Zero-tolerance to customer harassment at banks: Atiur

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman yesterday promised a zero-tolerance approach to banks' customer harassments.
The governor's warning came at the launch of the first annual report of the Customers' Interests Protection Centre (CIPC) at the BB headquarters in Dhaka.
“Protecting the interests of the customers and depositors bears great importance to us. We want to see the banking sector more customer-friendly,” Rahman said.
The central bank plans to convert the CIPC to a full-fledged division to help banks serve clients better. Rahman is thinking of including customer satisfaction in the capital, asset, management, earning, liquidity and sensitivity (CAMELS) rating of different commercial banks.
The BB in March 2011 launched a 'help desk' at its office to address complaints of banks' customers. Customers could dial 16236 to get to the help desk which was renamed the CIPC to give it a broader spectrum.
In one year, the CIPC has received 2,151 complaints. Of which, 1,170 were over the phone and 981 in writing. The centre has solved 1,941 complex problems and answered thousands of queries of customers in the past one year (March 11 to March 12), according to the annual report.
The remaining 210 complaints are under investigation, says the report.
Of the complaints, 47 percent are against 30 private commercial banks, 26 percent against four state-owned commercial banks, 15 percent against four specialised government banks, 4 percent against foreign banks and remaining 8 percent against non-banking institutions.
The nature of the complaints dominated general banking followed by non-payments of recognised bills, both local and foreign.
The governor warned the banks saying that the chief executive officer along with the branch manager would be liable for any customer harassment.
“The CIPC is a non-traditional initiative of the central bank. Our officers are trying their best to address numerous complaints and they need help of all stakeholders, including media,” Rahman said.
SK Sur Chowdhury, deputy governor of the central bank, said banks have to change their mindset that customers will go to them. “The reality is that the banks should go to the customers' doors,” he said.
Senior BB officials and representatives of different commercial banks were present.

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