Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - Members of the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) have urged the central bank to allow them to hold their board meeting in the port city Chittagong alongside the capital Dhaka.
The appeal was made at a meeting with senior officials of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) at the central bank headquarters in Dhaka on Sunday with BB Governor Fazle Kabir in the chair.
Chairmen of the private commercial banks (PCBs) informed the meeting that most directors of the PCBs are now living in both Dhaka and Chittagong cities.
The BAB also urged the central bank to review the number of board meetings and the branch-expansion policy at the meeting for faciliting their business activities.
BAB Chairman Nazrul Islam Majumder led its 32-member delegation at the meeting.
“We’ve assured the BAB members of taking necessary measures after examining their proposals,” a senior BB official told BBN in Dhaka after meeting.
He also said different issues were discussed at nearly two-hour long meeting.
Under the existing branch policy, the ratio of urban and rural bank branches has to be 1:1 or as per instructions issued by the BB from time to time.
Earlier on April 30, 2014, chairmen of the new nine PCBs urged the central bank for relaxation of the branch expansion policy maximum for three years allowing them 2:1 ratio instead of the existing 1:1 for opening urban and rural bank branches.
The chairmen also proposed that the bank branches located at ‘B’ category municipality areas could be considered as rural branches.
They also requested the BB for allowing more bank branches in the capital Dhaka to facilitate their businesses.
BBN/SSR/AD