BB Governor holds close-door meeting with bankers

Bankers after a meeting with Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Fazle Kabir on Sunday said non performing loans as per the first quarter statement of the banks showed to have come down and they hopes it will further come down at the time the second quarter statements will be in hands.
Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) Chairman Syed Mahbubur Rahman after holding the close door meeting with the Governor at BB headquarter, formally told media that they discussed different issues including interest rates on lending, borrowing, private sector credit, development, government borrowing from banks and few others.
He said, "Many of our banks could lower lending deposit rates and many are trying."  The ABB chairman said non performing loans are on decline and hopes it would be at 10 per cent limit within few months.
He said, "We do not feel pressure from any quarter for borrowing and lending at 6 and 9 per cent but due to market force we are trying it as it was promised by our directors."
He said, "There is also another fact that the government told us not pay over six per cent interest on deposits on the government funds."The BB spokes person Sirajul Islam after the meeting said, "It is a regular quarterly meeting and in today's meeting they discussed about different issues."
He said lowering deposit rates to 6 and lending at 9 is not central bank's decision or order. So we have no pressure but bankers told us that they are trying to follow the promise which was made by their directors.
The banks' chief executive officers took part in the meeting.