Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Ten commercial banks have signed participatory agreement with the Green Banking and CSR Department of central bank Thursday to disburse funds under a revolving re-financing scheme worth BDT 2.0 billion.
General Manager of the Green Banking and CSR Department of the Bangladesh Bank (BB) Abul Mansur Ahmed and chief executives of the commercial banks signed the deal on behalf of their respective organisations on Thursday.
The banks are Sonali Bank, Janata Bank, Agrani Bank, Ruplai Bank, Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Pubali Bank, NCC Bank, Standard Bank, Brac Bank and NRB Bank.
Other 22 commercial banks are expected to sign the same deal with the central bank within this month to expedite financial inclusion programmes through providing loans to BDT 10 account holders, a senior BB official told the BBN. “We’re expecting that the banks will start disbursing the re-financing fund to BDT 10 account holders across the country shortly.”
BB Governor Atiur Rahman, Deputy Governor of the BB SK Sur Chowdhury and others senior officials of the central bank attended at the signing ceremony held at its headquarters in the capital Dhaka.
Earlier on May 14 last, the central bank formed the revolving re-financing fund worth BDT 2.0 billion for strengthening financial inclusion programmes through providing loans to BDT 10 account holders.
As of June 2014, the number of BDT 10 account holders – who are mostly farmers, garment workers and social safety net beneficiaries – stood at more than 14 million.
Earlier on January 17, 2010, the BB asked the state-owned banks to open bank accounts for the farmers with a nominal deposit of BDT 10. Later, different categories of people were included in the programme.
BBN/SSR/AD-22Aug14-1:03 pm (BST)