Bangladesh Bank (BB) is opening a new branch in Mymensingh to strengthen its supervisory framework for the branches of state-owned and private commercial banks within Mymensingh and five other neighboring districts.

The new BB branch will supervise the banking activities in Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Netrokona, Sherpur, Tangail and Kishoreganj.

The central bank has been operating its supervision and monitoring activities in the aforesaid districts by sending teams from Dhaka, which is time consuming to acquire the real scenario of disbursement of farm-loans and SME credits by the commercial banks, sources said.

The BB finalised the decision of opening the new branch last month by obtaining approval of its board of directors.

The Mymensingh branch would start its operation with six departments including department of banking inspections, vigilance, off-site department, agriculture, SME and special services.

With the new branch, the number of BB’s branches would stand at 10. Existing BB branches are located at Motijheel and Sadarghat in Dhaka and one each in Sylhet, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Bogra and Barisal.

Sources said BB Governor Atiur Rahman has already directed the bank’s human resource department to get new officials on board for meeting the additional manpower requirement after opening the new branch.

“Initially, the branch activities will be in a ‘limited form’ due to manpower shortage. Once the recruitment is completed, the branch will go into full-fledged operations,” said the source.

During a recent conference at BB headquarters, the governor asked the general managers of the central bank to accelerate supervisory activities on commercial banks to prevent Hallmark-like loan-forgery in future.

In the conference, general manager of Department of Banking Inspection (DBI-1) Dr Abul Kalam Azad presented a fresh policy guideline to sketch the supervisory plans afresh by adopting new paths.

News: The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/3rd-Oct-12