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Sonali Bank goes for market based banking: Plans to improve client services, introduce new products like ATM booth

BUSINESS REPORT

The top management of Sonali Bank Limited (SBL) is working hard to change the mindset of the bank's executives to concentrate on market-based banking system instead of traditional banking.

The newly made public limited bank eyes on improved client services with one-stop facility having modern interior as well as competitive products, including some new ones, to survive in the highly competitive banking industry.

"The moves are to motivate the bank executives towards providing competitive services to the clients as well as to prepare for adopting new products," a senior executive of the bank said yesterday.

SBL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director SA Chowdhury launched the move on February 6, with the branch managers' conference of Dhaka Division.

Chowdhury also had similar conferences in Sylhet, Rajshahi and Chittagong divisions while Deputy Managing Director Mohammed Humayun Kabir started visiting Khulna and Barisal divisions from yesterday (Monday).

All these are part of the bank's efforts to bring changes in operation following its conversion into a public limited company from a nationalised commercial bank.

The campaign began within two weeks after Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam and Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed instructed the bank at its Annual Conference 2008 to improve efficiency in all aspects, including services, to be competitive.

"The bank will ensure improved services to the clients through a massive reform. It has already introduced one-stop service," the bank's CEO told an exchange of opinion meeting with businessmen and bank clients in Chittagong on February 20.

During the campaign, he instructed his colleagues in the bank to make special efforts to recover overdue loans, which now stand at around 30 percent of the total outstanding loans, through close supervision of the loan cases.

SA Chowdhury also directed the bank officials to ensure prompt disbursement of remittances to the beneficiaries, expedite agriculture credit disbursement to achieve the yearly target and also to increase the SME loans.

He called upon the bank executives to make sincere efforts "right from this moment" to achieve the SBL's business goal for the year 2008.

A senior executive of Sonali Bank said the bank is scheduled to inaugurate its first ATM both in Dhaka on March 3 as part of its endeavor to offer new products.

He said the bank is also going to introduce by April this year deposit pension schemes for rural people and consumer credit scheme for the primary and high schoolteachers, who draw salary through the SBL.

The bank also plans to introduce "very competitive" one-month deposit scheme, and a new deposit scheme for the non-resident Bangladeshis (NRBs), the bank executive added.

StanChart holds HR seminar on fresh graduates

ECONOMIC REPORTER

Standard Chartered Bank hosted a Human Resources Seminar titled 'Common Attributes Employers Look for in Fresh Graduates: Is it you we are looking for?' as part of the Corporate Bazaar event held at Dhaka recently. The seminar was held in Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Centre in a bid to create a common platform between the corporate world and graduating students. This was the first of its kind in Bangladesh and provided an excellent networking platform between leading universities of the country and the industry.

Sandeep Mookharjea, Head-HR, Standard Chartered Bank, Professor Dr. M Z Mamun, Director, Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University, Asif Zaman, Head of HR Division, Huawei Technologies Bangladesh, Suman Bhattacharjee, General Manager, HR Division, Cairn Energy, Emad-UI-Amin, Director, HR, Grameenphone, Arif Shahriar, Head of Group HR, Rahim Afrooz were the panelists at the seminar.

Ms. Naila Chowdhury, Group Director at Aamra companies moderated the seminar. In the same Sandeep highlighted the International Graduate and Management Trainee programme in Standard Chartered Bangladesh and impressed upon students the pre-requisties to be successful in the corporate world.

The seminar which was in the format of a panel discussion discussed important HR related issues amidst an impressive turnout of almost 200 people including noted HR personalities, BBA and MBA students and teachers. There was a Q&A session which turned out to be extremely interesting. It covered issues such as HR practices, corporate culture, career objective to topics such as how to face an interview, how to prepare a convincing CV, how to plan for a desirable career in a proper way, what are the requirements of a leading corporate house, what value sets they might expect from its employees etc.

Farhana, a business graduate from North South University and attendee to the seminar said "This seminar provided me and my friends with a rare opportunity to inquire from people who know best; I myself am confident that' will be better prepared for an interview in the near future after attending this seminar."

Mumtaz Ahmad Khan of Warid Telecom receives 'Global HR Excellence Award'

ECONOMIC REPORTER

Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, General Manager (Human Resources & Administration) of Warid Telecom in Bangladesh has received prestigious "Global HR Excellence Award 2007-08."

The award was handed over in Asia Pacific HRM Congress held at Mumbai in India during February 12 to 14, 2008. The theme of the Congress was "Emerging Perspective in Human Resources Management" attended by more than 500 delegates from over 60 countries.

The award was given to Khan in recognition of his continuous and consistent professional contributions that he made towards the profession of Human Resource Management over the years, particularly, in telecommunications sector of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Khan has also been awarded Ph.D Degree in Human Resource Development (HRD). Both these successes have come together as an accomplishment at the pinnacle of his professional career.

Taiwanese co to set up branch office in country

Kyang Yhe Delicate Machine Co., Ltd (KY Group), a leading manufacturer of needle loom of Taiwan, has announced its decision to set up a new branch office in Bangladesh, said a press release.

The new KY Group Bangladesh branch will better serve the customers of Bangladesh with local engineering and sales support, it added.

"The KY Bengal branch office will provide Bengali customers with quality and on-site local support, such as engineering service, local sales services and after-sale services," KY's General Manager Stella Sheen said.

"KY is trading services and has been providing quality multi-function needle loom-related equipment and materials. We have decided to bring face-to-face corporate support to Bangladesh to help strengthen our existing relationship and build new ones," Stella Sheen added.

The company believes that to push a new customer to placing an order depends not only on the good brand image but also on building trust between each other, and a skillful technical team, stable sales team, quality equipment, fast response, responsibility, marketing and trade shows are also indispensable factors.

DBBL Smile-Brighter Programme in Sylhet

Under the DBBL Smile-Brighter Programme, Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited organised a 5 day-long plastic surgery operation camp at the bank's own cost at Sylhet Woman's Medical College Hospital in Sylhet district town on February 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23, 2008. A plastic surgery team consisting of 11 members headed by the eminent plastic surgeon Prof. A. J. M. Salek conducted the operation.

About 172 cleft-lipped boys and girls of the poor parents have been enlisted for operation and out of which 105 were successfully operated to bring back enduring smile on their faces at this camp and the rest will be operated very soon.

Dr. Mozammel Hossain Khan, Medical Consultant of Dutch-Bangla Bank visited the operation camp and inquired about the operated cleft-lipped boys & girls on February 21, 2008. Dr. Fazlur Rahman Kaiser, Member, Governing Body and Dr, Tayefur Rahim, Associate Prof. & Head of Anasthesiology, Sylhet Woman's Medical College & Hospital, Mr. Abu Ahmed Siddiquee, Senior Vice President & Manager of DBBL Sylhet Branch, Mr. Abdur Rhman Bhuiyan, Manager of DBBL Moulvi Bazar Branch, Mr. Humayun Kabir, Manager of DBBL Biswnath Branch and Mr. Golam Gaffar Imtiaz Manager of DBBL Golapganj Branch were present at that time.