Eastern Bank Ltd has launched two products 'EBL Unnoti' and 'SME Equity Builder' for small and medium entrepreneurs.

EBL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ali Reza Iftekhar launched the new products at a press conference at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

EBL Unnoti is an asset product for SME customers designed to bring flexibility in loan usage where a customer can avail himself of the facility when required, and interest will be charged only on the amount utilised.

It is a bundle loan product having overdraft and term loan facility for SME customer having finance against fixed asset and working capital requirement for creditworthy business secured by collateral security (registered mortgage of land and building).

Any SME customer with a minimum two years of successful business operation and all legal documents can apply for the loan. The minimum loan is Tk 10 lakh and the maximum is Tk 1 crore.

The tenure of the loan is a maximum of five years.

SME Equity Builder is a savings scheme for SME entrepreneurs, which can be opened by any SME client having valid trade licence at all EBL branches, the bank said.

The account will encourage SME entrepreneurs to develop habit of savings for enterprises. Ninety percent loan facility is available against deposited amount, it said.

SME Equity Builder offers an 11 percent interest rate on a monthly compound basis to be paid on maturity. It will help the fund in the account grow at a faster rate than the conventional savings schemes, the bank said in a statement.

An enterprise can open multiple accounts with convenient installment size between Tk 500 and Tk 50,000. The maturity of the scheme is 5 years. However, premature encashment is also available.

News: The Daily Star/ Bangladesh/ 13-Apr-2011

The annual conference of the branch managers of Sonali Bank Limited (SBL) was held in Rangpur yesterday.

Rangpur Divisional General Managers’ Office organised the conference at the ASOD training centre with AFM Ali Asgar, DGM (Incharge) of the bank in the chair, said a press release.

Md. Humayun Kabir, managing director and chief executive officer of the bank attended the conference as the chief guest while general manager of Rajshahi Divisional Hassan Iqbal attended as the special guest.

DGM of Rangpur Shahidul Islam, AGM of Kurigram ATM Ekramul Haque, AGM of Gaibandha M Abdus Samad, AGM of Nilphamari M Gous- Ul Azam Chowdhury and AGM of Rangpur Corporate Branch M Zaoadul Karim were present.

Branch manager of the bank from all the five districts of greater Rangpur and senior officials of the bank took part in the conference that evaluated the business progresses and achievements of all regions till February last.

The senior bankers called upon the SBL officials to quicker digitization of all branches and achieving the fixed business targets, realizing classified loans and increasing investments in the potential sectors including SME.

News: Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ Mar-19-2011

Social Islami Bank Limited (SIBL) launched new deposit schemes for its clients in Chittagong. SIBL announced the launching of five new deposit schemes at a press briefing and view exchange meeting at a local hotel in the port city on Friday evening. At the meeting, SIBL managing director Mohammad Ali elaborated on the schemes titled, `Sonali Din’, `Shapner Shiri’, ‘Sammriddhir Sopan’, `Shacchanda Pratidin’ and `Shukher Thikana’. SIBL introduced the schemes with the slogan `Shadinatar chetonai amader nibedan, amader sheba’ to encourage low income people in savings, Mohammad Ali said.

News: Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ Mar-20-2011

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has signed cooperation agreements with two training providers in Bangladesh to deliver the IFC Business Edge training for small and medium enterprises.

Windmill Education Services Limited and SEBA Ltd signed the agreement to offer Business Edge training in Bangladesh, said a press release.

Ian Crosby, manager, IFC Advisory Services Bangladesh signed the agreement on behalf of IFC, while Reazuddin Mosharaf, MD of WESL and Ratna Amin Shoma, executive director of SEBA signed on behalf of their organisations.

IFC Business Edge is the brand name for the Corporation’s international range of management training products for small and medium enterprises, the press release said adding: “It is a comprehensive training programme that includes 51 management courses in five topics: marketing, human resources, production and operations, finance and accounting, and personal productivity skills.”

News: Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ Mar-15-2011

Mutual Trust Bank Ltd (MTB) recently launched "Privilege Banking", an exclusive service for its premium clients, as part of the bank’s affluent value strategy.

MTB Founding Chairman Syed Manzur Elahi launched the new banking platform during a ceremony at MTB Centre in the city’s Gulshan on Sunday, said a press release. ‘Privilege Banking’ is an upscale banking platform for high net worth customers. The bank launched the service with three major value propositions----privileged service, privileged benefits and privileged lifestyle. Clients under this package will enjoy services from separate offices with dedicated relationship managers. MTB Managing Director and CEO Anis A. Khan, Deputy Managing Directors---Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, Md. Hashem Chowdhury, Md. Ahsan-uz Zaman, Head of Business(Retail Banking) Gazi Yar Mohammed and other senior officials of the bank, were present at the function.

News: Daily Sun/ Bangladesh/ Mar-15-2011