The Yearly Management Conference-2011 of The Premier Bank Limited was held a city hotel Westin in the city on Saturday.

Dr HBM Iqbal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank was present at the occasion as chief guest while vice chairman BH Haroon, MP and former AMD Md Mokhlesur Rahman was present as special guest, said a press release.

Niaz Habib, managing director of the bank presided over the conference. director’s Moin Iqbal, Shah Mohammad Nahyan Haroon, Md Imran Iqbal, Kazi Abdul Mazid, additional managing director Abu Haniff Khan, all branch managers along with all division heads were the key participants on the occasion.

News: Daily Sun/Bangladesh/24 Jan 2011

The prize distribution ceremony of first Dutch-Bangla Bank-BAF Golf Tournament-2011 was held at Shaheen Golf and Country Club of Patenga in Chittagong recently.

Sponsored by Dutch-Bangla Bank, Shaheen Golf and Country Club organised the tournament, said a press release.

Air Marshal S M Ziaur Rahman, chief of air staff and the president of Shaheen Golf and Country Club, attended the function as the chief guest and handed over prizes among the winners.

News: Daily Sun/Bangladesh/24 Jan 2011

Small investors Sunday urged the government to take "immediate" steps to bring back traders' confidence, which has shattered after the tempest in the stock market.  They also demanded the closure of the capital market unless atmosphere in bourses is back to normal. The demand came at a press briefing by Bangladesh Share Investors' Association (BSIA), a platform of small investors, in the city, where stock traders placed a 15-point demand. Share trading on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) was halted since Thursday following a 600-point fall in five minutes in share prices. Anarchy reigned in the city's financial district Motijheel, where law enforcers had to clash with thousands of retail investors and riot police. The investors censured the circuit breaker system for its failure to stabilise the market and said the procedure should be stopped because the DSE authorities are not well-equipped to handle it.

"The government must take proper steps to bring back investors' confidence as early as possible," BSLA convener Mizan-Ur-Rashid Chowdhury said. He said that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and DSE had invited investors to invest in the market. "But now gamblers and vested quarters plundered our money like pick-pockets. We didn't expect that the 96-like debacle will be staged again," he added. The investors sought measures to ensure participation of traders in each meeting before taking any stock market-related decision. They also demanded cancellation of share trading session that took place on January 20 as it crossed the index circuit breaker limit of 225 points by hitting at 600 point. The leaders of the organisation also raised questions about the responsibility of merchant banks, institutional investors and state-owned investment bank - ICB as they acted like small investors when the market had consecutive fall.

"The market has become unstable due to the conspiracy by a vested quarter," BSLA co-convener M Zihad Jahangir Alam said. He urged the authorities to investigate into BO accounts transacted over the last 30 days to find out whose accounts traded "unusually". "Punitive action must be taken against those who are responsible for the recent market crash," he said. The grouping's other demands include cancellation of the premium system in any IPO and withdrawal of all cases filed against general investors.

News: Financial Express/Bangladesh/24 Jan 2011

When the whole country is shaking with the freezing cold of Winter, when poor people are fighting the biting cold, Prime Bank Limited distributed blankets to the winter stricken people of Domar and Dimla upazilas of Nilphamari and Boda Upazila of Panchagarh district at this vital moment.

UNO of Domar Upazila Abu Raihan Miah, former banker Md Rashidul Hasan and Principal of the Women Degree College Shahidul Islam, former lawmaker NK Alam Chowdhury and Dimla Upazila PIO Majibar Rahman, UNO of Boda Upazila Md Sarwar Alam, chairman of Jholoi Shalshiri Union Parishad Shamsuzzaman, Vice-President of the bank Md Afzal Hossain and head of Thakurgaon SME branch Mohd Taheruzzaman accompanied by the Prime Bank's officers of the head office Marketing Division distributed the blankets among the distressed people.

News: Financial Express/Bangladesh/24 Jan 2011

Southeast Bank Limited signed a participatory agreement with Bangladesh Bank at the head office of the central bank to avail of refinancing facility for Small and Medium Enterprises Financing on Sunday. Mr. Mahbubul Alam, Managing Director of Southeast Bank Limited and Mr Sukamal Sinha Choudhury, General Manager, SME & Special Programs Department of BB signed the agreement on behalf of respective sides. Mr. Md. Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank presided over the meeting.

Through this agreement Southeast Bank will be able to avail refinancing facility from an ADB supported fund amounting USD 95.00 million equivalent to Tk 6.67 billion. Bangladesh Bank has been entrusted with the responsibility to administer the fund. The fund will help Southeast Bank to widen and expand its SME lending program in rural and semi urban areas at a subsidized rate.

Senior officials of SME and Special Programs Department of Bangladesh Bank attended the ceremony. From Southeast Bank Mr. Mohammed Gofran, Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Panu Ranjan Das, Vice President, Mr. M.M. Khaled Omar, Senior Assistant Vice President & Head of SME, Mr. Donald Rosette, Assistant Vice President and Head of R&D were also present.

Source: Financial Express/Bangladesh/24 Jan 2011