NBR chairman Dr Nasir Uddin Ahmed is arriving in the port city to attend the pre-budget view exchange meetings with trade bodies tomorrow.

He is expected to attend a meeting with directors of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry at 10.00 am and another meeting with directors of Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry at 11.30 am on Tuesday.

The secretary of the internal resources division (IRD) is scheduled to address two seminars at the Chittagong Customs House in the afternoon as the chief guest. The seminar on e-payment will take place at 3.30 pm and the one on 'Automation of Chittagong Customs House: Recent Trends' at 5.30 pm.

Commissioners, additional commissioners, deputy commissioners and senior officials of the Chittagong Customs House and the national board of revenue will attend the seminars, officials said.

Financial Express/ Bangladesh/ 15th May 2012

M Haikal Hashmi, Deputy Managing Director of Trust Bank Limited, seen at a workshop on market segmentation at the bank’s Training Academy on Sunday.

Trust Bank organised a workshop on SME market segmentation database at its Training Academy in Dhaka city on Sunday.

M. M. Haikal Hashmi, deputy managing director of the Bank, according to a press release, inaugurated the workshop.

T. I. M. Rawshan Zadeed, vice president & head of SME & Ashraful Alam, joint director, Bangladesh Bank were present.

Officers from different branches and SME department of the Bank were part of the meeting.

The Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ 15th May 2012

GAIBANDHA: Karmasangsthan Bank, Gaibandha branch disbursed a total of Tk 134 million as loan at a nominal interest to 2,222 beneficiaries of five upazilas in the district in the last few years.

According to sources, since its inception in 2002, the bank has been disbursing loans, ranging from Tk 25,000 to Tk 5 lakh, to the jobless people of Gaibandha Sadar, Sundarganj, Saghata, Fulchhari and Sadullapur upazilas in the district.

The loans were disbursed in different sectors including poultry and dairy farm, fisheries, beef fattening, welding factory, nursery, furniture and small scale cottage industries and other income generating activities in both rural and urban areas of the district, sources said.

Jahangir Hossain, a beneficiary of Purbapara area of Gaibandha district

town, said he had established a poultry farm in 2009, taking Tk 5 lakh loan from the bank without any hassles.

He was able to turn the wheels of fortune alleviating his poverty as he was earning Tk 10,500, selling at least 1,500 eggs of the farm everyday, he said.

The bank realised Tk 9.33 crore classified and outstanding loans from the beneficiaries of the upazilas during the same period, said an official of the bank.

Senior Principal Officer and Manager of the branch M Jahangir Alam said they were giving more emphasis on enhancing credit flow towards the potential sectors in the district.

Transparency and accountability were also ensured at the time of loan disbursement to the jobless people of the district, he pointed out.

The Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ 15th May 2012

Azharul Islam, Chairman of Board of Directors of Uttara Bank Limited, presides over an AGM at Shafipur in Gazipur on Monday.

Uttara Bank Limited declared 15 percent stock dividend and 20 percent cash dividend for its shareholders for the year 2011.

The announcement came at the Bank's 29th annual general meeting (AGM) held at the Rangamadi Waterfront at Shafipur in Gazipur Monday, said a press release.

The Bank also enhanced its authorised capital from Tk 5 billion to Tk 6 billion. A large number of shareholders also attended the meeting.

The Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ 15th May 2012

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman will leave here for Nepal today to attend 41st meeting of the board of directors of Asian Clearing Union (ACU) and SAARCFINANCE governors' symposium and SAARCFINANCE group meeting.

The governor will leave Dhaka by a Biman flight at 8.50am, said a BB press release on Monday.

General manager AFM Asaduzzaman, GM (forex) Kazi Saidur Rahman and DGM, BB's training academy Dr Md Habibur Rahman will accompany him.

The Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ 15th May 2012