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2.1 Historical review:
Janata Bank Plc is the second largest commercial bank in terms of net worth with 872
branches and fully owned by Government of Bangladesh. The mission of the bank is
to actively participate in the socio-economic development of the nation by operating a
commercially sound banking organization.
Immediately after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the Erstwhile United
Bank PLC and Union Bank PLC were nationalized and renamed as Janata Bank.
Janata Bank is a state owned commercial bank which was incorporated as a Public
PLC Company on 21 May 2008 as per Companies Act 1994 and took over the
business of the then Janata Bank with all of its assets, liabilities, right, power,
privilege and obligation on a going concern basis through a vendor agreement signed
between the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Janata Bank PLC on 15 November
2008 with a retrospective effect from 1 July 2008. All of its operational activities are
governed by the Bank Companies Act 1991.
The Bank provides all kinds of commercial banking services to its customers
including accepting deposits, extending loan & advances, discounting & purchasing
bills, remittance, money transfer, foreign exchange transaction, guarantee,
commitments etc. The principal activities of its subsidiary are to carry on the
remittance of hard-earned foreign currency to Bangladesh. Janata Bank Ltd. has a
plan to switch over to a multi- disciplinary financial institution by conducting
Merchant Banking business and Islamic Banking operation. The Bank is not
depending only on interest earnings; rather it strives hard to go for fee-based income
from non fund activities of the bank. This type of business include capital market
operations like underwriting, portfolio management, mutual fund management,
investors' account as well as commission based business like Letter Of Guarantee,
Inland remittance, Foreign remittance etc. These businesses usually do not involve
Bank's fund, but on the contrary, offer immense opportunity and scope to expand
bank services to the members of public at large.