Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh (BBN) - Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr. Atiur Rahman on Friday asked the commercial banks for taking the highest cautionary measures so that no one can use the banking channel for terror at financing both at home and aboard.
“You (bankers) have to collect detail information on customers and have to monitor their transactions very closely,” the BB Governor said while inaugurating the conference of Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance officials, generally known as CAMLCO, of the all banks at Cox’s Bazaar in the morning.
Dr. Rahman also said uprising of different militant organizations became a threat for Bangladesh and other countries. “You have to be cautious so that the militants could not finance using the banking channel.”
The central bank chief also instructed the bankers to comply with ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’ provisions properly to check illegal fund transferred.
The BB is working based on the new data base of national identity card prepared by the Election Commission in Bangladesh, Dr. Rahman said, adding that other commercial banks will connect with the central bank’s server immediately to avail the data.
He hoped that such measures will help to comply with KYC provisions properly that will also play an effective role to prevent money laundering activities.
The BB governor also asked the bankers for taking effective measures to comply with the rule and regulations of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) issues properly to check illegal fund transferred.
The onsite visit for the Bangladesh Mutual Evaluation will take place during October 2015 and the Mutual Evaluation Report will be placed to adopt the APG (Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering) annual meeting in 2016, Governor Dr. Rahman informed the conference.
He also said Bangladesh will organize the APG annual meeting.
Bangladesh has already been elected co-chair of the APG, a regional anti-money laundering body, which is a part of the global network for 2018-19.
Among others, Executive Director of the BB and Deputy Head of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) M Mahfuzur Rahman, Executive Director of the BB’s Chittagong office Mizaur Rahman Jodder and General Manager of the BFIU Nasiruzzaman and four CEOs of different commercial banks, both public and private also spoke on the occasion.
More than 100 senior officials and executives of all commercial banks are taking part in the three-day long conference in the beach city of Bangladesh.
BBN/SSR/AD-27Mar15-4:34 pm (BST)