BRPD Circular Letter No. 41: Directives to Prevent Outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Ref: BRPD Circular Letter No. 41
Banking Regulation and Policy Department
Bangladesh Bank
Head Office
Dhaka.
18 August 2020
BRPD Circular Letter No. 41 Date: ------------------- 03 Bhadra 1427 Managing Director/Chief Executive All Scheduled Banks operating in Bangladesh.

Dear Sir,

Regarding the measures to be taken by banks to prevent the outbreak of the Corona Virus.

Reference is drawn to your attention to BRPD Circular No. 05 issued on 22 March 2020 on the subject above.

2. Through the said circular, instructions were given regarding various matters such as taking special measures to prevent the outbreak of the Corona Virus and its community transmission in the banking sector, ensuring uninterrupted banking services, strengthening online banking services, completing office programs through rationing/rostering, providing quarantine leave where applicable, maintaining social distance, and complying with health rules in the workplace. In this regard, it has been decided to amend paragraphs 4, 5, and 16 of BRPD Circular No. 05/2020 as follows to normalize the economic momentum of the country:

a) Paragraph 4 shall be replaced by the following:
"Banks shall continue to operate normal office/banking programs uninterrupted."

b) The following instructions shall apply regarding non-accumulative leave along with the rules mentioned in Paragraph 5:
"Infected employees (according to the guidelines of the Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control) and pregnant women shall refrain from coming to the office by submitting a medical certificate issued by a doctor."

c) Paragraph 16 shall be replaced by the following:
"Evening and applicable weekly holiday (Friday and Saturday) programs of banks shall be operated normally as before."

3. In addition, other instructions contained in the said circular shall remain unchanged.

4. These instructions shall take effect immediately and shall remain in force until further instructions are issued.

5. These instructions are issued under the powers conferred by Section 45 of the Bank Company Act, 1991.

Yours faithfully,

(Md. Nazrul Islam)
General Manager
Phone: 9530252