Bangladesh Bank (BB) has advised leasing and finance companies to collect their necessary funds from bond market and take support from the central bank’s revolving fund through increasing their investment in agriculture sector.

“We’ve advised financial institutions to issue bonds to collect their funds for investment,” BB Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury said while briefing journalists after a meeting with Bangladesh Leasing and Finance Companies Association (BLFCA) here yesterday.

BB Governor Dr Atiur Rahman presided over the meeting. During the meeting, the BLFCA proposed to get access to the government fund, Sur Chowdhury said, adding that BB supported this proposal and requested the authorities concerned to consider this proposal positively.

He said financial institutions could borrow funds from sources abroad maintaining the existing rules and regulations. “We’re thinking how they can easily collect such funds from foreign sources,” he added.

Dr Atiur yesterday sought cooperation from financial institutions for expansion of the country’s bond market, saying that the central bank has given special attention for the development of bond market, especially in private sector.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 20th Feb 2012