Institute of Bankers, Bangladesh (IBB) and Bangladesh Institute Bank Management (BIBM) will jointly honour one of the top banker with the “Kriti Banker 2010” award.

The award will be formally handed over at a ceremony on Wednesday at 4.30 pm at Hotel Purbani in city.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman confer the award attending the ceremony as chief guest while CEO and Managing Director of Sonali Bank Md. Humayun Kabir will preside. Sources earlier said a jury board was formed and five names of senior bankers were nominated for the award.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 14th Feb 2012

All the scheduled banks have revised downward their interest rates against deposit and lending in line with a decision of the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB) to help combat inflation.

ABB, the apex body of the chief executives of the country’s private banks, at a meeting last week advised all private banks to cap their interestrates for deposit at 12.5 per cent and loans for industrial and working capital at 15.5 per cent.

“All the private banks had started following our suggestion from Wednesday (February 8) to re-fix their rates of interest for deposit and lending,” ABB Chairman and Managing Director of NCC Bank Nurul Amin told BSS yesterday. He said necessary directives had also been sent to all banks’ branches across the country so they can follow the suggestion accordingly.

Amin said the ABB decided to reduce the bank rates on request of Bangladesh Bank (BB) to fix a reasonable rate of interest to avoid unhealthy competition among banks to tape deposit and charging more for advances. The central bank also asked the banks to keep the spread (gap between deposit and lending rates) at 5 per cent.

ABB Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Pubali Bank Helal Ahmed Chowdhury said they had reduced bank rates in the greater interest of the economy. “This will help accelerate the trade and investment,” he observed. The ABB earlier took a similar decision, which was not implemented for some reasons, said Helal, but he was confident this time that all the banks would follow the advice.

A central bank official said the cost of credit management is no more than 9 per cent expecting in micro-financing and SME lending.

“Adding 4-5 per cent interest on the credit management cost takes the lending rate not above 15 per cent. So, the banks can comfortably make business even after reducing their lending rate as suggested by the ABB,” he said.

All the banks increased their interest rates against deposit and lending early last month after the central bank lifted the 13 per cent ceiling on the interest rate on all types of bank loans, except for pre-shipment exports and farm loans as they are thrust sectors. The ABB voluntarily reduced the bank rates for deposit and industrial and working capital.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 14th Feb 2012

Sunil Kaushal

Sunil Kaushal, Regional Chief Executive, India & South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank will arrive in Dhaka today (Monday) for a two day official visit. 

This will be his first official visit to Bangladesh after being appointed in this role. During his stay in Dhaka, he is expected to meet the senior government officials, clients, stakeholders and staff of the Bank. 

Sunil has over 23 years of banking experience in diverse markets and has been with the bank for approximately 14 years. He has recently assumed responsibility for Standard Chartered Bank's operations in South Asia (which includes India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan).

Prior to his current role, Sunil was the President and Chief Executive Officer for Standard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) Limited.

Financial Express/Bangladesh/ 13th Feb 2012

World renowned cricketer Chris Gayle inaugurating 200th ATM of AB Bank at Banani in the city Sunday.

AB Bank Limited, with a vision to expand its alternate delivery channel introduced its 200th ATM Sunday at Banani in the city. The ATM was inaugurated by world renowned cricketer Chris Gayle along with Md. Mesbahul Hoque, Director of AB Bank Limited, Badrul H. 

Khan, DMD (Credit) and Ahsan Afzal, DMD (Business and Commercial) of AB Bank Limited. Shahnawaj Chowdhury, Head of Cashlink Bangladesh Limited was also present at the inauguration ceremony. The ATMs operate under the Cashlink network.

Financial Express/Bangladesh/ 12th Feb 2012

World Bank (WB) will provide $36 million to Bangladesh for protection of wild life in the country, prevent illegal trading and regional threats to forest conservation as well as habitats.

A WB representative emphasised for trans-boundary forest preservation in South Asia as the Washington-based multi-lending agency has taken up a project -- Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection in Asia.

The project will be implemented in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India to help the participatinggovernments to address cross-border poaching and will fill crucial knowledge gaps in conservation.

The WB disclosed the information at the project launching ceremony jointly organised by Bangladesh Forest Department under the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the WB at a city hotel Sunday.

Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud was present as chief guest in the event chaired by chief conservator of forests Md Yunus Ali.

"The project will be an important milestone for regional cooperation for wildlife conservation in South Asia," the minister said just before launching the first-ever World Bank supported regional project in the sub-continent.

He said protection of wildlife and its habitats were becoming a challenging task for the government due to rapid urbanisation and increased population growth in the forest areas, causing human-animal conflicts on a regular basis that have cost many lives.

According to a study, at least 418 people died in the last one decade in the country due to human-tigers and human-elephant conflicts while 42 elephants and 27 tigers were killed by human during the time when the wild animals come to nearby villages in search of food.

Mr Hasan Mahmud said the government has moved to amend the Bangladesh Wildlife (preservation) Act 1973, which has already been approved by the cabinet recently. "We're hopeful that it will be passed in the ongoing parliamentary session," he said.

Financial Express/Bangladesh/ 13th Feb 2012