Eastern Bank Ltd has launched EBL Visa Signature Credit Card in Bangladesh.
Ali Reza Iftekhar, managing director and  CEO of the bank launched the card at press conference, organised at a city hotel on Friday, says a press release. The Visa Signature card, EBL has become the first bank in Bangladesh to introduce a premium credit card, which is way above the current premium cards available in the Bangladesh. Positioned above the Platinum class credit card – EBL Visa Signature offers the card holder to experience the very best of lifestyle and financial benefits all across the world.

News: The Independent/ Bangladesh/ July-10-2011

Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited has opened its 97th branch at Matuail Konapara Main Road, Jatrabari, in the city on July 4, says a press release. Like the other DBBL branch network, this branch also provides truly On-line banking facilities to the c1ients from the opening day of the branch. K. S. Tabrez, managing director of the bank formally inaugurated the Matuail branch.
K. S. Tabrez, managing director of the bank in his address of welcome informed that DBBL provides a wide array of banking products and financial services including card services to its retail-and corporate customers and newly launched mobile banking facility to ensure "financial inclusion" in the country.
It has a wide variety of delivery channels like ATMs, Fast Tracks besides branch networks at important places of the country. DBBL serves over 1.7 million customers throughout the country.
He called upon the local people and business community to avail the most up-to-date on-line- banking facilities
by maintaining, a bank account with DBBL.

News: The independent/ Bangladesh/ July-10-2011

A new branch of Prime Bank Limited was launched in the district, on Saturday. Deputy Commissioner, Md Siraj Uddin Ahmed, as chief guest, inaugurated the 96th  branch of the bank at a ceremony in Jamalpur town , says a press release.  Managing Director, Prime Bank Limited, M. Ehsanul Haque,  presided the inaugural ceremony.
It was addressed among others by Reazul Karim, deputy managing director, Prime Bank Limited, Advocate Baki Billah, acting president, District Awami League and Rezaul Karim Rejnu, president, Jamalpur Chamber of Commerce
and Industry.
The chief guest in his speech said, the new branch will play a vital role in transaction and dealings with the local people and the entrepreneurs of the district will get monetary help   to run their business.

News: The Independent/ Bangladesh/ July-10-2011

BRAC is playing a complementary role with the government in attaining millennium development goals for Bangladesh, said Mahabub Hossain, executive director of the development organisation.

Highlighting some success stories, BRAC has set a target to help the country achieve the MDGs by 2015 as it works to empower people and communities in areas of poverty, illiteracy, diseases and social injustice, said Hossain.

He delineated BRAC's mission at a news conference on the launch of its annual report in Dhaka yesterday.

“Our financial statement will increase accountability and transparency to the foreign loan givers,” said Hossain.

Reaching technologies to farmers to support food production, combating extreme poverty, reducing maternal and infant mortality, diversifying microfinance services, and climate changes are some of the highlights featured in the report.

“In the field of health and education and poverty reduction, the results have been very encouraging,” BRAC said in a statement.

BRAC's pre-primary education programme to encourage enrolment had almost 3.29 lakh children.

BRAC is currently working on reducing the dropouts and reaching the areas which are hard to reach and have fewer government schools. The non-formal primary schools in 2010 had almost 6.10 lakh students.

Similarly, in 10 districts, BRAC's areas of operation, the rate of maternal mortality has come down to 141 per thousand in urban areas and 157 in rural areas, remarkably close to attaining the MDG goal of 144, according to the report.

On the poverty alleviation front, beyond traditional microfinance, BRAC has reached out to almost 80,000 extremely poor households through asset and technical assistance transfer.

“We are trying to find a way to reduce poverty. We work for peace building instead of peace keeping in South Asian countries,” said Imran Matin, deputy executive director of BRAC International.

“We also work to develop the agriculture sector in Bangladesh,” said Monoranjan Mondol, head of BRAC's agriculture programme.

With efforts of BRAC and BRAC International put together, they have almost 13.8 crore people across the world within the reach of some kind of BRAC services.

Outside Bangladesh, BRAC has expanded its activities in nine other countries in Asia, Africa and Caribbean region.

News: The Daily Star/ Bangladesh/ July-10-2011

Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) limited has signed two agreements with Grameenphone for trading of government securities and on collection of bills at MTB centre in Dhaka recently.

Under the agreement, the mobile phone operator will invest in government securities through MTB, said a press release.

The agreement was signed to promote the secondary market for government securities in line with the objectives of the Ministry of Finance and Bangladesh Bank.

As per the other agreement, MTB will collect bills for GP's distributors and postpaid subscribers through its 67 branches, ATM booths as well as online banking interface located across the country.

Raihan Shamsi, deputy CEO and CFO, and secretary of the board of trustees, Tauhid Abdallah, director and member of the trustees of gratuity fund of Grameenphone, and MTB's deputy managing director M Ahsan-uz Zaman, signed the agreements on behalf of their respective organisations.

Among others, MTB Managing Director and CEO Anis Khan, and its Deputy Managing Director Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, GP Deputy Director (corporate finance and treasury) Mohammed Mainur Rahman Bhuiyan, General Manager (corporate finance) Nawed Wahed Asif and Manager (payroll and pension) Ruhul Quader, were also present on the occasion.

News: Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ July-10-2011