The government will reconstitute the boards of state-owned banks next week, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said on Tuesday.

Currently, about 50 posts of directors in 10 state-owned commercial banks (SCBs) and specialised banks are lying vacant.

"The boards of state-owned banks will be reconstituted next week," Mr Muhith told reporters at his Secretariat office.

The selection of bank directors will be made in consultation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he added.

The tenure of most of the directors and the chairmen of four SCBs ---Sonali Bank, Janata Bank, Agrani Bank and Rupali Bank --- expired in early September last. The government reappointed all four chairmen of the SCBs for a period of one to two years in mid-September.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) also reappointed four directors to four SCBs for a period of two years.

Besides the SCBs, most of the posts of directors in state-owned specialised banks - Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB), Ansar-VDP Bank, BASIC Bank, Bangladesh Karmashangthan Bank and Bangladesh Development Bank have also been lying vacant for long, sources said.

Officials at MoF said they have received a list containing the names of potential bank directors from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) recently. A few individuals who became controversial as directors of a number of SCBs, including those on the board of Sonali Bank Ltd, have also found a place in the list, sources confirmed.

News: The Daily Financial Express/Bangladesh/07-Nov-12