RAKUB to install ATM booths in rural areas

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RAJSHAHI, Jan 9, 2018 (BSS)- Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) ), a state-owned specialized bank, is going to install ATM booths for the first time in rural areas aiming to spread modern banking services to the grassroots people.

“I am very much hopeful about launching the village level booth services within this fiscal year,” said Nazrul Islam, Chairman of RAKUB, while talking to BSS here Saturday.

On successful promotion of the venture, people can avail the scope of drawing money in village atmosphere and any time based on their necessity that will bring a positive change in the rural living and livelihood condition.

He said the bank aims to reach all the modern banking services including online one to the rural people. More than 300 out of total 379 branches of the bank are located in rural areas. This is an advantage of taking the modern services to the peoples’ doorstep quickly and effectively.

Already, computerization process has been completed in all the branches and launching of online and SMS banking is now the matter of time.

“We have set a target of disbursing loan worth Taka 1950 crore and recovering loan of Taka 1800 crore in the current fiscal,” said Nazrul Islam, adding that around Taka 1099 crore was disbursed and Taka 1106 crore was recovered till December last.

As the largest development partner in all 16 northwest districts of Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, RAKUB has been operating its banking activities in the country’s northwest region targeting its agricultural sector and all its sub-sectors.

Listing the various steps adopted to make the bank clients-friendly the RAKUB chairman said the process of loan disbursement has been freed from corruption, harassment and middlemen benefiting the public in general.

Giving salient feature of various fairs he says RAKUB has recovered outstanding loans worth Tk 179 crore, including classified loan of Tk 29 crore, through its Bijoy Mela (Victory Fair). It has arranged the two-day fair in all its 379 branches during December 17-18 last marking the 47th Victory Day.

Apart from recovering loans, the bank distributed loan of Tk 129 crore in various potential sectors, including crops, farmers’ credit, crop-sharing, green banking and dairy and spice farming, he added.

The bank has emerged as a profit making one. It has made operating profit worth Taka 13.29 crore during the last 2016-17 fiscal. “We are expecting profit of more than Taka 50 crore in the current fiscal,” the former bureaucrat added.

To build a poverty-free Bangladesh, he said the bank had enhanced its lending activities in multipurpose potential fields for boosting agriculture production, intensifying food security and flourishing fisheries, poultry and dairy sectors to reduce protein deficiency.

He said the bank has been putting in its level best effort to establish a dynamic leadership along with accountability and transparency in all its activities to earn confidence of the clients.

“We are giving more emphasis to enhance credit flow towards exploring the potential sectors of the region,” Nazrul Islam said adding that the level best effort is on to ensure accountability in all the banking activities.

The bank has formulated a work plan early in the fiscal and sent its direction to the field level in order to transform the bank into a profit- earning institution along with self-reliant.