I am pleased to learn that Banking Almanac: Banks and Financial Institutions of Bangladesh 2017 is going to be published by the Weekly ShikkhaBichitra for the second time in Bangladesh. Detailed Information relating to products and services offered by banks and financial institutions were not duly focused in a consolidated and comparative form earlier. Against this backdrop, publication of Banking Almanac is a milestone and will usher in more editions in the future.

The financial system of Bangladesh comprising of commercial and specialized banks and financial institutions is flourishing and expanding fast .The financial sector of Bangladesh has a crucial role in this development journey. It is notable that banks and financial institutions in Bangladesh have been contributing greatly to the economic development through mobilizing savings, promote trade and investment, facilitating government’s agenda of building a digital nation, and finally, broadening financial services to reach out to the marginalized population through promotion of innovative financial services.

The publication of Banking Almanac will facilitate easy access to required data with much needed information on comparable benefits and costs, for its beneficiaries and users, both at home and abroad. Individual institution would be able to assess and evaluate their strengths & weaknesses to chalk out their own strategies to maintain their respective position and evolve new strategies to face the challenges in the fast changing economic landscape.

I am confident that the main sectors of the economy, especially, the manufacturing and services sectors and trade and commerce, will be greatly benefitted by the Banking Almanac.

I would like to convey my sincere thanks to the esteemed members of the Editorial Board of the Banking Almanac, Weekly ShikkaBichitra and the publication team for their untiring efforts to make it a success. My sincere gratitude goes to Bangladesh Bank for their support towards the publication of the Banking Almanac.

On behalf of Bangladesh Leasing and Finance Companies Association (BLFCA), I wish success to this publication.

Md. Khalilur Rahman
Chairman