A new farm loan policy is going to be introduced from next week aiming to help the country's poor farmers by giving them soft-term loan from the Tk 11,000 crore fund.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Atiur Rahman revealed the plan in reply to reporters after discussion with President Zillur Rahman in a meeting at Bangabhaban yesterday.

The president directed the central bank to frame policies in the light of the new government’s agenda for a change.

“The agro -loan policy will be introduced from next week," the governor told reporters.

Dr Atiur apprised the president of different activities and schemes of the central bank, especially the programmes taken up for the benefit of poor people.

Under the new lending policy for the farm sector, around Tk 11,000 crore will be disbursed to the farmers as soft loan through both the private and the state-owned banks, the governor informed the president.

"I apprised the president that under the new agroloan policy al) priorities will be given to the poor farmers to ensure sound agricultural development,” he said explaining the agri-credit policy.

Replying to a question, the governor said the president directed the central bank to adopt policies in line with the government agenda to help implement the 'charter of change' declared by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Later, President's Press Secretary Abdul Awal Howlader told the reporters that the president expressed his satisfaction over the initiatives recently taken by Bangladesh Bank.

"The president lauded the role of Bangladesh Bank for taking the initiatives to upgrade the rural economy,” the press secretary said, adding that the president said the central bank should design the programmes for ensuring benefit of the poor people.

The president also directed the Bangladesh Bank to take necessary measures to realise the government-conceived ’vision-2021'.

During the meeting, Dr Atiur apprised the president that most developing countries had negative economic growth due to global recession, but Bangladesh achieved GDP growth at 5.9 percent.

The president asked the central bank chief to play a vital role in establishing an exploitation-free economy to build up a hunger-and-poverty-free prosperous Bangladesh.