DCM Circular No. 01: Initiatives to be taken to prevent COVID-19 and safe cash management by scheduled banks

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Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank of Bangladesh) Head Office Motijheel, Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh.

Department of Currency Management

Date: 08 Chaitra, 1426 22 March, 2020

DCM Circular No. 01/2020

Managing Director / Chief Executive All Scheduled Banks operating in Bangladesh

Dear Sir,

Regarding the initiatives to be taken by scheduled banks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and for safe cash management.

You are aware of the spread of the Novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) worldwide and its prevalence in Bangladesh. According to the World Health Organization, if the spread of COVID 1 9 are not controlled, it could create a devastating situation in a densely populated country like Bangladesh. Multiple health organizations have already declared that cash transactions pose a risk in the context of the highly contagious COVID-19.

2. Considering global experience and our socio-economic reality, the following precautionary measures are advised for cash management by scheduled banks to control COVID-19:

1. Cash officers/employees working at the cash counters of all branches of scheduled banks shall wear masks on their faces and gloves on their hands while receiving and giving money from/to the public/customers. After counting/handling notes, they shall use hand sanitizer/wash hands with soap; they shall not touch any other part of the office with their hands before disinfecting them after handling cash;

2. After handling cash, before disinfecting their own hands, they shall not touch any other part of the office with their hands where others need to touch;

3. No other officer of the bank branch shall enter the cash counter/vault area except those responsible for the cash department. If entry is required for any special need, they must use hand sanitizer/wash hands with soap before entering and exiting the cash counter;

4. Bank management shall take necessary measures to ensure that the public and customers visiting bank branches for cash transactions can use hand sanitizer/wash hands with soap;

5. Bank management shall take prompt and effective steps to provide necessary hand sanitizer, masks, and hand gloves at the branch level;

6. Considering the gravity of the situation, customers should be encouraged to use other banking instruments such as check payment, money transfer, or online banking instead of cash withdrawal;

7. In accordance with the instructions provided in DCM Circular 08/2015 dated 07/09/2015 and DCM Circular No. EH230(Policy)/2013-15 dated 14/01/2013, scheduled banks shall continue to accept all types of notes, including damaged, torn, and defective notes, and provide value exchange for them.

Yours faithfully,

(Md. Golam Mostafa) General Manager Phone-9530090

Phone: 88-02-9550448, 9554896, IP: 88-02-55665001-6, Fax: 88-02-9530479, www.bb.org.bd