Md. Abdus Salam Managing Director of Janata Bank Limited speaking at branch managers conference at divisional office\'s conference room in the city on Thursday. Hasan Iqbal, Deputy Managing Director, Mostafa Jalal Uddin Ahmed, General Manager of Divisiona

Our Correspondent:

BOGRA, Feb 11: Different commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnoyan Bank(RAKUB) have started special Boro crops loan disbursing programmes for making the Boro cultivators financially capable in the vast Barind tract area.

Manager Mahmudul Alom of RAKUB at Gabtoly branch said to make the programmme a grand success the bank is distributing  Tk 37,881 for per acre of land so that the farmers can bring vast tract of land under boro cultivation easily, he added.

Boro transplanting is progressing fast amid enthusiasm across the area as the farmers are trying to finish the work within a week in all twelve upazila of Bogra district. The farmers have prepared Boro seedling through adverse climate condition since the dense fog hit growing of the seedling during the time of sowing seed to cultivate timely.

They farmers have already completed 80-90 per cent of boro transplantation in the low-lying lands, beels, haors, flood-prone and riverine areas to complete harvest of the crop there before commencement of the next rainy season.

Department of Agriculture Extension office (DAE) office source said, “The farmers have taken around 0.2 hectres of land under boro paddy cultivation in this season across the district aiming bumper production.

 Both, the government and NGOs have provided quality seeds, necessary inputs and trainings on the latest technologies to make the programme successful as well as the landless and marginal farmers have also brought vast tracts of the crop lands under this paddy cultivation this time in the Ganges basin, DAE added. -Asfar  

BRAC Bank Limited opened a new branch in Hemayetpur, Savar to provide the most modern banking services to the growing customers in the industrial area. 

Advocate Md. Qamrul Islam, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Food, and Mr. Selim R.F. Hussain, Managing Director & CEO, BRAC Bank Limited, formally inaugurated the branch at Hazi Ashraf Shopping Complex in Hemayetpur, Savar. Mr. Abedur Rahman Sikder, Head of Branch Banking, Zara Jabeen Mahbub, Head of Communication & Service Quality, and other senior officials were present.

On the occasion, Mr. Selim R.F. Hussain, said, “As a member of the larger BRAC family, BRAC Bank always strives to reach out to more people and cover more areas. BRAC Bank’s best-in-the-class services will bring in new opportunity for business and individual customers in the industrial area. The bank is committed to financial inclusion of the mass people in the journey of inclusive banking by opening branches in rural and semi-urban areas.”  

“With BRAC Bank now in Hemayetpur, people of the area will enjoy the most modern and online banking solutions at their convenience. As we move here, we bring in the promise of ‘Delightful Customer Experience’ for people of the locality,” he added.

The new branch is located at Hazi Ashraf Shopping Complex at Tetuljhora in Hemayetpur, Savar. The surrounding areas and locality wore a festive look on the occasion. Local elites, business people and a large number of customers attended the inauguration program.

With the launching of Hemayetpur Branch, total branch, SME/Krishi Branches and SME Service Centers of BRAC Bank stands at 168 which is one of the largest online banking network in Bangladesh.

DHAKA: Bangladesh Bank (BB) is working to help ensuring sustainable energy for achieving sustainable development through boosting green financing across the country, Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman said, BSS reported.
“We’ve undertaken and implemented a good number of initiatives to help implement energy and environment related programmes of the government,” Governor Dr Rahman said while launching a German funded project – Green Banking for Energy Sustainable Economy – at the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) Auditorium in the capital Dhaka on Sunday.
The launching ceremony was organized jointly by the BIBM, GIZ and Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA).
The central bank chief said to promote sustainable energy in Bangladesh, the government has prepared a Renewable Energy Policy and has undertaken various action plans with the target of generating 5.0 per cent and 10 per cent of total power production by 2015 and 2020 respectively.
Besides, the government has initiated setting up of a SREDA and has also finalised Sustainable Energy Development Act, 2011, he added. Sustainable energy is crucial for sustainable development, a process that ensures development of the current generation without impeding the development opportunities for the future generation, according to Dr Rahman. “Economic, social, and environmental sustainability receive high priority in the policies of the central bank of Bangladesh,” the governor explained.
He also said the BB’s circular on ‘Policy Guidelines for Green Banking’ is a notable step towards developing green banking practices in the country.
Renewable energy has also received special attention of the central bank since 2010, he noted. The BB has already introduced 50 green products under 11 categories to be eligible for refinancing facilities available at the central bank.
In 2010, the central bank set up a 20 kilowatt solar panel in its Head Office, and has also advised banks and financial institutions to extend finance for solar energy, bio-gas plant, Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and Hybrid Hoffman Kiln (HHK) related projects.
Referring to two refinance schemes, launched by the BB, Dr. Rahman said the central bank has also recently introduced a green fund of US$ 200 million for low-cost, long-term foreign currency projects to be disbursed to green apparel and leather entrepreneurs.
The central bank introduced a Taka 200 crore revolving fund in 2010.
In 2012, Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported a refinance scheme of BDT 50 million for improving the efficiency of brick kilns.
Among others, Dr. Thomas Prinz, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany; Professor Dr Toufic Ahmad Choudhury, Director General of BIBM, Professor Dr Shah Md Ahsan Habib, Director of BIBM and Anwarul Islam Sikder, Chairman of SREDA also spoke on the occasion.