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DBBL sets CSR benchmark

Sarwar A Chowdhury
Construction works of an 11-storey research centre in between Atomic Energy Commission and Teacher Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University are going on in full swing under the auspices of a CSR initiative of a private commercialbank.
The research centre, first of its kind in Bangladesh, aims to play a vital role in higher study in human and social sciences. Researchers and scholars from home and abroad will be awarded scholarships and fellowships for conducting higher study leading to MPhil and PhD degrees from the centre, which will be supervised by renowned teachers, scholars and researchers.
And here comes the name of the private sector commercial bank in setting up the research centre --'Dutch-Bangla Bank Centre for Advanced Research in Arts & Social Sciences'. The bank, Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd (DBBL), as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) has donated more than Tk 10 crore to Dhaka Dhaka University for constructing the centre.
Since its inception DBBL as a responsible corporate body has been playing a pioneering role in implementing social and philanthropic programmes to help disadvantaged people of the country.
A number of sectors are on the
focus list of the bank. Education, healthcare, human resource development, conservation of nature, creation of social awareness, rehabilitation of distressed people and such other programmes to mitigate human sufferings are some of the important areas where the bank carries out its social and philanthropic activities.
The joint venture commercial bank, which commenced operations on June 3,1996, believes that banking services and CSR are corelated. As the bank dreams of a better Bangladesh, it established Dutch-Bangla Bank Foundation in June 2001 to ensure humanitarian activities like rehabilitation of the destitute and neglected section of the society.
“Most of the people are living under the poverty line and they are deprived of medical and education facilities. Over and above the bank's financial services, we are rendering CSR activities to the destitute of the country," says Md Yeasin Ali, managing director of the bank.
He says. “DBBL not only provides present-day banking services but spends a significant portion of its annual profit for carrying out a wide range of philanthropic activities from which the society at large is benefitted.”
In order to continue its CSR practices, the bank every year provides 5 percent from its gross profit to the foundation.
Considering education as a prerequisite for the overall development of the country, DBBL has been awarding the largest number of scholarships in Bangladesh to the meritorious and needy students every year since 2003. Under the scholarship programme, the bank every year awards around 300 new scholarships to needy and meritorious students along with continuing scholarships for those studying at HSC and Graduation levels. For this purpose, the bank spends around Tk 4 crore every year.
The bank also awards 50 fellowships of Tk 5,000 per month every year to the researchers having Masters degree and those studying at different public universities at MPhil, PhD or post-doctoral level.
DBBL donated Tk 9.36 crore to Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital a few years back for setting up a cath lab and two operation theatres with facilities of liver and kidney transplantation and heart surgery.
The bank took an initiative styled 'Smile Brighter' to bring back smile to the face of the boys and girls with cleft-lip through plastic surgery in 2003. More than 3,000 poor cleft-lipped boys and girls have so far been successfully operated across the country.
In 2000 the bank launched a massive campaign against such social menaces as acid violence through print and electronic
media. Subsequently, the bank has taken a financial support programme to rehabilitate the helpless acid victim women by introducing small-scale agrobased rural enterprises like poultry, vegetable, goat and fish fanning for them. Under this programme, 351 acid victims have already received financial support of Tk 10,000 each to become self-sufficient.
Apart from initiating a campaign on AIDS prevention through print and electronic media in 2000, the bank has also launched a financial assistance programme styled 'Caring Patients Living with AIDS’ in 2004 for supporting HIV positive patients Under the programme, 50 HIV/AIDS patients including women and children are being provided with ARV (anti-retroviral) medicines, clinical supports and food supplement.
The bank donated Tk 10 crore to APON, an NGO, to establish the first comprehensive drug rehabilitation centre in Bangladesh — Apongaon -- at Singair in Manikganj.
DBBL has established 10 rural medi care service centres at its rural branches to render free medical services to the rural and destitute people of the adjoining areas especially the women and children.
The bank last year took an initiative of conducting surgery on some 12,000 poor cataract
patients across the country. So far some 500 poor and aged cataract patients have been operated under this programme.
DBBL Foundation has also adopted several other CSR programmes such as assistance to Impact Foundation Bangladesh', assistance toThengamara Mohiia Sabuj Sangha', WF and prolapse uterus operating facilities for the financially handicapped women , 'saving the nation from the curse of dowry , 'financial assistance to face natural disaster'. donation to . national steering committee on voter list and national ID card project', donation to pediatrics department of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, and Dhaka Medical College Hospital', assistance to 14 selected organisations', and mass campaign for prevention of road traffic accident'.
The foundation also collaborates with other trusts, foundations, associations and bodies having similar activities, programmes and projects.
But the bank is never a bit away from its main business.
From the very first year the bank is maintaining a steady business growth. At the end of 1997, the DBBL's net profit was Tk 827 million, while the net profit was Tk 362.18 million in 2006 and Tk 479.81 million in 2007.
sarwar@theda'iysta' net