman is a director of Faridpur chamber of commerce and Industry and also a member of FBCCI and regional chairman of Lions Club. Rahman, managing director of Himalaya Trading Company (Pvt) Ltd, and Hotel Rifles Inn, has 30 years of experience in real estate and export import.

Most of the new banks have brought fund at higher cost while they provided loan at 7% to 8% rate of interest

All but one listed banks have announced dividends for 2013 in a mixed trend that failed to lift investor confidence in banking shares.
Of the 30 listed banks, 13 declared higher dividends than in the previous year, eight announced lower dividends, and eight the same, according to Dhaka Stock Exchange.
With the mixed trend in dividend declaration, the banking shares were unable to draw the investors' attention in the last couple of months, as corporate declarations from the sector could not fulfil retail investors' expectations.
Although the banking sector accounts for around 20 percent, the highest, of the total market capitalisation, the sector's turnover was around 10 percent in the last couple of months.
Fuel and power, pharmaceuticals, engineering and multinational sectors performed better than the banking sector during the period.
Dutch-Bangla Bank came up with the highest amount of dividends—40 percent cash—for its general shareholders. ICB Islamic Bank gave no dividends.
Although 2013 was a tough year for banks as business activities were hampered by political unrest, the central bank move of relaxing loan provisioning rules at the yearend helped them recover losses, a banker said.
Provision, essentially, is an expense for banks to account for future losses on loan defaults.

But Bangladesh Bank had asked lenders to reconsider loan rescheduling and down payments until June this year on a case-by-case basis for borrowers in all sectors affected by political instability.
With the BB move, the banks saw a big jump in their earnings in the fourth quarter compared to the previous three quarters.
“The dividends would have been much lower had the provisioning rules not been relaxed,” said Anis A Khan, managing director of Mutual Trust Bank.
He said the banks' income from lending business declined in 2013 than the previous year due mainly to the political volatility. “But we managed to maintain the growth in our balance sheet with income from investment in government treasury bonds, efficiency and cost effective measures,” he said.