Md. Ahsan-uz Zaman, Additional Managing Director of Mutual Trust Bank Limited, inaugurates a conference at Gulshan Club in Dhaka on Monday. The 1st Retail Banking and NRB Conference 2013 of Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTBL) was held at Gulshan Club in Dhaka on Monday.

Md. Ahsan-uz Zaman, Additional Managing Director of MTBL inaugurated the conference as the chief guest, said a press release.

Kashif Rahman Siddiqui, Head of Retail Banking, Khondaker Rahimuzzaman, Head of NRB Division, Mohammed Sami-Al Hafiz Group Chief Communications Officer and Mehboobur Rehman,

HR Consultant addressed the conference.Managers, deputy managers from 43 branches under Dhaka Division attended the conference.

Foreign minister Dipu Moni on Monday formally inaugurated the operation of the newly-established NRB Global Bank at a function at Westin Hotel in the city.

Speaking as the chief guest, she said that a long standing demand of the non-resident Bangladeshis had been met by establishing the NRB Bank.

With NRB Bank chairman Nizam Chowdhury in the chair, the function was also addressed by former governor of Bangladesh Bank Mohammad Farashuddin, NRB Bank vice-chairman Hanif Chowdhury and managing director Abdul Quddus.

Dipu hoped that the NRB Bank would be able to provide standard services to the NRBs and local clients.

Farashuddin supported the government’s move for allowing more new banks to come into operation, saying that the country needs more bank branches to serve the people.

He said it was better to establish new banks than allowing old banks to open new branches. This will decentralise concentration of money in few hands.

Nizam Chowdhury, who worked in USA for 17 years as a banker, said NRB Bank wants to introduce world standard service for its clients beyond the conventional banking service.

Abdul Quddus said his bank would offer quality and standard service through introducing a new management team.

Dr. Cecep Effendi, Director General of CIRDAP, Ishtiaque Ahmed Chowdhury, Managing Director of Trust Bank Ltd, and Sukamal Sinha Chowdhury, General Manager of Bangladesh Bank, are seen at a meeting in Dhaka recently.

Trust Bank Ltd organised a views exchange meeting with CIRDAP and Bangladesh Bank to discuss the ways for development of the SMEs.

Dr. Cecep Effendi, Director General of CIRDAP, Ishtiaque Ahmed Chowdhury, Managing Director of Trust Bank, and Sukamal Sinha Chowdhury, General Manager of Bangladesh Bank, attended the views exchanging meeting held recently, said a press release.

During the meeting, they exchanged views about strategic issues of SME, agro-business and renewable energy.

TIM Rawshan Zadeed, Head of SME and Green Banking, conducted the discussion meeting. High officials of the organisations were present.

Bad loans in the industrial sector rose 80 percent in fiscal 2012-13, due to political unrest in the first half of the year.

The industrial sector’s bad loans on June 30, 2013 stood at Tk 15,553 crore, up from Tk 8,686 crore registered a year ago, according to data from Bangladesh Bank.

Of the total defaulted loans, the four state-run banks account for Tk 6,865 crore and the 30 private banks Tk 5,952 crore.
Bankers blamed the political unrest and infrastructure deficiencies for the sharp rise, adding that the situation has even staggered the expansion plans of different industries.

“Scams in the banking sector have also pushed up the bad loans,” said Shafiqul Alam, managing director of Jamuna Bank that witnessed a rise in its default loans due to Bismillah Towels.

Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of Pubali Bank, said a political consensus is a must to boost the confidence of the business community, who have taken on a wait-and-see position.

The lack of confidence is also evident in the import of capital machinery and raw materials.

Overall imports dropped 4.36 percent year-on-year in fiscal 2012-13, with capital machinery import declining 15.85 percent and industrial raw materials 2.50 percent.

Kevin John Steele, managing director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and KS Tabrez, managing director of Dutch-Bangla Bank, shake hands after signing a deal recently. Air travellers from Bangladesh can now pay for Biman tickets online through DBBL Nexus Debit Card, VISA card and MasterCard. Photo: DBBL

Air travellers from Bangladesh can now make online payments for Biman Bangladesh tickets through Nexus Debit Card,

VISA card and MasterCard of Dutch-Bangla Bank (DBBL), the bank said in a statement yesterday.

Kevin John Steele, managing director and chief executive of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and KS Tabrez, managing director of Dutch-Bangla Bank, signed a deal recently,

enabling Bang-ladeshi passengers buy Biman e-ticket using VISA card and MasterCard issued by any Bangladeshi bank.

Biman website has been linked up with DBBL’s 3D secured Nexus Gateway for e-payments by local online purchases, according to the statement.

 
Earlier, passengers only with VISA card and MasterCard issued from outside Bangladesh could buy the e-tickets through the Kasikorn or K Payment Gateway of Thailand.