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MERCANTILE BANK
STAR BUSINESS DESK
Mercantile Bank PLC yesterday celebrated its 27th founding anniversary at its head office in Dhaka.
This year’s anniversary was observed under the theme: “Together with Renewed Inspiration, Always Forward...”
Akram Hossain Humayun, vice-chairman of the bank, inaugurated the celebratory programme as the chief guest, according to a press release.
Speaking on the occasion, Humayun said the bank has achieved significant progress across all key indicators.
He said Mercantile Bank has established itself as a sustainable, reliable and customer-friendly financial institution through its dedicated efforts over the past 27 years.
He urged employees to continue providing technology-driven and customer-friendly banking services while ensuring good corporate governance in the coming days.
Mati Ul Hasan, managing director of the bank, delivered the welcome address and said the recovery of classified loans would be a key priority in the current fiscal year.
“Agriculture, SME and retail sectors will be given priority in new lending, while new agent banking outlets and sub-branches will be opened across the country to expand access to banking services for unbanked people,” he said.
He added that the bank would further enhance its digital banking services through innovative products, making them more accessible and user-friendly.
MA Khan Belal, chairman of the executive committee of the bank; Mohammad Abdul Awal, chairman of the risk management committee; ASM Feroz Alam, sponsor director; and Prof Mohammad Thoufiqul Islam and Prof Nasrin Sultana, independent directors, attended the event.
Md Zakir Hossain, Shamim Ahmed, Ashim Kumar Saha, Md Zahid Hossain and Tapash Chandra Paul, deputy managing directors; Mohammad Iqbal Rezwan and Md Abdul Halim, senior executive vice-presidents; and Md Abdul Awal, head of the main branch, along with other senior executives of the bank, were also present at the ceremony.
Is Bangladesh’s
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Fahmida attributed the poor revenue performance to institutional weaknesses, limited administrative capacity within the revenue board and governance shortcomings.
She also pointed out that even the resources collected are not always used efficiently. Delays, cost overruns and implementation bottlenecks often prevent public spending from delivering the expected economic benefits.
The problem extends to foreign financing as well. Bangladesh has access to substantial external funding. But many foreign-assisted projects suffer from implementation delays, reducing the country’s ability to utilise those foreign resources.
The consequences are far-reaching.
Government spending supports essential services, builds infrastructure and strengthens social protection programmes. These investments improve living standards, reduce inequality and create conditions for stronger economic growth.
Infrastructure spending is particularly important because it encourages private investment and job creation.
“If physical infrastructure does not improve, private-sector investment will not be encouraged, and economic growth may fall short of its potential,” said Fahmida.
She said higher and more efficient public spending could therefore make a substantial contribution to both economic development and social welfare.
However, increasing expenditure alone is not enough. The quality and timeliness of spending matter just as much, added the economist.
The country’s development spending has long been hampered by implementation weaknesses.
According to the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), only 41.41 percent of the revised Annual Development Programme (ADP) allocation was utilised during the first 10 months of fiscal year 2025-26.
That means the challenge is not simply the size of the budget. It is also the state’s ability to execute projects efficiently.
BTRC to auction
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However, considering that the spectrum would only remain available until 2030 and that some limited interference still exists in certain areas, the commission said the government may consider reducing the base price by up to 10 percent.
For the more interference-prone 5 MHz block, the committee proposed a larger discount. Operators argued for a steeper reduction -- between 30 and 40 percent below the Tk 237 crore benchmark -- on the grounds that cross-border interference would prevent them from using the spectrum nationwide. However, the commission settled on a maximum discount of 25 percent.
The committee further recommended that operators use technical filters and mitigation tools to minimise interference and improve coexistence within the band.