Prime Bank Introduces PrimeAcademia Program

Mutual Trust Bank (MTB)  plans to acquire three bighas (60 khata) of land in Beraid, Dhaka, for constructing its own head office. The bank has applied to Bangladesh Bank for necessary approvals. Financially, MTB reported a consolidated earnings per share (EPS) of Tk 2.91 for the fiscal year 2023, marking a 20.75% increase from the previous year's revised figure of Tk 2.41. The bank's consolidated net asset value per share (NAVPS) stood at Tk 24.52 as of December 31, 2023, up from Tk 21.70 (revalued) in the prior year. MTB distributed a 10% cash dividend for the year, continuing its dividend payout tradition.

The High Court has postponed NRBC Bank's annual general meeting following a writ petition alleging irregularities. The court also instructed the Bangladesh Securities Exchange Commission (BSEC) to explain why its senior officials should not oversee the AGM to ensure transparency.

The number of bank accounts with at least Tk1 crore dropped by 1,018 in the first quarter of 2024, driven by high inflation and the dollar crisis, which increased production costs and reduced business deposits. According to Bangladesh Bank, deposits in these accounts decreased by Tk1,316 crore to Tk740,150 crore by the end of March.

The Bangladesh Bank has eased travel restrictions for bank officials, allowing them to attend crucial business meetings abroad with foreign banks, provided they secure permission from their bank authorities. This marks a slight relaxation of the 2022 policy aimed at reducing dollar spending, which had banned bank-funded foreign travel for training, seminars, workshops, and study tours, while permitting travel for medical treatment, hajj, and fully sponsored professional engagements by foreign agencies.

Bangladesh's fully Shariah-compliant banks disbursed loans amounting to 9.5 times the deposits received in a single month, triggering liquidity issues, as per a Bangladesh Bank report. The ten Islamic banks, including Islami Bank Bangladesh and Social Islami Bank Limited, saw a deposit increase of Tk 449 crore in March, while loans surged by Tk 4,302 crore.

Prime Bank PLC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the British Asian Trust and SAJIDA Foundation at its Gulshan corporate office. This partnership allows Prime Bank to provide funding to support agricultural innovations in Bangladesh that enhance climate resilience.