金融与银行

The financial sector in Bangladesh is continuously evolving towards a more modern and efficient system of finance which is supportive of greater investment and inclusive economic growth. The financial system of Bangladesh consists of The Bangladesh Bank, scheduled banks, non-bank financial institutions, micro finance institutions, insurance companies, co-operative banks, credit rating agencies and stock exchange.

Banking Infrastructure*

Type of Bank                            No.                                              No. of Branches
State owned                              4                                                      3,404
Specialized                               4                                                       1,382
Private                                    30                                                       2,816
Foreign                                     9                                                            62
Total                                        47                                                       7,664

* As of February, 2011

Source:Bangladesh Economic Review-2011 (Bangla version), Ministry of Finance

Investment Freedom

The Foreign Investment Act of 1980 guarantees the right of repatriation of invested capital, profits, capital gains, post-tax dividends, and approved royalties and fees. Foreign firms are able to repatriate funds without much difficulty, provided the appropriate documentation is in order.

Economic Freedom in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s economic freedom score is 53.0, making its economy the 137th freest in the 2010 Index. Its overall score is 3.6 points higher than last year, mainly reflecting improvements in trade freedom and investment freedom. Bangladesh is ranked 29th out of 41 countries in the Asia–Pacific region. Bangladesh has enjoyed impressive economic growth of around 6 percent per year over the past five years, driven mainly by its limited but growing services and industrial sectors

Comparison on economic freedom in Asia Pacific region

source: Index of economic freedom 2012, The Heritage Foundation

Short History of Banking

The banking system at independence (1971) consisted of two branch offices of the former State Bank of Pakistan and 17 large commercial banks, two of which were controlled by Bangladeshi interests and three by foreigners other than west Pakistanis. There were 14 smaller commercial banks. Virtually all banking services were concentrated in urban areas. The newly independent government immediately designated the Dhaka branch of the State Bank of Pakistan as the central bank and renamed it Bangladesh Bank. The bank was responsible for regulating currency, controlling credit and monetary policy, and administering exchange control and the foreign exchange reserves. The Bangladesh government initially nationalized the entire domestic banking system and proceeded to reorganize and rename the various banks. Foreign-owned banks were permitted to continue doing business in Bangladesh.
The insurance business was also nationalized and became a source of potential investment funds. Cooperative credit systems and postal savings offices handled service to small individual and rural accounts. The new banking system succeeded in establishing reasonably efficient procedures for managing credit and foreign exchange. The primary function of the credit system throughout the 1970s was to finance trade and the public sector, which together absorbed 75% of total advances.

The government’s encouragement during the late 1970s and early 1980s of agricultural development and private industry brought changes in lending strategies. Managed by the Bangladesh Krishi Bank, a specialized agricultural banking institution, lending to farmers and fishermen dramatically expanded. The number of rural bank branches doubled between 1977 and 1985, to more than 3,330. Denationalization and private industrial growth led the Bangladesh Bank and the World Bank to focus their lending on the emerging private manufacturing sector.

Bangladesh Bank (BB)

Bangladesh Bank has been working as the central bank since the country’s independence. Its prime jobs include issuing of currency, maintaining foreign exchange reserve and providing transaction facilities of all public monetary matters. Bangladesh Bank is also responsible for planning the government’s monetary policy and implementing it thereby. Bangladesh Bank, which is the designated central monetary authority of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, has a governing body comprising of nine members with the Governor as its chief. Apart from the head office in Dhaka, it has nine more branches, of which two in Dhaka and one each in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Bogra, Sylhet, Rangpur and Barisal.
source: Bangladesh Bank

Scheduled Banks (SB)

Out of 6,562 Scheduled Bank branches operating in the country, up to end December 2006 the nationalised commercial bank’s operate 3,384 branches, of which 2,146 are in rural areas and 1,238 are in urban areas; Scheduled Banks have 1,354 branches of which 1,200 are in rural areas and 154 are in urban areas; Public Commercial Banks have 1,776 branches of which 488 are in rural areas and 1,288 are in urban areas.
source: Bangladesh Bank

Cooperative Banks

In Bangladesh 119 cooperative banks are operating, of which 64 are central cooperative banks, 48 are land mortgage and the rest seven are other cooperative banks. The maximum share of total assets, 90%, is controlled by central cooperatives. Similarly the maximum share deposits (85%) and advances (90%) are handled by the same central cooperatives.
source: Bangladesh Bank

Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB)

The Investment Corporation of Bangladesh was established in 1976 with the objective of encouraging and broadening the base of industrial investment. ICB underwrites issues of securities, provides substantial bridge financing programmers’, and maintains investment accounts, floats and manages closed-end & open-end mutual funds & closed-end unit funds to ensure supply of securities as well as generate demand for securities. ICB also operates in the DSE and CSE as dealers.
source: Investment Corporation of Bangladesh

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was established on 8th June, 1993 under the Securities and Exchange Commission Act, 1993. The Chairman and Members of the Commission are appointed by the government and have overall responsibility to administer securities legislation. The Commission is a statutory body and attached to the Ministry of Finance.
source: Securities and Exchange Commission

Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE)

Dhaka Stock Exchange (generally known as DSE) is the main stock exchange of Bangladesh. It is located in Motijheel- the heart of the Dhaka city and its central business district. It was incorporated in 1954. Dhaka Stock Exchange is the first stock exchange of the country. At the end of March 2010, the amount of all issued capitalize securities and debenture was $8,179m which is 23% greater than the value of June 2009 ($6,611m). During 30th June 2009, the price of all securities of Dhaka Stock Exchange was $18,951m, which has increased by 73% at the end of March 2010 where the value was $32,850m. The share indices of DSE increased by 85%, where the value was $434m on June 2009 and reached to $805m at the end of March 2010.
Dhaka Stock Exchange is a public limited company. It is formed and managed under the Companies Act 1994, Security and Exchange Commission Act 1993, Security and Exchange Commission Regulation 1994, and Security Exchange (inside trading) regulation 1994. According to stock market rule, only members can participate in the floor and can buy shares for himself or his clients. At present it has 238 members.
source: Dhaka Stock Exchange