Overview

Standard Chartered Bank opened its first branch in Bangladesh in 1948, in Chittagong, the port city and a major trading hub. With the acquisition of Grindlays Bank in Bangladesh in August 2000, we inherited a presence in this country that dates back to 1905. The commercial banking business of American Express Bank was also acquired in 2006.

The Bank offers a full range of banking services across all segments. In the retail and SME segments, our services include deposit products, wealth management services, overdrafts, personal loans, credit cards, auto financing, and mortgages. Our services for corporate and institutional clients include trade finance, cash management, lending, securities services, foreign exchange, debt capital markets and corporate finance. Standard Chartered Saadiq, our Islamic Banking division, offers a comprehensive range of Shariah-compliant products and services. Priority banking services provides exclusive and personalized banking services through our world-class priority banking suites.

At a Glance

• We are the longest established of all the financial institutions in Bangladesh since 1905, and the country’s largest foreign bank.
• As the longest established of all financial institutions in the country, operating for over 114 years , we have earned the distinction of being an innovator in the market with many firsts, from becoming the first international bank to extend credit lines to independent Bangladesh; opening the first external letter of credit (LC) in Bangladesh in 1972; introducing the first ATM; launching the first debit card, credit card, international debit cards and the first Shariah-compliant Credit Card; the first 24-hour contact center; the first state-of-the-art Online Banking Platform, and the first cross border acquisition finance.
• Our first branch opened in 1905 in Chittagong. Today we have 24 branches and booths geographically aligned to cater to the key economic centers of the country. This is the most extensive banking presence of all foreign financial institutions operating in the market.
• We have retained our AAA credit rating for 10 years in a row.
• We acted as a co-advisor to Bangladesh Bank to help the country achieve its first ever sovereign credit rating, when we worked with S&P.
• We have been recognized as the largest tax payer in the banking sector in 2016.
• We were the only foreign commercial bank to receive the Bangladesh Bank Remittance Award 2016, for our role in facilitating inward flow of remittance in Bangladesh.

Awards and Achievements

• ‘Best Foreign Bank in Bangladesh’ award at the FinanceAsia 20th Anniversary Platinum Awards, in 2016
• Asiamoney Best Digital Bank in 2017, and Best International Bank in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
• Awards in multiple categories at the prestigious Asset Triple A Awards 2016, 2017 and 2018. Power Deal of the Year – Bangladesh at The Asset Triple A Asia Infrastructure Awards 2017. Bank of the Year – Bangladesh, Best Retail Bank – Bangladesh, Best Loan Advisor – Bangladesh and Best Country Deal in the Islamic Banking category in 2018.
• ‘Bank of the Year’ award at the Bankers Award 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017
• ‘Best Foreign Bank in Bangladesh’ by FinanceAsia in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,2016, 2017 and 2018
• ‘Best Foreign Investment Bank in Bangladesh by FinanceAsia in 2018
• ‘Best Foreign Exchange Bank’ award at International Finance Magazine Award 2016
• ‘Best CSR Bank’ award at International Finance Magazine Award 2017
• ‘Best CSR Bank’ award by Global Brands Magazine in 2018
• ‘Best Islamic Digital Bank in Bangladesh’ from Global Finance Awards 2017 and 2018
• ‘Deal of the Year 2016’ from Islamic Finance News (IFN)
• ‘Islamic Banking Window/Unit of the Year and Deal of the Year’ awards at the 2nd Islamic Finance Forum For South Asia (IFFSA) Awards 2017
• ICMAB’s (Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh) ‘Best Corporate Performance Award’ 2012, 2013 and 2014 in the foreign commercial bank category

Sustainability and community engagement

• Seeing is Believing, the Bank’s flagship community project, began its journey here in Bangladesh, when we built an Operation Theatre and Children’s Ward at Islamia Eye Hospital to provide cataract surgery to at least 12,000 patients each year. By December 31, 2018, we had provided cataract surgeries to 67,475 beneficiaries, 1,218,702 individuals had received screening services, 106,313 of whom received corrective refractive services. We have provided training to over 8000 ophthalmologists, eye care nurses and other healthcare workers to build a sustainable workforce.
• As an extension of the Seeing is Believing program, we are working to reduce avoidable blindness for the marginalized, hard-to-reach communities in coastal belt and ‘char’ (large stretches of temporary, habitable sandbanks formed on riverbeds) areas of Bangladesh by proving quality eye care services, including eye screening and cataract removal surgery, through the Rangdhanu Friendship Hospital. Till date around 4300 patients have received primary and secondary healthcare services, which included 400 patients suffering from preventable blindness who have received sight-restoring surgical procedures.
• In the beginning of 2016, Standard Chartered Bangladesh became the first international bank in the country to begin working with the communities from erstwhile enclaves in Lalmonirhaat and Patgram, promoting literacy, livelihood generation, better hygiene, and financial empowerment.
  By the end of 2018, the programmes had reached 3105 households and 16,964 individuals. 3547 beneficiaries have received livelihood training, including livestock and poultry rearing, vegetable cultivation, computer literacy, adult literacy. In order to create a supportive environment for the programme, we have engaged with 400 community leaders and have provided leadership training to 205 peer and community leaders. We have also built 1196 latrines, as most households within the target area did not have access to even the most basic sanitation facilities.
• Our Financial Education for Youth (FE4Y) programme reached 60 schools and 3000 youths – around 90 per cent of whom are girls – in rural and semi-urban areas in Chittagong. The FE4Y curriculum covers topics that include borrowing, budgeting, expenditure, income, making financial choices, money basics, products and services, risk/safety/security, saving and investment and starting a business. The curriculum, developed by our global team, has been translated into Bangla, to make it accessible to targeted school children. It is delivered through peer trainers, who receive training from specialized trainers on both subject matter and effective delivery methods.
• Women empowerment and an equitable society are central to the values of Standard Chartered Bank and critical to economic development. Our Goal project, which began in Bangladesh in 2013 in partnership with BRAC and Women Win, aims to empower and equip adolescent girls from low-income families with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be integral economic leaders in their families and communities. By December 31, 2018, the program reached 39,575 adolescent girls, providing 1550 of them with leadership and employability training.
• We jointly initiated ‘Standard Chartered Daily Star Celebrating Life’ in 2008, a cultural platform that promotes young artistic talents. It is a national level competition, inviting entries from non-professional artists in three categories: film, photography and lyrics. The works of the winning participants are showcased across the nation through photo exhibitions, film screening and concerts. The works are made available to a larger audience through photo books, music albums and video DVDs. Winners are also given mass exposure through nationally broadcast TV programming. Till date, we have awarded 250 winners from a total of over 47,000 participants, and shared the celebration of art and culture with a total audience of over 180,000 through our district festivals.
  To learn more about the initiative, visit: www.celebratinglifebd.com
• The Standard Chartered Agrow Awards recognizes the leaders and innovators that are taking our agriculture sector forward, with the goal of promoting the disseminating technology and best practises at all levels of the industry. The award categories are Best Agricultural Organization in Research & Innovation, Best Agricultural Organization in Support & Execution, Best Agricultural Exporter, Best Use of Technology in Agriculture, Farmer of the Year – Male, Farmer of the Year – Female and Farmer of the Year - Subsistence Market Farmer Group. A significant cash reward is given to the winners in the three Farmer of the Year categories. Till date, there have been 33 award winners.