Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited
Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited started operation as Bangladesh's first joint venture bank. From the onset, the focus of the bank has been financing high-growth manufacturing industries in Bangladesh. The rationale being that the manufacturing sector exports Bangladeshi products worldwide. Thereby financing and concentrating on this sector allows Bangladesh to achieve the desired growth. DBBL's other focus is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). DBBL is the pioneer in this sector and termed the contribution simply as 'social responsibility'. Due to its investment in this sector, DBBL has become one of the largest donors and the largest bank donor in Bangladesh. The bank has won numerous international awards because of its unique approach as a socially conscious bank.
The bank conducts all types of commercial banking activities including customer services related to local and foreign remittances but its core business is trade financing. It also extends short and medium-term loans to industrial undertakings on a limited scale. Innovative products on credit and deposit scheme introduced by the bank are commission free remittance, the 'Money Plant' scheme, monthly term deposits, small credit facilities for shop owners, small-scale taxi cab loans, small-scale transport loans and consumer credit
Basic Facts and Economic Indicators (In Million Taka)
| Indicators | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Authorized Capital | 4000 | 15000 | 15000 |
| Paid up Capital | 2000 | 5000 | 5500 |
| Reserved Fund | 9193 | 9193 | 9193 |
| Deposits | 262467 | 302159 | 362611 |
| a) Call Deposits | 89791 | 104816 | 126841 |
| b) Term Deposits | 172676 | 197343 | 235770 |
| Loans and Advance | 231553.1 | 256239.7 | 273439.8 |
| Investment | 32208 | 55105 | 112590 |
| Total Asset | 346469 | 390362 | 472355 |
| Total Income | 29215 | 34706 | 34679 |
| Total Expenditure | 21991 | 23446 | 24178 |
| Foreign Currency Trading | 397401 | 449336 | 408478 |
| a) Export | 151484 | 141689 | 109086 |
| b) Import | 167371 | 143653 | 127925 |
| c) Remittance | 78546 | 163994 | 171467 |
| Total Manpower | 8195 | 9988 | 10022 |
| a) Officers | 8195 | 9988 | 10022 |
| b) Staff | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Correspondent Banks | 560 | 560 | 480 |
| Total Branches (in numbers) | 184 | 195 | 208 |
| a) Domestic | 184 | 195 | 208 |
| b) Overseas | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Agriculture Credit | |||
| Loan Disbursed | 2269.8 | 5326.9 | 6819 |
| Realised | 3853.1 | 3914.5 | 5941.8 |
| Industrial Credit | |||
| Loan Disbursed | 196838 | 209075.7 | 149304.2 |
| Realsied | 181719.7 | 192064.3 | 137445.5 |
| Loan Outstanding by Sector | |||
| Agriculture and Fisheries and Forestry | 2311.8 | 3481.4 | 4493.1 |
| Industry | 59599.5 | 76704.9 | 84980.7 |
| Trade and Commerce | 29631.5 | 30344.7 | 30178.2 |
| Poverty Reduction | 0 | 0 | |
| CSR | 835 | 876.6 | 691 |
Source Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Finance, Banking and Financial Institution Division, Barshik Protibedon [Annual Report on Banks and Financial Institutions], 2019-20 and 2020-21.
A 6-member board of directors comprising a chairman and four representatives from local sponsors and three representatives from the Netherlands Development Finance Company oversees the management of the bank. The managing director is appointed by the board who runs the bank's day-to-day business with the assistance of 3 DMD, 24 senior executives and around 10220 other employees working in various grades. In March 2021, the bank had 64 branches in different towns of Bangladesh.
DBBL was the first bank in Bangladesh to be fully automated. The Electronic-Banking Division was established in 2002 to undertake rapid automation and bring modern banking services into this field. Full automation was completed in 2003 and hereby introduced plastic money to the Bangladeshi masses. DBBL also operates the nation's largest ATM fleet and in the process drastically cut consumer costs and fees by 80%. DBBL had pursued the mass automation in Banking as a CSR activity and never intended profitability from this sector. As a result, it now provides unrivaled banking technology offerings to all its customers. Because of this mindset, most local banks have joined DBBL's banking infrastructure instead of pursuing their own. Dutch-Bangla Bank stock set the record for the highest share price in the Dhaka Stock Exchange in 2008.
In 2020, bank deposits accounted for 2.4 per cent of total banking sector deposits and loans and advances accounted for 2.3 per cent of total banking sector loans and advances. The average interest rate differential between June 2020 based deposits and loans and advances was 7.9 percent. [Muhammad Abdul Mazid]
