An emergency meeting of the National Committee on Fake Note Prevention will be held today (Wednesday) at the Bangladesh Bank head office.

The meeting will analyze the information on circulation and use of fake notes as well as determining the steps to prevent the crime.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman will preside over the meeting where others members of the committee including representatives from finance ministry, home ministry, law ministry, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Police, National Security Intelligence (NSI), Bangladesh Police, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) and Court will be present.

BB sources said the latest situation on spreading of fake currency across the country, activities of the gangs behind fake notes, ways to detect criminals, and roles of banks in this regard would be discussed at the meeting.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 15th Feb 2012

Md Nurun Newaz Salim, chairman of NCC Bank, inaugurates the new premises of the Bank’s Choumuhani branch of Noakhali recently.

National Credit and Commerce Bank Limited (NCCBL) has relocated its Choumuhani Branch of Noakhali to new premises.

Md Nurun Newaz Salim, chairman of the Bank, formally inaugurated the new premises as chief guest, said a press release.

Mohammed Nurul Amin, managing director and CEO presided over the inaugural function where Swapan Kumar Das, deputy managing director, Khairul Alam Chaklader, director of the Bank, were also present as special guest.

Mamunur Rashid Kiron, Choumuhani poura mayor, Professor Md Shahid Ullah, pricipal of Choumunahi Govt S A College, local businessmen and elites also attended the function.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 14th Feb 2012

Hafiz Ahmed Mazumder, MP, Chairman, board of directors of Pubali Bank Limited, inaugurates ‘Annual Managers’ Conference-2012’ at Seagull Hotel in Cox’s Bazar recently.

A two-day long ‘Annual Managers’ Conference-2012’ participated by branch managers, regional managers and senior executives of head office of Pubali Bank Limited was held at Seagull Hotel in Cox’s Bazar recently.
The main theme of the annual conference was to motivate the officials to increase Bank ’s business by rendering better services, said a press release.

Hafiz Ahmed Mazumder, MP, Chairman, board of directors of PBL graced the conference as chief guest while Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director presided over the function.

Vice-chairman and director of Pubali Bank Limited Habibur Rahman, directors Moniruddin Ahmed, Sk. Wahidur Rahman, Monzurur Rahman, Syed Moazzem Hussain, Muhammad Faizur Rahman, Ahmed Shafi Choudhury, Fahim Ahmed Faruk Chowdhury, Rumana Sharif, Mustafa Shahriar Ahmed, Musa Ahmed and alternate director Muhammed Kabiruzzaman Yaqub were attended at the managers conference.

Hafiz Ahmed Mazumder MP, chairman and other members of board of directors have inaugurated the “Strategic Planning of Pubali Bank for the period from 2012 to 2016” at the conference.

In his speech Hafiz Ahmed Mazumder emphasized on expansion of foreign remittance business through better customer and modern banking service. He also advised all to work hard, look for new business avenues and adopt diversification and to take concerted efforts for achieving the target fixed for the year 2011.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 14th Feb 2012

Institute of Bankers, Bangladesh (IBB) and Bangladesh Institute Bank Management (BIBM) will jointly honour one of the top banker with the “Kriti Banker 2010” award.

The award will be formally handed over at a ceremony on Wednesday at 4.30 pm at Hotel Purbani in city.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman confer the award attending the ceremony as chief guest while CEO and Managing Director of Sonali Bank Md. Humayun Kabir will preside. Sources earlier said a jury board was formed and five names of senior bankers were nominated for the award.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 14th Feb 2012

All the scheduled banks have revised downward their interest rates against deposit and lending in line with a decision of the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB) to help combat inflation.

ABB, the apex body of the chief executives of the country’s private banks, at a meeting last week advised all private banks to cap their interestrates for deposit at 12.5 per cent and loans for industrial and working capital at 15.5 per cent.

“All the private banks had started following our suggestion from Wednesday (February 8) to re-fix their rates of interest for deposit and lending,” ABB Chairman and Managing Director of NCC Bank Nurul Amin told BSS yesterday. He said necessary directives had also been sent to all banks’ branches across the country so they can follow the suggestion accordingly.

Amin said the ABB decided to reduce the bank rates on request of Bangladesh Bank (BB) to fix a reasonable rate of interest to avoid unhealthy competition among banks to tape deposit and charging more for advances. The central bank also asked the banks to keep the spread (gap between deposit and lending rates) at 5 per cent.

ABB Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Pubali Bank Helal Ahmed Chowdhury said they had reduced bank rates in the greater interest of the economy. “This will help accelerate the trade and investment,” he observed. The ABB earlier took a similar decision, which was not implemented for some reasons, said Helal, but he was confident this time that all the banks would follow the advice.

A central bank official said the cost of credit management is no more than 9 per cent expecting in micro-financing and SME lending.

“Adding 4-5 per cent interest on the credit management cost takes the lending rate not above 15 per cent. So, the banks can comfortably make business even after reducing their lending rate as suggested by the ABB,” he said.

All the banks increased their interest rates against deposit and lending early last month after the central bank lifted the 13 per cent ceiling on the interest rate on all types of bank loans, except for pre-shipment exports and farm loans as they are thrust sectors. The ABB voluntarily reduced the bank rates for deposit and industrial and working capital.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 14th Feb 2012