e_Paper, Monday, July 03, 2017

Over 30m mobile banking
accounts inactive
• Shariful Islam
BUSINESS
The number of inactive mobile
banking account users
has crossed the 31.2 million
mark by May this year, according
to the latest Bangladesh
Bank data.
The central bank data
showed that till May a total of
52.6 million users were registered
with Mobile Financial
Services (MFS). Of them, 21.4
million accounts are active.
Sources said any account
which is not used for three
months is marked down as
inactive while the number of
inactive accounts might shoot
up due to recent actions taken
by the central bank to prevent
the abuse of MFS.
Of the accounts that were
closed, bKash topped the list
of closure.
The central bank lowered
the ceiling of mobile banking
transaction in January this
year along with other several
restrictions intended to bring
about discipline to the sector.
According to the latest
BB directive, a person can
make financial transaction
at a maximum amount of
Tk15,000 twice a day. But the
limit was maximum Tk25,000
per day at three takes.
Now a monthly transaction
of Tk1 lakh is allowed at a maximum
delivery of 10 times.
Previously, the amount was
set at highest Tk1.50 lakh at
the same 10 takes per month.
Besides, the central bank
directed the MFS providers
not to open more than one
account with a single national
identity card and a SIM.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune,
a managing director
related to an MFS operating
bank, said the central banks’
move to stop the abuse of mobile
banking service is the reason
behind the rise of inactive
account users.
BB spokesperson and Executive
Director Subhankar Saha
told the Dhaka Tribune “The
number of inactive account
users might increase as the
MFS providers are following
the central bank’s directive.
“Though the number of active
account users decreases
temporarily, it will bring good
in the long run.”
A central bank report
showed that the total transaction
through MFS was Tk25.47
crore in May while it was
Tk25.02 crore in April.
The daily average transaction
also increased from
Tk834.7 crore in April to
Tk844.07 crore in May. In May,
the amount of the country’s
inward remittance through
MFS was Tk7.56 crore, which
was Tk7.5 crore in April.
At present, a total of 17 of
19 banks that got permission
to run MFS operations are
providing services. Of them,
BRAC Bank’s bKash and Dutch
Bangla Bank’s Rocket topped
the list of service providers. •
Woman raped by father-in-law
• S M Samsur Rahman,
Bagerhat
NATION
A 20-year old housewife has
been reportedly raped by
her father-in-law at Kachua
in Bagerhat while the latter’s
son was out of home.
According to a case filed
by the woman on Saturday,
father-in-law Nazrul Molla
raped her repeatedly on June
SEBL makes Kamal Hossain MD
• Tribune Business Desk
NATION
28, when her husband went
out of home at night.
The woman married off
with Riaz Molla, son of Nazrul
of of Bilkul village ten
months ago, said her fatherin-law
often proposed her for
making illicit relation when
her husband remained absent
in the house.
Around 8.30pm on the
day, when Riaz went out,
Nazrul entered the room and
violated her forcefully by
keeping pillow on the mouth.
Later, she informed the
incident to her husband and
mother-in-law. But they
forced her to leave the house.
Kabirul Islam Molla, officer-in-charge
of Kachua police
station, said Nazrul went
into hiding after the incident.
Police were trying to arrest
him, he said.
The woman had been sent
to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital for
medical test, added the OC. •
M Kamal Hossain has been appointed
as managing director
of the Southeast Bank Limited
recently. As of June 20, he had
been managing director (current
charge) of the bank, said
a press release. He was in the
post since March 29.
M Kamal Hossain joined
the SEBL in November 2003
as vice president. Prior to his
current assignment, he served
as additional managing director
of the bank.
During his years in the
SEBL, he has held the position
of head of branch in a number
of branches of the bank.
Kamal Hossain started his
banking career as a probationary
officer in National Bank
Limited in 1983. He had spent
18 years in National Bank Limited
and served important positions
in different branches
including the head office.
In his 34 years of banking
profession, Kamal Hossain
garnered extensive banking
experience and developed a
wide range of expertise in almost
all areas of commercial
banking comprising import,
export, credit, general banking,
human resource, accounts
etc, said the SEBL.
It said under his visionary
leadership, the SEBL is expected
to evolve as a leading
commercial bank of Bangladesh
with exemplary business
and financial outcomes.
Hossain has acquired BSS
and MSS degrees with distinction
in Public Administration
Department of the University
of Chittagong.
He attended numerous
seminars, workshops and training
programmes at home and
abroad. He visited different
countries including the United
States, United Kingdom,
Switzerland, Germany, France,
Spain, Australia, Canada, Myanmar,
Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand, China, Saudi Arabia,
Oman, Qatar and India. •
News 11
MONDAY, JULY 3, 2017
DT