Operation and lending activities of Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) should be more transparent and accountable for restoring
farmers-friendly banking services in the greater interest of boosting agricultural production in the country’s northwest region. Besides, the bank should render its services for increasing the qualitative and quantitative credit flow towards the potential fields in the region for bolstering its agro-based economy for the sake of sustainable livelihood development of the farmers.
Speakers made these observations while addressing the installation ceremony of newly elected Collective Bargaining Agency (CBA) of the bank at Rajshahi Medical College Auditorium in Rajshahi on Saturday.
Mayor of Rajshahi AHM Khairuzzaman Liton addressed the session as the chief guest laid emphasis on intensifying the bank’s activities to supplement the government’s effort to expand social safety net and ensure poverty reduction and food security.
“We have no way but to boost up agriculture production for more income generation and to reduce dependence on import,” he said, adding that the RAKUB has a vital role to play in this regard.
Besides, he viewed that most of the agricultural sectors and its sub-sectors especially poultry, fishery and livestock should be enriched through bringing the sectors under quality credit support. “You should render yours services for increasing the qualitative and quantitative credit flow towards the potential fields for bolstering the region’s agro-based economy for the sake of sustainable livelihood development of the farmers,” he reminded.
He said pro-farmers banking in the specialised bank must be ensured for cherished development of the region after the best use of its existing natural resources.
The meeting discussed on how to make the bank’s operational and commercial activities more dynamic through strengthening the credit support for both farm and non-farm prospective fields.
To this end, the services must be reached to the doorsteps of the farmers to help them derive benefits from the services side by side with making the services free from all sorts of corruption and irregularities.
Chairman of the bank Prof Dr Shah Newaz Ali, Managing Director Pradip Qumar Dutta, Directors--Khandaker Jahangir Kabir Rana and Dr Rustam Ali Ahmed and Chairman of BMDA Advocate Nurul Islam Thandu also spoke on the occasion as special guests with CBA President Sheikh Towfique Elahi in the chair.

  News: The Independent/ Bangladesh/ 27th Mar 2012

FIC Bank has donated Tk 500,000 to the Biswa Shahitya Kendra for purchasing books.

A chaque was handed over to President and Chief Executive of the Kendra Prof. Abdullah Abu Sayeed at a simple ceremony at the Kendra at Bangla Motor on Tuesday.

Directors of the bank Dr. Mohammad Ali Khan, Managing Director Mohammad Abdullah and Deputy Managing Director (Business) Mati-ul Hasan attended the function.

Member of the Board of Trustee of the Kendra Mahbub Jamil and senior officials from both sides were present.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 27th March 2012

The 112th branch of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited was opened at Court Road in Brahmanbaria district town recently.

The branch will provide on-line banking facilities to the clients from the opening day, said a press release.

KS Tabrez, Managing Director of the bank, formally inaugurated the new branch.

While addressing the inaugural function, KS Tabrez said DBBL has been providing a wide range of banking products and financial services to its retail and corporate customers. The bank has also started mobile banking operation, first of this kind in the country, to reach banking services to the door steps of the millions of rural people, he added.

DBBL has a wide variety of delivery channels like ATMs, fast tracks services to over 1.9 million customers across the country.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 27th March 2012

Syed Manzur Elahi, executive board member of International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICCB) attends a workshop on credit risk management in Dhaka yesterday. Mamun Rashid, dean of BRAC Business School; Johnson Chang, chief risk officer of HSBC Bangladesh, and Ataur Rahman, secretary general of ICCB, were also present.

Bangladesh economy presently stands at $100 billion and this could have been double to $200 billion with better management of fund by the commercial banks, said a former caretaker government adviser yesterday.

The credit risk management by the banks is significantly important as they are utilising public money for providing credit for investment, said Syed Manzur Elahi, also the chairman of Apex Group.

Elahi spoke at the inaugural session of a workshop on credit risk management organised by International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh in the capital, the chamber said in a statement yesterday.

He said the rate of non-performing loans of the state owned banks are the highest followed by private commercial banks and foreign banks. As a result, liquidity gets affected, ultimately hampering investment in development project by the banks, he said.

Elahi appreciated the Bangladesh Bank manual of credit risk. He said the manual is very comprehensive and if properly followed will definitely reduce credit risk.

It will also help better management of fund, he said. Elahi further suggested that Bangladesh Bank should build up more professional capacity and increased manpower to monitor the risk provided by the banks.

He, however, feared that it will be difficult for the central bank to monitor liquidity closely as more banks are coming in the near future.

Mamun Rashid, dean of BRAC Business School and chairman of ICC Bangladesh Standing Committee on Banking, Technique and Practices, emphasised the need for appropriate tools and mechanism to mitigate credit risk management.

Johnson Chang, credit risk officer of HSBC Bangladesh and resource person of the workshop, and Ataur Rahman, ICCB secretary general, also spoke.

The Daily Star/Bangladesh/ 25th March 2012

Southeast Bank Limited has donated Tk 1 million to Dhaka University (DU) recently.

The Bank has donated the amount for celebrating the 46th Convocation ceremony of Dhaka University, said a press release.

Shahid Hossain, Deputy Managing Director of Southeast Bank Limited handed over the cheque to the Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University.

Among others, Muhammad Shahjahan, company secretary of Southeast Bank was present on the occasion.

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 25th March 2012