Bangladeshis Spend $4B Overseas on Healthcare

NRBC Bank is supporting disadvantaged communities in char and haor areas through financial services that empower women entrepreneurs with collateral-free loans. At a recent loan disbursement event in Gaibandha, 20 female small entrepreneurs received Tk 50,000 loans at a 7 per cent interest rate.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) fined 21 individuals and firms Tk 134 crore for manipulating shares of Bangladesh Finance and two Orion Group concerns. Tk 70.57 crore was levied for Bangladesh Finance manipulations, with notable fines including Tk 17 crore on Abu Sadat Md Sayem and Tk 9 crore on Sameer Sekander.

Eastern Bank PLC (EBL) has partnered with SOS Children's Villages International in Bangladesh (SOSCV) to provide Tk 0.6 crore in support. The funding will cover medical expenses for all children in the village and vocational training for 100 youths at the SOS Vocational Training Centre in 2025. Ahmed Shaheen, EBL’s additional managing director, handed over the cheques to Md Enamul Haque, national director of SOSCV, at a ceremony at EBL’s head office in Gulshan.

The interim government plans to sell ownership of 32 Beximco Group companies as a solution to ongoing worker unrest over unpaid wages. At a 28 November meeting, Janata Bank was instructed to finalize an Expression of Interest (EoI) for selling "B" category companies, which include 16 textile and garment factories, by 9 December.

Southeast Bank PLC has donated Tk 25 lakh to Sylhet Agricultural University to boost research in the agricultural sector as part of its CSR initiative. The financial aid was presented to Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Alimul Islam at the bank’s Dhaka headquarters.

Radiant Pharmaceuticals Limited (RPL), a leading Bangladeshi healthcare company, is set to acquire a majority stake in Novartis Bangladesh Limited (NBL) by purchasing the 60% share held by Novartis AG, while the state-owned BCIC retains 40%.