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Banks should have strong IT sections

BB needs to prepare special regulations, policies: BIBM survey


| Updated: November 14, 2019 13:23:16


FE file photo FE file photo

Tech professionals in the country's banking sector favoured special regulations and policies for better IT (information technology) employee management, recruitment and skill development, a survey has revealed.

About 72 per cent of the respondents surveyed opined that formulation of special regulations and policies on the part of the country's central bank would help ensure compliance with the criteria on fair recruitment, promotion and performance appraisal in the IT sections of banks.

The findings of the survey were disseminated at a seminar organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) in the city on Wednesday.

Around 750 IT (information technology) and business employees and 18 human resource and IT department heads of banks were brought under the survey conducted across eight state-owned banks and 35 private commercial banks.

The study titled "An evaluation of Human Resources of IT Departments in Banks of Bangladesh" was conducted by a team of academicians and bankers led by BIBM Associate Professor Md Mahbubur Rahman Alam.

About 78 per cent of the IT professionals surveyed said Bangladesh Bank (BB) can establish a separate specialised institution or academy for professional training and development of banking and financial technology like the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) of India.

The IDRBT is an institution exclusively focused on banking technology established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

However, the IT heads opined that IT professionals work day and night to ensure round the clock banking facilities. So they should have additional facilities like IT allowance to provide the services uninterruptedly.

They also demanded involvement of IT professionals in the process of IT-related recruitment, promotion and appraisals.

Human resources heads of the banks opined that new generation banks face a big problem with recruitment of employees for IT sections because of the use of reference to different influential persons.

Quality should be given the top priority rather than reference in case of recruitment and promotion of IT employees, they said.

The HR heads also said IT professionals should not be given any deposit mobilisation target as some banks are doing.

Speaking at the seminar, BB Deputy Governor S.M. Moniruzzaman said human resources of an IT department are considered the most important asset of a bank.

"A strong IT department equipped with skilled manpower and good governance is therefore required very much," he said.

Managing Director and CEO of Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd Abul Kashem Md. Shirin said the country's banks were failing to attract competent and skilled IT professionals.

He also said officials of banks should have IT training to understand the aspects of technology properly.

Managing Director and CEO of Agrani Bank Ltd Mohammad Shams-Ul Islam said the entire banking sector has turned into actually technological service providers.

"So not only IT professionals, every banker should have minimum IT training," he said.

Dr. Muzzafer Ahmed Chair Professor of BIBM Barkat-e-Khuda, Supernumerary Professor of BIBM Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, former Supernumerary Professor of BIBM Md. Yasin Ali, Executive Director (Programming) of Bangladesh Bank Debdulal Roy, former Professor, Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of University of Dhaka Dr. Muhammad Ziaulhaq Mamun also spoke, among others, at the event.

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