The Bangladesh Association of Banks, a forum of private banks' directors, has donated Tk 163 crore to the Prime Minister's Relief and Welfare Fund.

The chairmen and managing directors of all private banks handed over cheques separately to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at an event on Friday, according to chief executives of a number of banks.

Earlier on April 3, the banks' directors and chief executive officers along with their spouses attended a tea party at Gono Bhaban upon the prime minister's invitation.

BAB Chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder could not be reached for comments.

The BAB circulated a letter to all private banks last month asking the 30 old banks to donate at least Tk 5 crore each and the 10 new banks Tk 1 crore each.

The amounts were given from the banks' corporate social responsibility funds, according to the chief executives.

Exim Bank, whose chairman is Mazumder, donated Tk 11 crore to the relief fund, the highest, while Islami Bank, the country's largest private bank, gave Tk 5 crore, according to the press releases from the two banks.

The banks spent Tk 744 crore from their CSR funds in 2017, Tk 496 crore in 2016 and Tk 527 crore in 2015.

They had provided Tk 85 crore to the prime minister in August last year as support for flood victims.