Transactions at the government and private commercial banks in Dhaka were thin on Thursday due to daylong strike, enforced by the main opposition BNP.

A huge amount of liquidity remained stored at every branch of commercial banks, posing high risks in operating banking activities during hartal, bankers said.

However, as part of regulatory compliance, the banks have to remain open, senior bank officials said while talking to daily sun on Thursday.

Syed Abdul Hamid, Managing Director and CEO of Agrani Bank Ltd, said there are risks both in cash movement and cash transaction during hartal.

Safety of the bank officials also a concern as there has every scope to get trapped in violence on roads. Shortage of transportation also causes trouble to the bank officials to reach office.

Managing Director of Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd., M Abdul Mannan, said it is known to all that hartal causes economic loss. There may have political gain in hartal but it certainly causes loss to business and economy.

Sonali Bank Shilpa Bhaban Corporate Branch, Matijheel transacted more near Tk 1 billion in terms of debit and credit while nearly 700 customers visited the branch in the day.

Fanindra Tribedi, Deputy General Manager and Manager of the branch, told daily sun though the transaction at his branch was satisfactory amid hartal, it was not like other normal trading days.

“Matijheel is a vital place where picketing takes places every now and then that is an issue of concern for us. This is why we also have to maintain tight security measures at the branch remain aware for every moment”, Tribedi added.

The MTB branch of Bank Asia at city’s Dilkusha area transacted more than Tk 5 billion while the bank usually transacts about Tk 10 billion on an average.

Manager of the branch, M Sajjad Hossain, said hartal bars easy movement of customers while handling and carrying cash. That’s why many customers don’t want to transact money on a hartal day.

The nature of hartal has changed over the years and it is no more like that of 1995, when hartal could spread panic and bar people from going out of their home, said Mijanur Rahman Khan, a customer at the Malibag branch of Prime Bank ltd.

The effect of hartal is reducing gradually, and time has come to think of political programmes that can replace hartal, he added.

News: Daily Sun/ BAngladesh/ Sep-24-2011