Message

The current Interim Government has started work in all earnest for forward looking comprehensive democratic constitutional reforms, strengthening of the judiciary of Bangladesh, improving the country’s law and order situation, making civil administration of Bangladesh effective and people oriented while at the same time, among many other initiatives, bringing in much needed developments in the country’s education and health system. Restoring the health of the economy of Bangladesh-especially containing inflation, accelerating growth in the real economy and addressing the challenges being faced by the balance of payment of Bangladesh are also receiving priority attention of the Interim Government. The challenges in all these areas are most formidable. But our government is committed to address them seriously which are also the expectations of the people of Bangladesh. We are having a serious look at how our banking and monetary sector should be reformed to serve our priority economic objectives. The banks and financial institutions in Bangladesh are the major components of our financial architecture. We are working to address their challenges unremittingly with proper diagnostic exercises and utilization of most effective and feasible policy options.

I am glad to know that in keeping with past rich traditions, this year also the Bangladesh Banking Almanac is being brought out with a wealth of its data and information on the Banking and Financial Institutions of Bangladesh. This Almanac is a publication of a unique nature that provides in one single volume comparative most recent information which is not available elsewhere. In the context of our current efforts to reform the Monetary and Banking sector, publications of this type can be of great help and the Banking Almanac which has been meticulously prepared for release this year will certainly be of interest to the practitioners, researchers, academicians and above all those who particularly value and benefit from well functioning banks and financial institutions of the country both in Bangladesh and in outside.

I commend the good and timely work of the Board of Editors of the present Almanac and ShikhkhaBichitra and its team for their serious and well researched efforts to bring this Almanac in time with attention being given to the quality of and coverage in its content.