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BANKING SECTOR IN BANGLADESH

Introduction

Number of Banks and Type of Banks

Services: Accounts, Savings, Current, Deposit Scheme, FDR, PDS

Interest Rates on Deposits and Loan (Advances)

Banks at a glance

Introduction
The Jews in Jerusalem introduced a kind of banking in the form of money lending before the birth of Christ. The word 'bank' was probably derived from the word 'bench' as during ancient time Jews used to do money -lending business sitting on long benches.

First modern banking was introduced in 1668 in Stockholm as 'Svingss Pis Bank' which opened up a new era of banking activities throughout the European Mainland.

In the South Asian region, early banking system was introduced by the Afgan traders popularly known as Kabuliwallas. Muslim businessmen from Kabul, Afganistan came to India and started money lending business in exchange of interest sometime in 1312 A.D. They were known as 'Kabuliawallas'.

Number and Types of Banks

The number of banks in all now stands at 49 in Bangladesh. Out of the 49 banks, four are Nationalised Commercial Banks (NCBs), 28 local private commercial banks, 12 foreign banks and the rest five are Development Financial Institutions (DFIs).

Sonali Bank is the largest among the NCBs while Pubali is leading in the private ones. Among the 12 foreign banks, Standard Chartered has become the largest in the country. Besides the scheduled banks, Samabai (Cooperative) Bank, Ansar-VDP Bank, Karmasansthan (Employment) Bank and Grameen bank are functioning in the financial sector.The number of total branches of all scheduled banks is 6,038 as of June 2000. Of the branches, 39.95 per cent (2,412) are located in the urban areas and 60.05 per cent (3,626) in the rural areas. Of the branches NCBs hold 3,616, private commercial banks 1,214, foreign banks 31 and specialised banks 1,177.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) regulates and supervises the activities of all banks. The BB is now carrying out a reform programme to ensure quality services by the banks.

NCBs

PCBs

Specialised Banks

Bangladesh Bank

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has been working as the central bank since the country's independence. Its prime jobs include issuing of currency, maintaining foreign exchange reserve and providing transaction facilities of all public monetary matters. BB is also responsible for planning the government's monetary policy and implementing it thereby.

The BB has a governing body comprising of nine members with the Governor as its chief. Apart from the head office in Dhaka, it has nine more branches, of which two in Dhaka and one each in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Bogra, Sylhet, Rangpur and Barisal.

Nationalised Commercial Banks (NCBs)

Name	Telephone
1. Sonali Bank	9550426-34, 8614588
2. Janata Bank	9560072-80, 9560042-43
3. Agrani Bank	9566153-54, 9566160-69,9555179-80
4. Rupali Bank	9551624-25, 9554122, 9552183-4

Private Commercial Banks (PCBs)

1.Pubali Bank

9569050-2, 9551614-7

2.Uttara Bank

9566067-9,9551162-63, 9565732

3.National Bank Ltd.

9563081-5, 9561201

4.The City Bank Ltd.

9565925-34

5.United Commercial Bank Ltd.

9560585

6. Arab Bangladesh Bank Ltd.

95608878, 9560312-6

7.IFIC Bank Ltd.

9562062, 9563020-29

8.Islami bank Bangladesh Ltd.

9552897,-8, 9563040, 9563046-9

9.Al Baraka Bank Bangladesh Ltd.

9563768-9, 9565031-2

10.Eastern Bank Ltd.

9556371,9556361-2

11.National Credit & Commerce Bank Ltd.

9561902-4

12.Prime Bank Ltd.

9567265-70, 9564677

13.South East Bank Ltd.

9550081-5, 9551575, 9557714, 9551411

14.Dhaka Bank Ltd.

9556587-10, 9556583,

15.Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd.

16.Social Investment Bank Ltd.

9559014, 9554855

17.Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd.

9568537-39

18.Mercantile Bank Ltd.

9559333

19.Standard Bank Ltd.

9667224, 9667802

20.One Bank Ltd.

9564249, 7551799, 9564255-6

21.EXIM Bank

9553925, 9553872, 9566418

22.Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd.

9559831-32, 9668170

23.Mutual Trust Bank Ltd.

9569318, 7113239

24.First Security Bank Ltd.

9560229, 9564733

25.The Premier Bank Ltd.

26.Bank Asia Ltd.

8117055, 8117066

27.The Trust Bank Ltd.

9870011 Extn-4191

28. Shah Jalal Bank Limited (Based on Islamic Shariah)

9556011

Foreign Banks

1.American Express Bank	9561751-52, 9561496-97,
2.Standard Chartered Grindlays Bank	9561465, 9550181-90
3.Habib Bank Ltd.	9551228, 9555091-2, 9563043-5
4.State Bank Of India	9554251,9553371
5.Credit Agricole Indosuez (The Bank)	8111959
6.National Bank of Pakistan	9560248-9
7.Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd.	9563649, 9563650
8.City Bank NA	9550063-64
9.Hanvit Bank Ltd.	8813270-73
10.HSBC Ltd.
11.Shamil Islami Bank Of Bahrain EC	9666701-5
12.Standard Chartered Bank	9561465, 881718-9

Development Banks

1.Bangladesh Krishi Bank	9560021-5, 9560031-35
2.RajshahiKrishiUnnayan Bank
3.Bangladesh Shilpa Bank	9555150-9, 9566114
4.Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Sangstha	9565818,9565046
5.Bank of Small Industries & Commerce Bangladesh Ltd.	9564830, 9658190

Other

1.Ansar VDP Unnayan Bank	8313198, 8322181
2.Bangladesh Samabai Bank Ltd. (BSBL)
3.Grameen Bank	8015755-8
4.Karmasansthan Bank	9563311