Airtel Bangladesh Limited, one of the leading mobile service providers of the country, recently signed an agreement with Bank Asia Limited to provide latter’s mobile banking services within Airtel network, says a press release. Bank Asia is soon going to launch its mobile banking service named “Hello” and Airtel customers will be able to enjoy the service by following a simple registration process.  Airtel is committed to bringing new features of mobile banking services and thereby ensuring better customer experience to enrich the lives of their customers.

Dhaka stocks declined sharply on Tuesday, third trading session in a row, as investors turned shaky apprehending further fall in the market following a Bangladesh Bank move against the banks which have increased their capital market investment beyond the allowable limit.
The key index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, DSEX, declined to 4,567.04 points, shedding 1.24 per cent or 57.71 points on the day.
According to market operators, investors, who are on the profit-booking move this week, increased share sell-offs on the day following a media report that the central bank has fined some banks for increasing their capital market investment limit violating rules.
The investors were apprehending that the market might decline further if the banks, which had crossed capital market investment limit, reduced their investment sharply to comply with BB rules, they said.
Despite investors’ shakiness, share prices of most of the traded multinational companies increased due to their recent corporate declarations, the operators said.
Bata Shoe gained the most on the day as its share prices increased by 6.24 per cent, while four other multinational companies — Linde Bangladesh, Berger Paints Bangladesh, Marico Bangladesh and Renata — were on the top gainers’ chart.
Of the 289 shares and mutual funds traded on Tuesday, 64 advanced, 202 declined and 23 remained unchanged.
‘Quarterly declaration centric trading pattern called for larger correction in today’s [Tuesday] market,’ IDLC Investments said in its daily market commentary.
‘Besides, depressed earnings growth empowered with recent waning tone unleashed panic sale pressure, curving out 58 points from the prime index,’ it said.
‘Meanwhile, buyers retreated, creating a vacuum in demand side,’ said IDLC.
DS30, the blue-chip index of the bourse, fell by 1.16 per cent, or 19.73 points, to close at 1,668.91 points on the day.
The shariah index of the bourse, DSES, finished flat at 1,012.35 points, shedding 0.46 per cent or 4.69 points.
Turnover of the DSE declined further to Tk 387.58 crore on the day after it was Tk 435.86 crore in the previous trading session.
Grameenphone led the turnover chart as its shares worth Tk 19.86 crore changed hands on the day.
Meghna Petroleum, Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company, Lafarge Surma Cement, Heidelberg Cement, Square Pharmaceuticals, Renata, Olympic Industries, Bata Shoe and Padma Oil were among other turnover leaders.
Delta Spinners lost the most on the day losing 39.93 per cent.

BB Governor said external opening up also poses new demands on approaches in safeguarding of monetary and financial stability 

Bangladeah Bank Governor was speaking at the inaugural session of a day-long SAARC Finance seminar on 'Management of External Sector Openness - South Asian Country Experiences' in Dhaka yesterday  

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman has put emphasis on effective regional efforts to cut the risks of trade openness.

“Openness to global capital flows likewise spurs growth by attracting investment inflows, but at the same time heightens instability risks from volatile trends of global capital flows arising both from speculative position taking and from spillovers of persistent imbalances in major economies,” he said.

He said external opening up also poses new demands on approaches in safeguarding of monetary and financial stability.

The Governor was speaking at the inaugural session of a day-long SAARC Finance seminar on "Management of External Sector Openness - South Asian Country Experiences" in Dhaka yesterday.

Atiur said increasing openness to external capital flows heighten exposure of domestic banks and financial institutions to destabilizing surges of global fund flows, calling for appropriately strengthened regulatory and supervisory regimes.

Former finance adviser for a caretaker government Dr. ABM Mirza Azizul Islam presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

In his keynote paper, he said there are both opportunities and risks of allowing capital inflow and outflow among South East Asian nations. But he cautioned that trade openness would be counterproductive if the associate risks were not addressed with appropriate preemptive measures.

He recommended for ensuring effective regional coordination in regulatory and policy approaches for making trade openness beneficial to the economy.

Delegates from the central banks of SAARC countries and high officials from Bangladesh Bank, different ministries, other national and international institutions participated in the seminar.

In his keynote paper, Dr. ABM Azizul Islam said in terms of total trade as percent of GDP, Sri Lanka has been found the most open economy in this region among four major economies (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) followed by Bangladesh. 

In last three decades, numbers of countries have opened-up their economy. Some of them are very much benefited since they have utilized and managed the flow of foreign capital successfully for their growth and development, he said.

On the other hand some countries had to face severe financial crises since they could not manage the flows of capital to their countries.

He said as reform and liberalisation measures were being pursued, the degree of integration of Bangladesh economy with world economy has increased gradually and country is now ‘trade dependent country’ from being an ‘aid dependent country’.

The country’s openness indicator- trade-GDP ratio increased from 18.5% in FY1990 to 30% in FY2000 and towards the decade, the steady growth of the ratio notable increased and reached to 47.1% in FY2013, according to the keynote paper. 

The targets were calculated by subtracting government and agriculture loans from the total loan status of each of the banks

Rejaul Karim Byron and Hasan Jahid Tusher