Md Badiul Alam, Additional Managing Director of National Bank Limited, inaugurates a training course in the city recently.

National Bank Training Institute organised a day-long training programme on ‘’Green Banking and Green Financing’’ in the city recently for senior executives of National Bank Limited (NBL).

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 7th Feb 2012

Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, addresses a day-long conference in Sylhet recently.

A day-long Business Development Conference of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) was held at a local hotel in Sylhet recently.

Mohammad Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of the Bank was present at the conference as chief guest. Sylhet zone of Islami Bank organised the discussion, said a press release.

Md Habibur Rahman, Muhammad Abul Bashar, deputy managing directors, Rafi Ahmed Begh, Md. Shafiqur Rahman, executive vice presidents and head of Sylhet zone of the Bank addressed the conference.

ATM in Khagrachhari

Meanwhile, the Bank opened ATM booth, for the first time, in Khagrachhari town on Monday.

On the occasion of 100 days building-bridge programme, Islami Bank Khagrachhari district unit manager Md Abu Zafar announced it while exchanging views with local journalists.

IBBL Manager Md Abu Zafar briefed journalists. Rafiqul Islam, Sahab Uddin and ASM Taslim Uddin, officers of the bank, Khagrachhari Press Club president Dilip Chowdhury and journalists Jahurul Alam and Hasan Mahmud, spoke on the occasion.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 7th Feb 2012

Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice Chancellor of University of Dhaka, hands over scholarship to a student, at MTB-DUAA Scholarship Award Ceremony 2012, in the city recently.

Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTB) and Dhaka University Alumni Association (DUAA) Scholarship Awards Ceremony 2012 was held at the Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, University of Dhaka, recently.

Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice Chancellor of the University of Dhaka, attended the ceremony as the chief guest, while AK Azad, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) was present as the guest of honour. Selina Khaleque, Vice President of DUAA presided over the ceremony, said a press release.

Anis A Khan, Managing Director and CEO of MTB, Raquibuddin Ahmed, General Secretary of DUAA, senior alumni members and officials of MTB, scholarship awardees, and a large number of students of the University of Dhaka and media representatives were present at the occasion.

Under this scholarship scheme, thirty-nine meritorious and underprivileged students received a monetary award in recognition to their outstanding academic achievements for last one year.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 7th Feb 2012

Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of Pubali Bank Limited, presides over the Managers' Conference-2012 of the bank at its head office in the city recently.

The managers' conference of Dhaka Central, Dhaka North and Dhaka south region of Pubali Bank Limited was held at the Bank's head office in the city recently.

Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of the Bank, presided over the function, said a press release.

Additional Managing Director M.A. Halim Chowdhury, Chief Technical Officer and GM of Pubali Bank Ltd Mohammad Ali and other senior executives of the Bank's head office were present at the conference.

While addressing the function, Managing Director Helal Ahmed stressed searching for more potential borrowers to expand the Bank's business.

He also laid emphasis on recovery of overdue, classified and write-off loans on priority basis. He advised the regional heads and branch managers to maintain close vigilance to prevent the newly disbursed loans from becoming overdue or classified.

Helal Ahmed advised all to work hard to ensure best customer services for the clients. He underscored the need for increased utilisation of the modern information technology for qualitative improvement in the overall customer service of Pubali Bank as the Bank operates in a highly competitive banking sector.

The conference also evaluated the overall performance of the branches and fixed necessary strategies and plans to achieve the target fixed for the year 2012.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 7th Feb 2012

Achieving the stipulated seven percent GDP growth in the current 2011-12 fiscal year may not be possible if the economic contraction in European Union countries deteriorates, Bangladesh Bank in its annual report has feared.

The report, which was published yesterday, also said that point-to-point inflation stood at 10.2 percent at the end of 2010-11 fiscal which was 8.7 percent in the previous fiscal.

It would also be harder to bring it down to a single digit rate despite maintaining a cautious monetary policy, said the report, published by Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman at the BB headquarters at Motijheel in Dhaka.

The report also projected that the country may not be able to maintain growth trends in import and export this fiscal due to external economic risks caused by troubles in EU economies. During the 2011-12 fiscal year, the growth of both export and import may be reduced by 15 percent compared to targets, it said.

The annual report titled ‘Analysis of Bangladesh Economy’ elaborately focuses on the overall economic indicators in 2010-11 fiscal.

The report also focuses on agriculture, industrial sector, social safety net programmes, monetary policy, inflation and money supply.

Although the growth in remittance inflow is likely to hit a double-digit mark this fiscal, global trends indicate that overseas employment opportunities would decline.

The Balance of Payment (BoP) of the country would come under further stress in FY12, on increasing trade deficit despite growth in remittance inflow, said the report.

Exchange rate of taka is likely to remain under some pressure in FY12, according to the report.

The BB report also said the public expenditure went up by 28 percent in 2010-11 fiscal against an increase by 13.8 percent in 2009-10 fiscal.

It said, the classified loan has also reduced this fiscal. In 2009-10, the amount of classified loan was 8.7 percent, which stood at 7.1 percent last fiscal.

Talking to daily sun over the BB report, economist and chairman of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Khondoker Ibrahim Khaled, also expressed his doubt over achieving 7 percent GDP growth this fiscal.

Khaled said the country’s economy will be slightly affected by the global economic meltdown, leaving a negative impact on the economy.

He said the GDP growth rates of India and Pakistan have also been affected by external causes.

The report said the government’s borrowing from the domestic banking system rose sharply by 39.9 percent in FY11, characteristically exceeding rather than falling short of initial projection, despite healthy growth in revenue receipt.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 7th Feb 2012