EXIM Bank inaugurated its 59th Branch (SME/Agri) at Thakur Bazar, Shahrasti, Chandpur recently. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank Nazrul Islam Mazumder was present as the chief guest and inaugurated the branch. Deputy Managing Director Dr. Mohammad Haider Ali Miah presided over the inauguration programme. Members of the Board of Directors Serajul Islam and Md. Fakhrul Islam Mazumder also attended. Deputy Managing Director Abdul Latif Barabhuiya and other executives, local elites and businessmen were present on the occasion.

Source: The Financial Express, Bangladesh/12th Dec 2010

Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited has opened its 90th Branch at Shahjalal Uposhohor (1st Floor,Holding#536,Main Road,Shahjalal Uposhohor ,Ward#22,Sylhet) on December 12th, 2010. Like the other DBBL branch network, this branch also provides truly On-line Banking facilities to the clients from the opening day of the branch. Mr. K. S. Tabrez, Managing Director of the bank formally inaugurated the Shahjalal Uposhohor Branch.

Source: DBBL website/12th Dec 2010

Faruq A. Choudhury, former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador has been re-elected chairman of the Board of Directors of Delta Brac Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DBH) at its 59th meeting of the Board of Directors of DBH held recently.

Faruq Choudhury, a former career diplomat is presently a member of the Governing Board of BRAC and BRAC University. He is also a noted author and columnist.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh/12th Dec 2010

Trading at the at the Sonali Banks' stock brokerage house suffered a setback for 40 minutes due to a technical glitch.

Investors at the brokerage house complained that trading came to a halt around noon when the brokerage house lost connection with its main server.

"This is very frustrating for retail investors like us as we cannot follow the real time changes in share price," said Jasim Uddin, an investor trading at the brokerage house.

He also alleged that they had faced the same problem even yesterday and that the management had not done anything to solve the problem.

Chief executive of the merchant banking wing of the bank, Waliar Rahman told bdnews24.com that they have identified the problem and that it had already been fixed.

Source: Bangladesh News, Bangladesh/12th Dec 2010

The president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, Friday said bank stress tests were "useful" and would be organised regularly in the European Union.

"Stress tests are useful and will be made on a regular basis," he told a news conference after attending a Madrid conference on cooperation between eurozone and Latin American central banks.

The stringency of European stress tests has been called into question by the markets.

Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks passed the exams in July, only to be propped up by the state a few months later in a move that helped push Dublin into needing an 85-billion-euro rescue package from the European Union and IMF.

"Stress tests are a very useful concept and tool. It is certainly important that they are made on a regular basis," Trichet said.

The EU economic affairs commissioner, Olli Rehn, said this week new "even more rigorous and even more comprehensive" stress tests would be organised in February, this time including a look at liquidity positions.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh/12th Dec 2010