Farm loan high on agenda at bankers' meet today

Strategies for the next five years, farm loan and banking automation are on top of the agenda for today's meeting of bankers with Bangladesh Bank (BB).
BB Governor Dr Atiur Rahman will chair the meeting, to be attended by chief executives of all banks.
A senior BB official said the other issues to be discussed at the meeting include implementation of BASEL II, strengthening the Dhaka Inter-bank Offered Rate (DIBOR) and setting the country's benchmark interest rate for the financial market.
The meeting will be the second of its kind since Dr Atiur Rahman took charge as governor of the central bank in May this year.
A couple of months ago, the governor initiated the introduction of a five-year strategic plan for the banking sector enabling it to absorb shocks like ongoing global recession.
“Automation of the banking industry is also a priority for the governor,” the central bank official said.
Rahman is well known for his pro-poor stance and is a fervent supporter of widening farm credit. He made farm credit mandatory for all banks.
“Issues over agriculture loans will be discussed at the meeting," said a BB official.