Eastern Bank Ltd (EBL) jointly with Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) Bangladesh launched a co-branded prepaid and virtual card for the ACCA students, says a press release.

Ali Reza Iftekhar, managing director and chief executive officer of EBL, Muklesur Rahman, deputy managing director of ACCA Bangladesh, Mohua Rashid, country manager, jointly unveiled the new card at a press meet at Pan Pacific Sonargaon, in the city on Monday.

Through this card, the students will be able to pay their academic fees through online hassle-free. This is the first time in Bangladesh while a Bank and an academic body partnered together to simplify payment procedure.

Nazeem A Choudhury, EBL head of cards, Saidul Amin, head of liability, Anwar Hossain, head of asset, Md Saadullah, head of priority banking, Towfiqul A Chowdhury, head of NRB and student banking, Zahidul Haque, head of

ADC, Ziaul Karim, head of brand and marketing, Irfan Islam, senior manager, and other senior officials from both the organisations were also present.

The Independent/Bangladesh/ 11th April 2012

Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) has recently launched two new products named “BKB Double Profit Scheme and BKB Monthly Profit Scheme” at its principal office in the city.

Md Mukter Hussain, managing director of the Bank, formally inaugurated the two products through depositing money on the counter, said a press release.

Under the BKB Double Profit Scheme one can deposit at least Tk 20,000 and its multiple, one can get double after maturity of six year.

Besides, BKB Monthly Profit Scheme one can deposit at least Tk 1,00,000 and its multiple, one can get profit Tk 1,000 per month on 1,00,000.

Among others, Md Joynal Abedin and Manjur Ahmed, deputy managing directors, general managers of head office, deputy general managers and win valued customers of the Bank were also present on the occasion.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 4th April 2012

Jamuna Bank Limited (JBL) Sunday launched its three new products to make the banking easier and more convenient to the people.

JBL Director and chairman of Jamuna Bank Foundation (JBF) Alhaj Nur Mohammed launched the products as the chief guest at a 'meet the press' programme at the National Press Club.

The new products are: Mutho Banking (mobile banking solution), Earn First Deposit (instant interest payment fixed deposit) and NRB banking.

Presided over by the Bank's Managing Director Md Motior Rahman, the launching ceremony was addressed, among others, by its Deputy Managing Directors Md Abul Shahjahan and Md Mozammel Hussain.

'Mutho Banking' will bring the banking service at the Bank customers' finger, allowing them to do banking transaction on mobile phone without making any call, rather using SMS.

Under 'Mutho Banking', other mobile-based services include: mobile recharge, utility bill-payment, merchant payment, transaction alert and notification, mini statement, cheque book request, stop payment request, request to block lost cards and inquiry of balance, branch/ATM location, foreign exchange rate and products.

'Earn First Deposit' is a kind of fixed deposit scheme, where the depositors will get calculated interest at the time of deposition of their fund, while 'NRB banking' offers various deposit schemes, services and investment opportunities for non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs).

Mr Nur Mohammed said that the Board of Directors of the Bank recently decided to open more branches at the country's rural areas in a bid to broaden the financial inclusion.

Financial Express/Bangladesh/ 26th March 2012

Mercantile Bank Limited, the country’s leading 3rd generation bank, has introduced two new deposit schemes, aiming to encourage people towards savings.

The two new products are -- ‘Monthly Deposit Scheme-3 Years’ and ‘Special Saving Scheme’.

Md Abdul Jalil, chairman of the Bank, formally launched Tuesday these products as part of the Bank’s month-long special deposit mobilisation campaign.

Jalil elaborated the benefits of the two new saving schemes and claimed that these new products would secure depositors’ future financial status. 

AKM Shahidul Haque, the Bank’s managing director and chief executive officer, MS Ahsan,  chairman of the  executive committee, M Amanullah and AKM Shaheed Reza -- the two directors --, Md Abdul Jalil Chowdhury, Monindra Kumar Nath, MA Yousuf Khan, Md Quamrul Islam Chowdhury and Choudhury Mostaq Ahmed – the deputy managing directors --, were present.

Source: The Independent/ Bangladesh/ 17th Nov 2011

BRAC Bank has launched a special credit card for online foreign exchange payment for specific business purposes such as domain purchase, server hosting and software licence purchase for IT businesspeople.

The 'BASIS-BRAC Bank co-branded credit card' will be issued only to the members of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS). The VISA card was launched yesterday at Sonargaon Hotel.

One card would be issued for one BASIS member company and would be used only for the specified type of foreign payment.

Launching the card, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman said, this type of co-branded card would be a model product for other banks to offer. BRAC Bank has come forward with new products that are supported by the central bank, he said.

The governor hoped to offer similar type of credit cards for the individuals who export software. A generic guideline has already been drafted by the central bank. Now the banks should go for international domain agreement, the governor said.

Rahman said a local bank has already offered international virtual credit cards for students who want to pay foreign educational institutions' fees online. He requested BASIS to come forward to use the idle Tk 500 crore lying in the name of Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund (EEF) at the Bangladesh Bank for IT related entrepreneurship.

The agriculture sector was able to use the EEF fund, but the IT sector is yet to take benefit of the fund, he said.

Mahboob Zaman, president of BASIS, said bad days are coming, as students do not seem interested in studying science subjects. Only 24 percent students showed interest to study science in higher education in recent years, which was 43 percent in 2000.

Zaman urged all concerned to organise campaigns to motivate students to study science and ICT subjects.

Syed Mahbubur Rahman, managing director of BRAC Bank, said his bank believes that people now opt for automated system for money transaction. He said BASIS members can get the co-branded card on payment of Tk 35,000 which was Tk15 lakh previously. BRAC Bank will introduce electronic commerce platform for BASIS members soon, he said.

AKM Fahim Mashroor, senior vice-president of BASIS, urged the quarters concerned to extend long-term loans for the students of IT.

News: The Daily Star/ Bangladesh/ July-06-2011