NCC Bank Limited opened its 78th branch with online facility at Maijdee, Noakhali on Tuesday.

Vice Chairman of the bank Md Harunur Rashid MP formally inaugurated the branch as chief guest, said a press release.

Managing director and CEO of the bank Mohammed Nurul Amin presided over the function while directors Mostafizur Rahman and Md Humayun Kabir attended as special guests. Deputy managing director Swapan Kumar Das gave the vote of thanks.

Former lawmaker Fazle Elahi, chairman of Al-amin Group Anwar Mirza, Principal of Noakhali Government College Professor Md Amanat Ullah, senior executive vice president of the bank T M Faruque Chowdhury, local elites, businessmen and clients were also present on the occasion.

Atiur tells BIBM workshop

The Bangladesh Bank is mulling some incentives for the banks which would go for green financing and those would be considered as their corporate social responsibility (CSR), said the central bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman.

He also called upon the bankers to finance more in environment-friendly projects and go green in their in-house operations.

“Greening of mind first is a pre-requisite to green financing,” Atiur said while inaugurating a workshop for the bankers on “Policy and Strategy of Green Banking in Bangladesh” at Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) auditorium in the capital yesterday.

According to CSR guidelines issued by the BB, financing to effluent treatment plants (ETP) has already been included to its as CSR, Governor told bankers who gathered for preparing a regulatory framework for green banking.

“We’re trying out a participatory monetary policy that would ensure financial inclusion like people’s access to finance and green banking is not out of that policy,” said Atiur.

For a faster and steady economic growth, the BB is emphasising on green banking approach for an eco-friendly and sustainable development, Atiur also said adding that the BB is relentlessly working for framing a strategic plan to that end.

This might not be a task for the central banks of developed countries, but these are very crucial for Bangladesh as BB’s main focus is on economic development, he further added.

“Our all activities ultimately tell upon our environment and the BB took some initiatives in this regard as it wants to minimise those environmental hazards,” he also said adding “We’re not only instructing the scheduled banks to introduce energy efficient technologies but we also established a solar panel at BB headquarters.”

“Automation is equally important for the banks in reducing paper uses for a greener environment,” he also told the bankers.

He suggested that banks should seriously keep in mind the environmental issues while financing to any industrial projects.

Former BB Governor and founding chairman of BIBM AKN Ahmed attended the function as special guest. Director of BIBM Ahsan Habib and BB executive director Md Jahangir Alam presented papers on green banking at the workshop presided over by BIBM director general Toufic Ahmad Choudhury.

Source: Daily Sun

Razzak tells while opening MTB branch in Tangail

Minister for Food and Disaster Management Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzak, MP said that banking services must reach the rural areas of the country, where the common people reside.

He was addressing as the chief guest while inaugurating a SME/Agri branch of Mutual Trust Bank Ltd (MTB) at Dhanbari, Tangail on Tuesday.

Governor of the Bangladesh Bank Dr Atiur Rahman addressed the function as the guest of honour.

Dr Atiur Rahman said that banks in the country should expand their branch networks in rural areas of the country to have a balanced development of the economy, and, in this regard, Bangladesh Bank will provide all kind of support.

Among others, MTB Group chairman Samson H Chowdhury, managing director and CEO Anis A Khan and other senior officials of the bank were present at the event. A large number of leading businesspersons, customers, local elite, journalists and dignitaries attended the function.

“MTB is keenly interested to serve the underserved and un-served segment of the society with the wide spectrum of its products and services to augment economic development of the country and opening of a branch at Dhanbari is a manifestation of this endeavor.” said Samson H Chowdhury.

Anis A Khan said: “As part of its financial inclusion program, MTB has already introduced several products for agriculture, SMEs, women entrepreneurs etc and extended credit facilities to a large number of borrowers in these sectors, and the programme will be broadened in the days to come.”

Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzak, MP, Governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr Atiur Rahman, seen at inauguration of a SME/Agri branch of Mutual Trust Bank Ltd at Dhanbari, Tangail Tuesday.

Source: Daily Sun

Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman yesterday said the Bangladesh Bank has taken steps to turn all its activities IT based, while it CID activities would go online within next month.

All banks would also start mobile banking systems in a broader way within next two to three months, he expected.

Dr Atiur Rahman was addressing as the chief guest a roundtable titled “Financial Inclusion and Impact of ICT” organised jointly by NeoSTAR Alliance and Bank Al-falah Ltd at the National Press Club VIP lounge.

Parliamentary standing committee chairman on Post and Telecommunication Ministry Hasanul Huq Inu addressed as special guest.

Dr Atiur Rahman said: “It is the time to reach at the doorsteps of poor rural people, and it is the IT solution only that can do it. I always support the partnership between mobile phone companies and banks as they can play a vital role in this acts.”

He called upon the banks to increase their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and provide loan to the poor farmers including women farmers.

Praising the effectiveness of the farmers account, that was opened just for Tk 10, he called upon the banks to provide one per cent more interest from the normal interest rate to encourage the farmers for savings. He also informed that the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has already exempted those accounts from tax coverage.

“We need to focus on marginal people who have no access to banking service. But we have nationwide mobile network coverage that we can utilise to spread the banking service at the doorsteps of the rural people,” he added.

Hasanul Haq Inu stressed on the need for removing social injustice in order to improve broader IT services in the country. According to International Labour Organisation (ILO) data, ICT implementation in various financial sectors might reduce 50 per cent operating cost, he mentioned.

“Technology has no alternative to achieve financial inclusion. But proper knowledge and capacity building is essential to reach the ultimate destination,” Inu said adding they would recommend the government to change necessary law for expansion of ICT activities in the country.

He sought recommendations from the related authority including banks and IT companies on what kinds of changes are needed with the law for the development of ICT uses.

Speakers of a roundtable yesterday said the country was moving forward towards development.

“It’s the time to implement mobile and IT solution system for better financial inclusion. Mobile banking is one the key component in this respect,” they said.

The goal of the event was to bring financial institution, technology companies and software solution developers at the same platform to critically analyse the profound impact of financial inclusion on emerging economy.

President of Association of Mobile Telecom Operators in Bangladesh (AMTOB) president Zakiul Islam presented the key note paper at the programme moderated by Habibullah N Karim, MD and CEO of Technohaven.

Zakiul Islam said the country in the past failed to introduce mobile service system in the financial sector for tough law but the present government has taken initiatives.

He said at present only 7 to 10 per cent of the people are getting banking services in the country, while 35 to 40 per cent people have access to mobile phone. So, banks can avail such a grate opportunity, he added.

Top officials from banks, mobile network operators, technology companies, and universities also took part at the discussion.

Source: Daily Sun

Bangladesh Bank yesterday asked commercial banks to set up CSR desks in their offices.

The desks will update the BB on the banks' corporate social responsibility activities.

“The banks are required to have a separate contact point to maintain proper communication with all concerned,” the central bank said.

Source: The Daily Star