Annual Report 2017 Partial view of attendance of the Hon’ble Shareholders and Members of the Board of Directors at 21st AGM. NOTICE OF THE 22nd ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the 22nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Hon’ble Members of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited (the Bank / the Company) will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at ‘Ballroom’ of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh to transact the following business: with revenue stamp of Taka 20.00 and submitted to Agenda the Registered Office of the Company not later than 72 hours before the time fixed for the Annual General 01. To receive, consider and adopt the Audited Meeting. Financial Statements of the Company with v. The election of Directors of the Company will be dealt Auditors’ Report thereon and the Directors’ Report with as per rules and regulations in force. for the year ended December 31, 2017. vi. The existing auditors, M/s. A. Qasem & Co., Chartered 02. To declare dividend for the year 2017. Accountants will retire and as per rule, they are 03. To elect Directors. eligible for re-appointment. 04. To appoint Auditors for the year 2018 and fix up vii. Annual Report, among others, including the Directors’ their remuneration. Report and audited Financial Statements of the Bank for the year ended 31st December 2017 will be available By order of the Board at the Bank’s Website (www. dutchbanglabank.com) before the date of AGM. viii. Hon’ble Members were requested to update their mailing address with cell No., bank account No., Mohammed Mesbahul Alam branch routing No., signature and other related Company Secretary information in their BOID number maintained with DP before the ‘Record Date’. Dated: Dhaka, March 15, 2018 ix. Hon’ble Members were requested to provide their NOTES e-TIN to their Depository Participants (for BOID number i. The ‘Record Date’ for the purpose was Wednesday, holders) and share department of the Bank (for Folio March 14, 2018. number holders) before the ‘Record Date’ with a view to update their records, failing which, income tax at ii. The Members’ whose names appeared on the ‘Record source will be deducted from Cash Dividend @ 15% Date’ in the Member / Depository Register of the (fifteen percent) instead of @ 10% (ten percent) (for Company are eligible to attend the meeting and individual) as per income tax rules in force. entitled to dividend. x. Depository Participants (DP) / Stock Brokers were iii. Hon’ble Members were requested to submit their requested to send the list of Margin Account Holders, written option to the Company regarding the way if any, within March 20, 2018 to the Company, of receiving their dividend within March 19, 2018, otherwise, the dividend will be paid to Hon’ble otherwise, the dividend will be paid through BEFTN or Members bank account whose names would appear any other mode as may be deemed appropriate by the on the ‘Record Date’. Company. xi. No gift or benefit in cash or kind shall be paid / iv. A Member eligible to attend and vote at the Annual offered to the Hon’ble Members in the 22nd AGM of General Meeting may appoint a proxy to attend and the Bank as per BSEC Circular and listing regulations vote on his / her behalf. Proxy Form must be affixed of Stock Exchanges. Vision Dutch-Bangla Bank dreams of better Bangladesh, where arts and letters, sports and athletics, music and entertainment, science and education, health and hygiene, clean and pollution free environment and above all a society based on morality and ethics make all our lives worth living. DBBL’s essence and ethos rest on a cosmos of creativity and the marvel-magic of a charmed life that abounds with spirit of life and adventures that contributes towards human development. Mission Dutch-Bangla Bank engineers enterprise and creativity in business and industry with a commitment to social cause. “Profits alone” do not hold a central focus in the Bank’s operation; because “man does not live by bread and butter alone”. Core objectives Dutch-Bangla Bank believes in its uncompromising commitment to fulfill its customer needs and satisfaction and to become their first choice in banking. Taking cue from its pool of esteemed clientele, Dutch-Bangla Bank intends to pave the way for a new era in banking that upholds and epitomizes its vaunted marques "Your Trusted Partner". CONTENTS notice of the 22nd annual general meeting 4 vision 5 mission 7 core objectives 9 the board and its committees 12 chairman’s foreword 13 from the desk of the managing director & CEO 17 stakeholders’ information 21 segments analysis 36 sustainability report 39 corporate governance 55 status of compliance with the conditions imposed by BSEC on corporate governance 61 report of the audit committee of the board 72 certificate of managing director & CEO and chief financial officer (CFO) to the board 74 certificate on compliance status of corporate governance guidelines of