Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The central bank of Bangladesh has asked the commercial banks to keep their all foreign exchange branches open on Saturdays to facilitate the country’s overall economic activities, officials said.
According to the new directive, a total of 890 foreign exchange branches, official known as authorised dealers (ADs), will remain open on Saturdays until further order.
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Wednesday issued a circular in this connection, and asked the chief executives of all the scheduled banks to keep the branches open.
“We’ve taken the latest move to facilitate the country’s overall economic and business activities,” a senior official of the BB said, adding that the central bank’s cash and public account departments and deposit accounts division will remain open on Saturdays on the same ground.
The official also said the branches of banks at air, sea and land ports are normally opened during two-day weekly holidays to facilitate export and import activities.
The BB’s latest move came following the demand, made earlier by business leaders in this regard. At a meeting with Finance Minister A M A Muhith Tuesday, leaders from the country’s apex trade body and apparel and clothing sectors sought his intervention, among others, in keeping banks and ports open on Fridays and Saturdays.
BBN/SSR/AD-28Mar13-10:07 am (BST)
