Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– Cash-starved farmers now will be able to open account with the state-owned banks with a nominal deposit of BDT 10, the central bank said on Sunday.

Interested farmers will require national identification card or birth certificate or agriculture card issued by the Department of Agriculture Extension to open the bank accounts.

“We’ve taken the measure aiming to facilitate the country’s agricultural sector,” a senior official of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) said, adding that the farmers would be benefited using such account.

The central bank issued a circular in this connection Sunday and asked the chief executives and managing directors of the state-owned commercial and specialized banks to follow the instruction for opening accounts of the farmers.

The banks have been asked not to impose any restriction on keeping a certain amount of balance with the accounts and realize any service charge on such accounts, according to the circular.

BBN/SS/SI/AD-18January10-12:44 am (BST)