GIZ Bangladesh organises finance training programme in Rajshahi

GIZ Bangladesh organised a sustainable finance training programme jointly with Bangladesh Bank (BB) Sustainable Finance Department titled "Sustainable Finance for Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities" for 30 bankers of Rajshahi for the support of the mobilisation of climate and environment-friendly investment from the private sector recently at Royal Raj Hotel in Rajshahi.

The Improved Coordination of International Climate Finance project, implemented by GIZ Bangladesh, on behalf of the German Federal Government, is partnering with SFD to organise a series of training on sustainable finance in five out of eight divisions of Bangladesh, reads a press release.

The awareness-raising event was held for more than 50 business leaders and entrepreneurs of Rajshahi, who are interested in sustainable financing and investments.

Sustainable Finance Department Bangladesh Bank director Md Rajab Ali inaugurated the training programme while ICICF Project principal advisor Firdaus Ara Hussain welcomed the participants at the event.

Technical sessions of the training were conducted by additional directors Amitabh Chakraborty, Rabeya Khandaker, joint director Md Abu Rayhan, from the SFD of Bangladesh Bank.

The speakers covered different important areas such as sustainable finance reporting, screening of sustainable financing proposals, green refinance schemes, utilisation of refinancing products, sustainable financing options offered by Bangladesh Bank and low-cost funding alternatives for green investments.

The programme was moderated by Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management professor S M Ahsan Habib.

Ali in his speech said, 'There are no alternatives to sustainable financing now. So, senior management of commercial banks must shift their focus towards green investments immediately.'

In her opening speech, Firdaus Ara emphasized the importance of accessing additional climate finance from external sources due to the increasing effect of climate change on the country. Bangladesh's internal resources will not be enough to meet the increasing demand for finance for mitigating the effects of climate change. So, the capacities of the stakeholders to access international financing need to be enhanced.

Ministry of Finance joint secretary S M Mahbub Alam was also present at the event.

He discussed the issue of climate change in Bangladesh and stressed upon the importance of climate action for sustaining socioeconomic development in the country.

Bangladesh Bank's Rajshahi office executive director Jagannath Chandra Ghosh attended the event as chief guest and distributed certificates among the participants of the training.

He encouraged the local bankers to get well familiarized with the Sustainable Finance Policy of Bangladesh, and urged them to promote environment friendly investments among their clientele.