Abdul Jalil, Chairman of Mercantile Bank, speaks at a press conference to mark the 13th anniversary of the Bank in Dhaka Friday.

Mercantile Bank Ltd pledged to focus more on new technologies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and mobile banking in the days to come to meet new banking demands, officials of the Bank said at a press conference to mark its 13th anniversary.

The Bank would also open new branches in remote parts of the country, AKM Shahidul Haque, managing director of the Bank,

said at the press briefing in Dhaka yesterday.

“Our major focus will be introducing new banking technologies in the new year. We also like to expand our SME and mobile banking services,” he said.

Established on June 2, 1999, the third generation private commercial bank enters into its 14th year of operation today (June 2, 2012).

“We’ve been contributing to our national economic development for last 13 years,” said Abdul Jalil, chairman of the Bank.

At the very outset, directors of the Bank had pledged not to involve the Bank with their own banking activities, later replicated by Bangladesh Bank, bringing successes to the Bank, said Jalil, also a ruling party lawmaker.

“We had also promised not to carry coals to Newcastle, and not to concentrate only on profit multiplying, resulting in its success,” he continued.

Jalim said in the coming days the Bank would also gear up its corporate social responsibilities, especially in the areas of healthcare and education.

He also pointed out few of the activities of the Mercantile Bank Foundation, the social work wing of the Bank.

He also informed media about the bank’s future plan of setting up charitable hospitals and kidney dialysis centres across the country. He added that the Bank would distribute Tk 10 million among impoverished students as scholarships next year.

As part of its 13th anniversary programmes, Mercantile Bank Foundation will also honour 13 noted personalities and an organisation of the country to recognise their contributions towards society, officials said.

The Mercantile Bank Achievement Award 2012 goes to Prof Abdul Mannan in education, Prof Harun Ur Rashid in medical, Aly Zaker in culture, Lt. Col. (Retd) Abu Osman Chowdhury in freedom fighter category, Hasan Hafizur Rahman (Posthumous) for research on liberation war, Prof Mosharof Hossain for economics and related research, poet Belal Chowdhury in Bangla language and literature, Abdur Rouf Chowdhury in industry and trade, Towab Khan in journalism, Shakib Al Hassan in sports, Haripad Kapali for agricultural research and development, BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed for social infrastructure, Ibrahim Khaled in banking while the only organisation is Bangabandhu Museum.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 2nd June 2012