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BSS-19
PM-INCENTIVE-BANK
2 specialised banks to get Tk 2500cr to support youths, expatriates: PM
DHAKA, May 14, 2020 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today announced that the government will provide Taka 2000 crore to Karmasangsthan Bank and Taka 500 crore to Probashi Kalyan Bank to help the youths and expatriate Bangladeshis who became jobless amid the coronavirus pandemic.
She also declared that the government will give financial assistance to all mosques and 7,000 more qaumi madrasas across the country before the Eid-ul Fitr.
The prime minister made this announcement while launching the disbursement of Taka 1,250 crore cash assistance among 50 lakh poor families hit hard amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
She said the underprivileged people like hijra (3rd gender) and bede (gypsy) communities will also be provided with financial help.
The prime minister also kicked off the distribution of stipend and tuition fees from her education assistance trust fund among the students of bachelor degree and its equivalent level of 2019 academic year through mobile/online banking.
She said her government during its 1996-2001 term established the Karmasangsthan Bank with an aim so that the youths become self-reliant by taking loan from this bank without any security and at a low interest rate.
“Taka 2000 crore deposit will be given to the bank to increase the amount of loan so that our youth folk do not roam remaining unemployed, rather they can do business by taking more credit from the bank,” she said.
The prime minister said the expatriate Bangladeshis send huge amount of remittance to the country every year. “So, we had founded another specialised bank named Probashi Kalyan Bank so that the people can go abroad by taking loan from the bank instead of selling property,” she said.
“Earlier, we had given Tk 400 crore to the bank and we’re now giving another Tk 500 crore as many Bangladeshis returned home from abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
She went on saying: “They’re citizens of our country and we don’t want that they go through ordeal by staying abroad. If they wish to return home they will come back and that’s why we’ve allocated the money so that they can do something here by taking loan from the bank.”
In this connection, the prime minister mentioned that the people are becoming self-reliant through the Palli Sanchay Bank.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has given financial assistance of nearly Taka 10 crore to 6,865 qaumi madrasas having orphanages across the country ahead of the Ramadan.
“In the second phase, we’ll provide financial support to 7,000 more such madrasas ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr and we’re taking these steps so that the people of any class don’t remain neglected,” she said.
The prime minister said the government will also give financial assistance to all mosques of the country before the Eid.
“We know that the mosques are run with the donation of the affluent people and the mosque committees. But we’ve also a responsibility in this regard. We have asked to prepare a list of the mosques … we’ll give financial assistance to all mosques,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has appointed 2,000 doctors and 6,000 nurses so that the coronavirus-affected people get proper treatment and services.
“Alongside, we’ll recruit more manpower like health technologists and the health ministry has been given instructions in this regard and they’ll asses what types of manpower they need,” she said.
MORE/SH/GA/1523 hrs