Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– The central bank has asked the commercial banks to spend at least 30 per cent of their total corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund for educational purpose. 
“We’ve taken latest move will help create a skilled human resource pool in the country,” a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) said, adding that the central bank wants to expand educational activities under the banks’ CSR programs.
The BB issued a circular in this connection and also asked the chief executives of all 47 scheduled banks to submit their half-yearly reports on CSR in a prescribed format within 30 days of the end of half-year.
In recent years, most of the banks have spent large amounts of their respective CSR funds for education purpose. 
Commercial banks together spent a total of BDT 2.18 billion for CSR activities in the last calendar year (2011). The spending was BDT 2.32 billion in 2010 and BDT 550.38 million in 2009, the BB said.
 
BBN/SSR/AD-24May12-7:40 am (BST)