Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Atiur Rahman has been awarded a certificate of world record by Hong Kong based World Record Association as the central bank Governor undertaking the highest number of pro-poor and financial inclusive programs in the world.
In addition to his mainstream job of ensuring price stability and financial sector viability, he participated in nearly ninety financial inclusive outreach programs mostly in the rural areas over the last three and a half years to facilitate CSR activities; promoting lending to agricultural, SMEs, renewable energy, women entrepreneurs; introducing mobile banking and other financial services to the unbanked and underserved communities.
Forgoing weekend holidays, the central bank chief spent most of his spare time in reaching out to the unbanked people in rural areas. The drive he pioneered for opening no-frill bank accounts with minimal Taka 10 deposits for farmers and extreme poor has improved transparency in government’s agricultural subsidy and social safety net payments.
Net inclusion of nearly half a million sharecroppers in the BB refinanced agricultural lending through the internationally renowned NGO BRAC is yet another significant milestone in his financial inclusion drive.
BBN/SSR/AD-29Nov12-1:40 pm (BST)
