Banks donate Tk 25.8cr to PM's fund

Local private commercial banks donated Tk 25.80 crore to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund on Monday, said Nazrul Islam Mazumder, chairman of the Bangladesh Association of Banks or BAB.

As a platform of private banks' directors, BAB asked its members to donate the money,. A total of 35 banks responded to the request.

The chairmen and managing directors of the respective banks handed over the cheques to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Islami Bank Bangladesh gave the highest amount: Tk 2 crore.

First Security Islami Bank, Dhaka Bank, EXIM Bank, Shahjalal Bank, Standard Bank, Prime Bank, NRB Commercial Bank, Social Islami Bank and United Commercial Bank donated Tk 1 crore each.

Other banks excluding new banks that came into the market in 2013 donated Tk 50 lakh each to the relief fund.

Some eight new banks of the nine gave Tk 25 lakh each as they are not doing too well. Midland Bank is yet to be a member of the BAB and did not participate.

Troubled BAB member ICB Islami Bank never participates in such initiatives, while Jamuna Bank could not contribute as its chairman and key directors are out of the country. "This is a big sum of money that needs the board's approval. We'll decide once our chairman is back in Bangladesh," said a top official of the bank.