BSEC 75 risk management 77 disclosures on risk based capital (Basel III) 107 banking automation 139 financial inclusion 163 awards 185 agreements signed 191 events 195 retail banking, school banking & VIP banking 201 SME finance 213 agricultural credit 219 green banking 229 social cause 237 economy and financial market 303 some of the projects financed by DBBL 323 directors’ report 337 directors’ responsibility for internal control and financial reporting 364 auditors’ report 365 financial statements 369 off-shore banking unit 441 top management of DBBL 453 DBBL branches 454 forward looking statements 462 list of abbreviations 463 proxy form 465 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 11 THE BoarD & ITS committees The Board Chairman Mr. Sayem Ahmed Directors Mr. Abedur Rashid Khan : Sponsor Director Mr. Bernhard Frey : Nominee of Ecotrim Hong Kong Limited Mr. Md. Fakhrul Islam : Elected from General Public Shareholders’ Group Mr. Md. Nazim Uddin Bhuiyan, FCMA : Independent Director Mr. Mohd. Khorshed Alam : Independent Director Mr. Abul Kashem Md. Shirin : Ex-officio Director (Managing Director & CEO) The Committees of the Board 1. Executive Committee Mr. Abedur Rashid Khan : Chairman Mr. Sayem Ahmed : Member Mr. Abul Kashem Md. Shirin : Member 2. Audit Committee Mr. Md. Nazim Uddin Bhuiyan, FCMA : Chairman Mr. Md. Fakhrul Islam : Member Mr. Mohd. Khorshed Alam : Member 3. Risk Management Committee Mr. Abedur Rashid Khan : Chairman Mr. Sayem Ahmed : Member Mr. Md. Nazim Uddin Bhuiyan, FCMA : Member Founder, Dutch-Bangla Bank & Chairman, Dutch-Bangla Bank Foundation Mr. M. Sahabuddin Ahmed chairman’S foreWORD Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim that inflation will be lower as infrastructure development is growing and domestic revenue mobilization remains a Dear Shareholders priority. Indicators point to a very prosperous 2018. Assalamu Alaikum Global economic development growth was of 8.0%, the highest we have seen since 2011. This contributed It is a great pleasure and honor to welcome everyone at to our export and remittance growth which ultimately the 22nd Annual General Meeting of the shareholders/ contributed to our country’s private investment growth members of Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited. On behalf of the estimates of 7.3%. Year 2017 indicates that the year 2018 Board of Directors and from myself, I would like to express will continue to be a year of positive growth in all areas of my sincere gratitude to all of you for your active support the economy. and cooperation with which it has been possible for us to take our Bank to where it is now. It is your kind patronage In 2015, Bangladesh reached the lower middle-income and relentless support that have always resulted in country status, and expects to reach upper middle-income continued success for the Bank. country status by 2030 or earlier. The government's focus on easing infrastructure bottlenecks and improving In its 22 years of existence, Dutch-Bangla Bank has business climate will support potential growth and transformed the banking landscape of Bangladesh with its medium term growth performance. The government's innovation and integrity that has garnered the trust of the prudent fiscal policy, accompanied by the Bangladesh people and this country. The Bank continues to grow with Bank's monetary policy and effective supervision are the values that were established since it’s founding for a expected to support macro-financial stability. bigger and better future. From a macro perspective, domestic demand growth is expected to remain robust over the near and Business Environment medium-term reflecting in demographics, investments, The Bangladesh economy registered 7.3% GDP growth and improving infrastructure and cost of doing business. in FY 2017 against GDP growth of 7.1% in FY 2016. In Furthermore, favorable monetary conditions would likely absence of high agricultural growth, the 7.3% GDP growth support larger growth. was mainly due to the industry and services sectors. Dutch-Bangla Bank’s main goal, regardless of any The industry sector grew by 10.2%, followed by service business environment, is for a safe and steady growth. sectors (6.7%) while the agriculture sector grew by Because our conservative banking practices, the Bank was 3.0%. Out of the overall GDP growth, the service sector largely immune to many large-scale frauds and loopholes appeared to occupy the largest share followed by industry in the banking system. But the Bank did take the national and agriculture sector. This is a positive sign for the banking issues to make our internal controls stronger and country and banking prospects, as growth in services and safer. industry sectors are regarded as very strong indicators for economic potential. The Bank has adopted new technologies and guidelines that make every part of the Bank more transparent to the Bangladesh Bank pursued a cautious but growth friendly central management.