Bangladesh Bank (BB) should take conscious steps in preparing the forthcoming monetary policy as it has to continuously deal with some challenging issues such as escalating inflation, depreciation of taka and ensuring credit flow to productive sector against rising public borrowing.

As the next monetary policy covers the last six months of the current fiscal, it warrants some assertive steps by the BB to help the government keep inflation and borrowing within the budget limits of 6.7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively with achieving 7 per cent economic growth.

Economists made these suggestions when requested for their opinions about the January-June monetary policy, to be announced later this month.

Under the existing economic situation, BB has no option but to choose a contractionary monetary policy, they said, adding that special attention must be taken to inject credit into productive sector to increase employment opportunities. BB’s constant monitoring on credit is essential to maintain a balance, they opined.

If needed, the central bank should go beyond its normal practice of preparing the monetary policy alone and sit especially with the finance ministry and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to make the monetary management more effective and achieve the targets of the policy, they said.

“As the inflation, depreciation of taka, public borrowing are major challenges for the government, the central bank should take these issues into active consideration while finalising the next monetary policy,” said former governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.

He said focus on the issues was made in the July-December monetary policy, but those were not achieved. Special attention should be given on growth-driving sectors, and BB must ensure credit for the expansion of these sectors, he added.

“Public borrowing needs to be reduced but it depends on finance ministry,” he said.

Salehuddin said BB must sit with finance ministry and other agencies, including NBR.

He said the central bank must tighten its supervision and monitoring to stop credit flow to unproductive sector and check letter of credit opening for luxurious goods.

Dr Mustafizur Rahman, executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a civil society think-tank, said achieving the targets of the next monetary policy is important because BB could not properly implement its July-December monetary policy.

He said the forthcoming policy should be contractionary and BB should lay emphasis on achieving the targets.

About government’s borrowing from banking system, he said BB cannot deny the government if it wants to borrow from banking system. But it should give the government a strong signal about the consequences of such borrowing.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 17th Jan 2012

Prime Bank Limited opened a medical camp at Ijtema premises for the devotees of Biswa Ijtema as part of its corporate social responsibility that started on January13, says a press release. Md Shirajul Islam Mollah , chairman of the board of directors of the Bank inaugurated the medical camp. Isbahul Bar Chowdhury, deputy managing director of the Bank was present .
Medical facilities were provided to the devotees of Biswa Ijtema free of cost from this medical camp during Ijtema.
With the management of Prime Bank, medicare facilities with medicines were rendered to all, 24 hours a day through professional physician.

The Daily Independent/Bangladesh/ 16th Jan 2012

Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. (IBBL), the first Shariah based Islami commercial bank in the Southeast Asia, is playing a remarkable role in alleviating poverty across the country through performing enormous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in different vital sectors.

According to an official source of IBBL, the IBBL has been playing a very significant role in performing CSR activities in different sectors, including education, health, environment, sports, industry, literature, cultural and relief sector through the Bank’s Social Affairs Department.

The IBBL sources said that after the establishment of IBBL, a charity trust titled ‘Sadakah’ had been set up on July 4, 1983 aimed to perform different social welfare activities.

Altering the name of ‘Sadakah’ as ‘Islami Bank Foundation Ltd.(IBFL)’ on May 20, 1991 all types of social welfare activities has been brought under IBFL.

Later, with an endeavour to expedite the bank’s CSR activities, IBBL are performing CSR activities through its Corporate Social Affairs Department from July 16, 2009.

The IBBL official said that IBBL had spent total Tk 2187.41 million as CSR since its inception.
According to the IBBL official, CSR expenditure of the countries first Shariah based commercial bank IBBL has increased by nearly 67 per cent in the just concluded year 2011 compared to the CSR expenditure of 2010.

In the year 2011, IBBL had donated total Tk 386.96 million for CSR activities to 411,889 beneficiaries in different sectors, including education, health, relief, environment, sports, industry, literature and cultural sector, registering about 67 per cent growth over the CSR expenditure of Tk 232.98 million in 2010.

From the year 1983 to 2008, total of Tk 1319.56 million had been donated by the IBBL to the country’s vital sectors.
Out of Tk 383.96 million CSR expenditures of the bank, IBBL had donated Tk 50.46 million to 128679 beneficiaries in education sector, Tk 25.78 million to 128,556 beneficiaries in health sector, Tk 21.79 million to 32,928 recipients in relief and rehabilitation, Tk 0.48 million to three receiver in environment, Tk 233.35 million in sport sector, Tk 7.15 million in industry, literature and cultural sector and Tk 47.95 million in others sectors.

