Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Trust Bank Limited, a leading private commercial bank (PCB), plans to finance 5,000 biogas plants across the country by 2015 to boost green banking activities, the bank’s top official said.
“We should emphasise green banking activities for the sake of environment,” said General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, chairman of Trust Bank, a leader in green bank financing.
The bank, which came in first for green financing in 2012, plans to finance the biogas plants to supply clean fuel across the rural homesteads, said Bhuiyan, also the chief of army staff.
The plans were disclosed at a program, held to celebrate the bank’s financing for 1,000 biogas plants, at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel in the capital Dhaka on Saturday, the Daily Star, a local newspaper, reported.
“Bangladesh could be the first green country in the world if we could set up 40 lakh biogas plants,” said Mozammel Haque, chairman of Enterprise Development Company.
Environment and Forests Minister Hasan Mahmud echoed the army chief’s views, urging all commercial banks to increase their green banking activities, at least for the sake of the future generation.
“Our tensions over the environment will be reduced if we could establish at least one biogas plant at every village of Bangladesh,” said Mahmud.
Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman said green banking would ensure a sustainable development path for Bangladesh.
“The central bank will set an agriculture financing limit for all foreign commercial banks to gear up green banking activities,” Rahman said, while praising the green actions of Dutch-Bangla Bank, Eastern Bank, Mutual Trust Bank, HSBC and The Daily Star.
Trust Bank awarded Saleha Begum and Sabur Mia as the most environment-friendly male and female farmers respectively at the event, while Riya Chowdhury was felicitated as the most environment friendly entrepreneur.
BBN/SSR/AD-10Feb13-10:29 am (BST)
