Citibank N.A. celebrated 30 years anniversary in Bangladesh with clients, regulators, alumni and community partners recently.
The celebration was hosted by N. Rajashekaran, Managing Director and Citi Country Officer for Bangladesh.
The event was attended by Jan Metzger, Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific, Corporate and Investment Banking; James Morrow, Managing Director and Sub Cluster Head, Citi Bangladesh and Sri Lanka; Mridula Iyer, Managing Director and Head of Treasury and Trade Solutions, Citi South Asia Cluster.
As a trusted partner to clients, for over three decades, Citi has been providing financial services across the Institutional Clients Group (ICG) in Bangladesh and contributing towards the development of country’s financial service sector with its innovative service and product solutions.
On the occasion, N. Rajashekaran said, “Citi has been and continues to be involved in partnering progress in Bangladesh with many pioneering products and digital offerings. The last three decades have been an exciting journey for us and we believe the next 30 years will be even more rewarding. We are well positioned to support the evolution of Bangladesh”.
In his remarks, James Morrow thanked clients, regulators, government, community leaders and Citi alumni for all their support. He added, “Since our establishment in New York 206 years ago, Citibank has developed into the most global banking institution with operations in 98 countries. Our Bangladesh operations are an important part of this global network which benefits our clients as the Bangladeshi economy grows and continues to play an important role in world trade. ”
Kazi M. Aminul Islam, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest. Mr Islam said , “Bangladesh has made enormous economic and social development strides in the last 30 years and is poised to continue growing at a world leading rate over the next 30 years. We expect Citi to continue to support the country in this journey with its financial innovation and solutions.”
During the 30 years celebration, special guest of the celebration, Md. Ashadul Islam, Secretary of the Bank and Financial Institutions Division (BFID) appreciated Citi’s journey of progress and added, “I congratulate Citi for being an important partner in building the financial ecosystem in Bangladesh.”
For more than 30 years, Citi’s mission has been to serve as a trusted partner with innovative services and solutions in Global Banking, Global Markets, Treasury & Trade Solutions, Securities and Fund Services etc. for giant multinational corporations, local Bangladeshi corporates, financial institutions and public sector. The bank has delivered solutions that helped clients achieve their strategic priorities. These have included the first-ever international corporate bond placement and structuring the world's first triple-a-rated microcredit receivables securitization. Citi managed the largest Initial Public Offering in Bangladesh and the first subordinated tier-ii bond issue by a bank. Citi has also been at the forefront of digital innovation including host-to-host connectivity with clients for fast, secure and efficient operations and facilitating electronic customs duty payments. Citi Bangladesh is the leader in cash management innovation in the country. It is the first bank to launch direct debit programme in 2012. Citi has been the "best corporate digital bank" in Bangladesh by the global finance magazine for 11 years in a row.
Citi is also championing progress in the country through its very active community support programs such as Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards Programs, Technical Education Program for young Underprivileged women, programs across youth economic opportunities, community development, promotion of arts and culture and disaster management.
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