The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Bank yesterday asked the four state-owned commercial banks (SCBs) to recruit the required manpower immediately to improve their performance.

At a meeting with the Chairmen of the SCB's central bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed also asked them to give importance on reducing the default loans and going for online banking.

Chairmen and Managing Directors or CEOs of Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali banks were present at the meeting. This was the first meeting with the chairmen after the banks' corporatisation.

Sources said the meeting laid emphasise on quick completion of the recruitment process to appoint 2,000 executives, 500 each in the four banks, as the SCBs were suffering from acute manpower shortage.

They said written test of the recruitment process by the Bankers' Recruitment Committee (BRC) of Bangladesh Bank has already been completed.

"The four banks can be competitive in the market through improving their efficiency and services to the clients," the Governor told reporters.

He said the central bank has long been trying to bring down

the lending rates of the private commercial banks, but it would have been better to bring down the lending rates through competition.

The SCBs can be in the competition race through improving their efficiency and services as they have already lower rate of interest.

Replying to a question, Dr Salehuddin said the central bank would consider relaxing gradually the restrictions on the SCBs loan exposure with the gradual improvement of their performance.

He said the banks have been asked to expedite the default loan recovery drive through pursuing the cases pending with the courts.