BASIC Bank Limited has organised a workshop titled “Green Banking and Environmental Risk Management” at the Bank’s head office in the city on Saturday.

Md Shahabad Doza, Deputy Managing Director of the Bank was present the workshop as chief guest, said a press release.

Khondkar Morshed Millat, Joint Director of Bangladesh Bank presented the key-note paper at the function.
Among others, Kurban Ali, Deputy General Manager of BASIC Bank and loan officials of 47 branches of the Bank were participated at the workshop.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 12th Feb 2012

Bangladesh Bank Gove rnor Dr. Atiur Rahman has urged the banks and financial institutions as well as the affluent segment of the society to come forward to help the poor and meritorious students.

He said the key to sustainable development of a country like Bangladesh lies with only developing the human resources and the very first step of which is education.

Keeping this in view to face the challenges of the 21st century the present government has given utmost priority in building knowledge-based and digital Bangladesh as well as developing human resources in the overall development programme, Governor added.

The Governor said this while addressing a function on distribution of education scholarship organised by the Southeast Bank Foundation at the Institute of Diploma Engineers (IDEB) on Saturday.

Dr. Atiur also stressed on nurturing the talent of youths mentioning that they will be the driving force of booting economic growth in the future.

Praising the Southeast Bank Foundation’s initiatives Governor said such step will play significant role in ensuring entrance in all stages of education and also in building a knowledge-base and organised society.

Southeast Bank Foundation has taken an initiative to implement a long term education scholarship programme since 2009 under which it has provided stipends to 582 students in 2010-11 and so far it has provided stipends to a total of 1263 students till 2011.

Governor has advised the students to study well aiming to turn into skilled human resources as well as asset for the country.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 12th Feb 2012

The newly-appointed 64 assistant directors of Bangladesh Bank start countrywide field-level inspection today (Sunday) with a view to bringing transparency, accountability and pace in banks’ agriculture and SME credit disbursement programme as well as achieve loan disbursement target.

The assistant directors in 28 groups will inspect farm and SME credit disbursement programme in 56 upazilas of 28 districts across the country.

The BB officials, who are now receiving training, will collect data and find out problems and explore possibilities during the field-level visit that will continue till February 23, said the BB spokesperson on Saturday.

The BB teams will talk to the farmers, and small and medium entrepreneurs, listen to their problems, explore possibilities and visit rural bank branches during the tour, he said.

The districts include Jamalpur, Narsingdi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Sherpur and Moulvibazar apart from the districts that have rural economic bases.

The central bank thinks such initiative would help ensure successful implementation of agriculture and SME loan programme and create awareness among the small and medium entrepreneurs.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 12th Feb 2012

Managing Director of Export Import Bank of Bangladesh Limited (Exim Bank) M Farid Uddin Ahmad addressing the customers and well-wishers of Mirpur branch of the Bank in the city recently.

Additional Managing Director Mohammad Haider Ali Miah, Deputy Managing Directors Abdul Latif Barbhuiyan and M Sirajul Islam were also present. Member of Paliament from Nilphamari-1 Zafar Iqbal Siddiqi also spoke on the occasion.

The Financial Express/Bangladesh/ 10th Feb 2012

The Reserve Bank on Thursday said companies incorporated in China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran and Afghanistan will have to seek its permission to set up branch or liaison offices in India as general permission granted to entities of other nations will not apply to them.

“It is clarified that the general permission accorded in terms of the November 15, 2003 guidelines is subject to the adherence to the provisions of Regulation 4 (dealing with restrictions on setting up branch offices) ... dated May 3, 2000, along with their specified conditions,” the RBI said. 

As per the RBI guidelines, “... no person, being a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran or China, shall establish in India, a branch office or a liaison office or a project office or any other place of business by whatever name called, without the prior permission of the RBI”. 

The central bank had in 2000 barred citizens from the six neighbouring countries from opening any place of business in India under the Foreign Exchange Management (Establishment in India of Branch or Office or other Place of Business) Regulations, 2000. 

Subsequently, in guidlines released in 2003 the bank had granted general permission to a foreign entity for setting up a project office in India subject to certain conditions. Foreign companies were allowed to open project office if they have secured from an Indian firm a contract to execute a project in India and if the project is funded by inward remittance from abroad. 

Besides, permission was granted if the project is funded by a bilateral or multilateral international finance agency or if the project has been cleared by an appropriate authority. Overseas firms were allowed to open project office if a company or entity in India awarding the contract has been granted term loan by a public financial institution or a bank in India for the project. 

The Daily Independent/Bangladesh/ 10th Feb 2012