A Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) was signed here yesterday among Local Government Division(LGD), UNDP supported Access to Information (A2I) Programme of the Prime Minister’s Office and Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited for introducing mobile banking to reach banking services to the rural people.

National Project Director of the A2I Programme Md Nazrul Islam Khan, Additional Secretary of LGD Syed Mahbub Hossain and Managing Director of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited KS Tabez signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organi-zations at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Officials of the A2I Programme and con-cerned organi-zations, among others, were present on the occasion.

Nazrul Islam said the union information service centers (UISCs) have been set up in 4501 Union Parishads across the country to bring rural people under the information technology network for developing their lives and livelihood.

Only one in ten people has access to the banking services in the country, he said adding that introduction of mobile banking through UISCs would open a new chapter in the banking services to cover the rural people.

Mobile banking through UISCs will help to enhance saving of rural people and it will expedite development process in the country, Nazrul added.

Describing the singing of MoU as a significant event for mobile banking services, Tabrez said, “This MoU will strengthen our efforts in giving access to low-income, mostly rural people of the country”

According to the MoU, Dutch-Bangla Bank will introduce mobile banking in 361 union information service centers of six districts—Narayanganj,

Munshiganj, Manik-ganj, Narsingdi, Gazipur and Dhaka—as pilot programme to provide banking facilities to the grassroots level in the country.

The remaining UISCs will be brought under the programme in phases.

All banking facilities including opening of bank account, with-drawal, depositing of money and receiving remittances will be available through the mobile banking. BSS

Grameen Bank to operate in normal course: Muhith

DHAKA: Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith yesterday said the operations of the Grameen Bank would continue as the pioneering micro lending agency is a matter of “Bangladesh’s pride”.

“Grameen Bank is a matter of pride of Bangladesh and therefore its activities will go on in normal course,” a finance ministry statement quoted him as saying as US ambassador in Dhaka James F Moriarty called on him at his office.

It said the Grameen Bank issue appeared as a topic of discussion as they exchanged opinions on different financial issues including the US investment in Bangladesh.

News: Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ Jun-06-2011