Md. Habibur Rahman, Managing Director, Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited, speaks at a seminar on “Business Development for the Managers” at the bank’s Agrabad branch in Chittagong on Saturday.

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited organised a seminar on “Business Development for the Managers of Chittagong Zone” at the bank’s Agrabad branch in Chittagong on Saturday.

Md. Habibur Rahman, Managing Director of the bank inaugurated the seminar as the chief guest, a said a press release.

Executive Vice President and Manager of AIBL Agrabad Branch Borhanuddin Ahmed Chowdhury delivered welcome speech.

Md. Mofazzel Hossain, Deputy Managing Director, Mohammed Nadim, Executive Vice President, Nazmus Sadat, Senior Vice President and Engr. Md. Habib Ullah, Senior Vice President of the bank were present.

Managers and officers from 18 branches of Chittagong Zone of the bank participated in the seminar.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman hands over a crest to M Abdul Mannan, Managing Director of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, at a function organised by the Centre for Non Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) at a hotel in Dhaka on Saturday. US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan W Mozena is also seen. Sun photo

Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman on Saturday said having a good forex reserve is not a matter of concern or disappointment as he surplus will be used during ‘rainy days’.

“I’m sure investment will pick up soon and the surplus reserve will be used properly. But there’s no room for complacency as we need more foreign reserves if we compare it with India’s size of reserve,”

he said.
Despite being a trade deficit country, Atiur said, Bangladesh enjoyed a positive balance in current account during the last five years, particularly due to continuation of impressive growth in remittances.

“Aided by robust growth in exports and remittances, and moderate growth in imports, foreign exchange reserve in Bangladesh is now more than US$ 16 billion. This demonstrates our strength. In a decade, literally, it has become double,” said the BB governor.

The central bank chief was addressing a function in the city as the chief guest.

Centre for Non Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) arranged the event, titled ‘Recognition of NRBs and Supportive Organizations in Bangladesh’, at Sonargaon Hotel with its chairperson MS Shekil Chowdhury in the chair.

US Ambassador Dan Mozena, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed,

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President M Sabur Khan, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited Managing Director M Abdul Mannan,

Managing Director and CEO of Pubali Bank Ltd Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, MD and CEO of NCC Bank Nurul Amin and a good number of NRBs spoke on the occasion.

The central bank chief said despite adverse impact from global economic crisis and political turmoil in the Middle East, the inflow of remittance maintained a healthy growth.

“Financial and external sector of Bangladesh remained resilient in the face of recent global financial crisis and economic slowdown mainly for these inflows,” he added.

On NRB’s role, he said the contribution of NRBs has been at the heart of policy framework in Bangladesh’s mission of becoming a middle-income country within the next few years. —UNB

Kazi Towhidul Alam, Deputy Managing Director of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited, speaks at the Iftar party Elephant Road branches in Dhaka recently.

Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited organised discussion meetings on the Holy Ramadan followed by Iftar Mahfil at Daxminkhan and Elephant Road branches in Dhaka recently.

Md Habibur Rahman, Managing Director of the bank, attended the Iftar at Daxminkhan branch while Kazi Towhidul Alam, Deputy Managing Director of the bank at Elephant Road branch, said a press release.

Mufti Gias Uddin Al Madani, Hazi Khalil Mollah, businessmen, Md Nazmus Sadat, SVP, Abdul Mannan Akhand, Branch Manager, local peoples, attended the Iftar party at Daxminkhan branch.

M Fazlur Rahman, President and Managing Director of AB Bank, is seen at an Iftar party at a city hotel recently.

AB Bank Limited organised an Iftar Mahfil for media personnel at a hotel in Dhaka recently.

Journalists from print and electronic media and related media personnel attended the Iftar Mahfil, said a press release.

M Fazlur Rahman, President and Managing Director of AB Bank, presided over the function.

High officials of the bank were also present at the Iftar Mahfil.

AB Bank since its commencement 31 years ago, strived for effective media support in enhancing productive and modern banking in the country.

Bangladesh Development Bank Ltd (BDBL), a state-owned commercial bank, is set to introduce mobile banking this year, said a top official of the bank.

“We want to go mobile banking targeting to reach the disadvantaged group . We’ll send a proposal to Bangladesh Bank by the next 15 days to get its license,” Dr Md Zillur Rahman, Managing Director of the BDBL, told BSS.

In an exclusive interview, Dr Zillur said BiKash Ltd only transfers money but BDBL mobile financial service will have option of money transfer, withdrawal and deposit.

“We’ll introduce the mobile financial service by December,” he said adding that this service would reach all 64 districts by 2014.

The senior banker said the service will enable millions of banked and unbanked people to deposit, withdraw and transfer money through mobile phones.

Detailing the m-banking, the BDBL MD said any mobile user can register and open up a bank account and then do transactions through their mobile phones in easy and convenient manner.

None will have to come to the bank rather the bank will go to them once the mobile banking service is put in place, he said adding that it will be 24-hour banking.

He said the main objective of the e-banking is to make sure poor people’s easy access to banking services. “This green banking service will also create thousands of employments in rural areas as a good number of authorized agents would be appointed across the country.”

Thousands of crore of Taka kept in the name of rural associations but those money remained idle and does not come to main activities of the country’s economy.

“We want inject those idle money to banking channel through mobile banking,” said the senior banker.

Citing salient features of the banking service, he said free account opening, profit sharing among clients of the service are among those.

Eighty per cent of the deposited money of clients would be spent as loans, he said adding that it will in real sense give a big boost to the country’s poverty alleviation activities.

In the mobile banking service, he said, the BDBL plans to conduct all sorts of banking activities starting from opening of 10 in the mobile banking service Taka account and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The BDBL has earned Taka 83.87 crore as net profit in 2012 while it disbursed Taka 448.93 crore as loans and realised Taka 276.56 crore during the same period.

The BDBL, having Taka 3,000 crore as asset while liability Taka 1500 crore, has now 26 branches across the country and of them three banks are in rural areas. —BSS