A total of Tk 2329.80 million had been spent in CSR activities by the banking sector in 2010. Of which Tk 238.42 million had been contributed by the IBBL, which was 10 per cent of the overall banking CSR expenditure.
Besides, the bank has also played a very big role in the development of agriculture sector through ensuring easy access to finance to the farmers.

Through its total 35 Small and Medium Enterprises and Agriculture branches out of 266 branches, the sources said IBBL has invested total of Tk 15,189 million in the agriculture sector in the financial year 2010-11, which was nearly eight per cent of the overall investment of Tk 196, 552 million by all banks during that year.

The official also said that the bank’s operating profit is in better position than the country’s other banks both islami and non-islami banks.

The bank had recorded Tk 1142 crore operating profit at the end of the year 2010, the official said and expressed the hope that the bank would also register above 25 per cent growth of operating profit in 2011.

The official informed that IBBL has been expanding its banking service through opening new branches every year.
Out of total 266 branches, 20 branches had been opened in 2010 and 25 branches in 2011.

For operating the bank activities based on Shariah as well as rendering very quick and effective services, the official said IBBL has achieved great popularity among the country’s religious people.

Among the available services of the bank, Mudaraba Savings Bond, Mudaraba School Students Savings Accounts, Mudaraba Farmers Savings Accounts and Non-Resident Bangladeshi Investment Scheme have received huge responds from the customers.

The Bank is also rendering its overseas banking services to six countries thought total 19 representatives, the sources said.

Meanwhile, IBBL has given Tk 12 lakh scholarship to 200 underprivileged students who obtained GPA-5 in the SSC examination-2011. The awardees were honoured at a function at the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh in the city on Sunday.

Dr Salehuddin Ahmad, former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, was present at the function as chief guest while IBBL chairman Prof. Abu Nasser Muhammad Abduz Zaher was in the chair.

IBBL vice-chairman Engr Mustafa Anwar, chairman of executive committee Engr. Md Eskander Ali Khan, IBBL chairman of audit committee Md Shahidul Islam, and IBBL director and representative of Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation Mohammad Abdullah AlJalahma also addressed the function as special guests.

IBBL managing director Mohammad Abdul Mannan gave the welcome address at the event.
Among the awarded 200 students, each student has received Tk 6,000.
Dr Salehuddin Ahmad said that the role of Islami Bank in economic development of the country has been praised from every corner.

The Bank’s growth and progress in every sector, including investment management, import-export and remittance collection is remarkable, Ahmad said.

The Daily Independent/Bangladesh/ 16th Jan 2012

Anis A Khan, second from right, managing director of Mutual Trust Bank , exchanges documents with Hasibur Rahman, executive director of Management and Resources Development Initiative, after signing a deal to provide education funds under corporate social responsibility to a school at Char Fashion in Bhola. Rokia Afzal Rahman, centre, former caretaker government adviser, is also seen.

Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) yesterday signed a deal with Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) and Sharifpara Temporary Registered Primary School of Char Fashion, Bhola to help flourish the school.

The Bank will provide funds for renovating the school and payment of two years' salary of teachers as part of its corporate social responsibility.

MRDI will supervise and monitor the progress of the activities.

The programme is a part of MRDI and Manusher Jonno Foundation's initiative with an objective to use CSR funds as an alternative social development support.

Anis A Khan, MTB managing director; Hasibur Rahman, executive director of MRDI, and Md Abul Kashem, headmaster of the school, inked the deal.

Rokia Afzal Rahman, former caretaker government adviser and adviser to MRDI's CSR team, was present at the ceremony as the guest of honour.

Rokia Rahman stressed the need for widening policy support to encourage the corporate sector to come forward with CSR activities that directly address poverty and thanked MTB for joining MRDI in this initiative.

“Broad-based financial inclusion of poor and marginalised people should be recognised as an important component of CSR,” she said.

Khan applauded the role of MRDI in connecting corporate sector with the community and facilitating proper use of CSR money in addressing priority needs.

“MTB takes pride in extending support to education of deprived children and hopes that other institutions would also come forward to help further the educational requirements of the children of remote char areas.”

Involvement of the corporate sector in such development programmes can substantially contribute to the achievement of annual development plans of the government and millennium development goals in the long run, said Hasibur Rahman.

The school's headmaster expressed

his gratitude to MTB and MRDI for seeking out the remote village, which is deprived

of the benefits of all developmental programmes and providing educational facilities for its children.

The Daily Star/Bangladesh/ 16th Jan 2012

EXIM Bank Foundation distributed blanket to the under privileged children of a school located at Banani, Dhaka supervised by Jaago Foundation. Secretary General of EXIM Bank Foundation Mr. A. K. M. Nurul Fazal Bulbul distributed the blanket as Chief Guest. CEO of Jaago Foundation Korvi Rakshand, Asaduzzaman Kahinur also presents the program.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 16th Jan 2012