DOS Circular Letter No. 15: Conducting Banking Service from 14 April 2021 to 21 April 2021

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Bangladesh Bank
(Central Bank of Bangladesh)
Head Office
Motijheel, Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh
Department of Off-Site Supervision
DOS Circular Letter No.-15 Date:
30 Chaitra 1427
13 April 2021
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer
All Scheduled Banks operating in Bangladesh.
Regarding the conduct of banking operations amidst government-imposed restrictions to prevent coronavirus infection.
Dear Sir,
In light of the memorandum no. 04.00.0000.514.16.003.20.124 dated 13 April 2021 from the Ministry of Public Administration, the following instructions are issued, rescinding the instructions contained in DOS Circular Letter No.-13 dated 12 April 2021 issued by Bangladesh Bank on the relevant subject:

1. The daily banking hours from 14 April 2021 to 21 April 2021, excluding weekly and government holidays, are fixed from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. In this regard, concerned bank branches and relevant departments of the Head Office may remain open until 2:30 PM in the afternoon if necessary to complete ancillary transaction programs.

2. Local offices/Head branches of banks, along with all Approved Dealers (AD) branches and the Head branches of banks located in district headquarters, must remain open during the period of restrictions. One branch (if there is no AD branch) must remain open for every 02 (two) kilometers within City Corporation areas. Furthermore, one branch of each bank operating in each Upazila must remain open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Concerned banks must take necessary arrangements for the transportation of employees/clerks to and from their respective offices.

3. Banks must ensure the provision of facilities for all types of deposits and withdrawals in customer accounts, issuance and receipt of demand drafts/pay orders, receipt of treasury challans, distribution of allowances/grants under various government social programs, payment of domestic remittance amounts, domestic and inter-branch fund transfers, cashing of National Savings Certificates and bonds for NRIBs, payment of coupons and maturity amounts, collection of utility bills (such as gas/water/electricity/telephone) where applicable, and other transactions under various payment systems/clearing arrangements continued by Bangladesh Bank.

4. In accordance with DOS Circular Letter No.-24 dated 05 August 2019, regarding keeping branches/sub-branches/booths of banks located in sea/land/air port areas (Port and Customs areas), banks must take appropriate measures to ensure compliance with health protocols through consultation with local administration and port/customs authorities.

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05. For branches that will remain closed during the period of restrictions, banks must take necessary arrangements to conduct customer service programs through open branches. Banks must ensure that notices regarding customer service availability for closed branches are displayed visibly at prominent locations of such branches to inform customers.

6. For all open branches, banking services must be ensured through rostering with necessary and limited staff while complying with health protocols.

7. To facilitate the continuation of transactions via ATMs and cards, banks must take arrangements to supply sufficient notes to ATM booths, keep internet banking facilities operational 24/7 where applicable, and ensure necessary health protection/sanitization measures at ATM booths.

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

Yours faithfully,
(Md. Anowarul Islam)
General Manager
Phone: 9530093